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οὔθ᾽ ὑμεναίωνοὔτ᾽ ἐπινύμφειοςὕμνος. The “ὑμέναιος” has not been sung by friends escorting bride and bridegroom to their home; nor has the “ἐπιθαλάμιον” been sung in the evening at the door of the bridal chamber. (1) For the procession-song, cp. Il. 18.492νύμφας δ᾽ ἐκ θαλάμων, δαΐδων ὕπο λαμπομενάων, ἠγίνεον ἀνὰ ἄστυ: πολὺς δ᾽ ὑμέναιος ὀρώρει”. Aristoph. Pax 1332 ff. gives a specimen, with the refrain “Ὑμήν, Ὑμέναι᾽ ”. Cp. also Av. 1736.This was specially called the “ἁρμάτειον μέλος” (from the carriage conveying the newly-married couple), Etym. M. p. 145. (2) As to the “ἐπιθαλάμιος” (“ὕμνος”), or “ἐπιθαλάμιον” (“μέλος”), sung in the evening, see Phot. Bibl.p. 321 “καὶ τὰ ἐπιθαλάμια δὲ τοῖς ἄρτι θαλαμευομένοις ἅμα οἱ ἠΐθεοι καὶ αἱ παρθένοι ἐπὶ τῶν θαλάμων ᾖδον”. Extant specimens are Theocritus Idyll. 18 (for Helen and Menelaus), Catullus 61 and 62: for a burlesque, see Lucian Symp. 41.The word “ὑμέναιος”, though more specially denoting the procession-song, was a general term for a “γαμήλιον ᾆσμα”, and could denote the “ἐπιθαλάμιος”, in which “Ὑμὴν Ὑμέναιε” was the usual refrain (Theocr. 18. 58, Catull. 61. 4 etc.): so

οὐδὲ παμφώνων ἰαχὰν ὑμεναίων, ἅλικες
οἷα παρθένοι φιλέοισιν ἑταῖραι
ἑσπερίαις ὑποκουρίζεσθ᾽ ἀοιδαῖς

: Apollon. Rhod. 4. 1160νυμφιδίαις ὑμέναιον ἐπὶ προμολῇσιν ῾τηρεσηολδ̓ ἄειδον.

οὔτεἔγκληρον, … οὔτεὕμνησεν: we expected “οὔτε ὑμνηθεῖσαν”: a finite verb is substituted for the second participial clause: cp. 255 f.: O.C. 348 “πολλὰ μὲν...ἀλωμένη, πολλοῖσι δ᾽ ἡγεῖται”, with n. there on 351.

ἐπινύμφειος, Dindorf's correction of ἐπινυμφίδιος, is strongly supported by these facts. (1) In O. C. 1088 Soph. certainly used “ἐπινικείῳ” instead of the usual “ἐπινικίῳ”. Cp. above, Soph. 358, “ἐναίθρεια”. (2) In Aesch. Cho. 334ἐπιτύμβιος” (restored with certainty by Herm. ) had been corrupted into “ἐπιτυμβίδιος”. Bergk's ἐπὶ νυμφείοις (‘for crown of nuptials’) is quite possible (cp. n. on 568); but an epithet for “ὕμνος” is decidedly preferable here. Bergk relies on the schol., “λείπει θύραις κοίταις”, which suggests that the Schol. read “ἐπὶ νυμφιδίοις” (or “νυμφείοις”); but, if this were so, the fact would have little weight. The corruption would have been easy.— SchHerm. ütz defends ἐπινυμφίδιος as metrically possible. But, though it is possible that a logaoedic dactyl might replace a spondee here, the latter is at least better suited to the grave and mournful rhythm. The antistrophic verse (831) ends with “παγκλαύτοις”. So v. 816 ends with “νυμφεύσω”, and 833 with “κατευνάζει”.


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hide References (12 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (12):
    • Aeschylus, Libation Bearers, 334
    • Aristophanes, Birds, 1736
    • Aristophanes, Peace, 1332
    • Pindar, Pythian, 3
    • Sophocles, Antigone, 255
    • Sophocles, Antigone, 358
    • Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 1088
    • Homer, Iliad, 18.492
    • Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 4.1160
    • Theocritus, Idylls, 18
    • Catullus, Poems, 61
    • Catullus, Poems, 62
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