κάτωθεν, simply ‘below’: cp. 1070, Eur. Alc. 424 “τῷ κάτωθεν ἀσπόνδῳ θεῷ”: Dem. or. 23 § 28 “ὁ κάτωθεν νόμος”, the law below (=the continuation of a law already cited). We need not understand here, ‘if these things are approved from below.’ κάτω 'στὶν has the MS. authority: but it is most improbable that Soph. would have given such a needlessly unpleasing verse, and the change is sufficiently explained by a later belief that the sense required “κάτω.” εὐαγῆ, right in respect to “ἄγος”, i.e. free from it, pure (O. T. 921). She means: ‘who can tell if Eteocles, in the world below, will not think it consonant with piety that Polyneices should be honoured?’ Perhaps earthly feuds are made up there. Creon answers, ‘No,—foe once, foe always,— even in death: Eteocles will resent it.’ Cp. Od. 11.543 where the spirit of Ajax in Hades will not speak to Odysseus— “κεχολωμένη εἵνεκα νίκης ι τήν μιν ἐγὼ νίκησα”.—There would be far less point in Creon's words if we took them to mean, ‘my dead foe is still my foe’ (cp. Ai. 1348, 1372).
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part III: The Antigone. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1900.
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