τοιοῦτον, introducing a reason for a preceding statement, as Ai. 164 (“τοιούτων”), 218 (“τοιαῦτ̓”), 251 (“τοίας”), 562 (“τοῖον”).— εὔβουλον suggests the title of the Court, “ἡ ἐξ Ἀρείου πάγου βουλή”. If the Council of the Areiopagus (Creon assumes) became aware that a polluted person, such as Oedipus, was in Attica, it would take steps for his expulsion. Such a proceeding would doubtless have come within the limits of the general moral censorship actually possessed by the Areiopagus, at least in the earlier days of the Athenian democracy. Indeed that court is found exercising authority of a like kind (though only by special warrant) even after the reforms of Pericles and Ephialtes. Cp. Deinarchus or. 1 § 58, where the Ecclesia commissions the Areiopagus to inquire into the conduct of a merely suspected person, and the Areiopagus, having done so, reports to the Ecclesia (“τοῦ δήμου προστάξαντος ζητῆσαι τὴν βουλήν,...καὶ ζητήσασαν ἀποφῆναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀπέφηνεν ἡ βουλή”, etc.). See also Plut. Sol. 22, Isocr. or. 7 §§ 36-55, and my Attic Orators vol. II. p. 211.
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part II: The Oedipus Coloneus. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1899.
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