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ἆρ᾽ ἴστε, “ὡς, εἰ χρείη λέγειν ἀοιδὰς καὶ γόους πρὸ τοῦ θανεῖν, οὐδ᾽ εἶς ἂν παύσαιτολέγων);” The constr. would have been clearer with “λέγων” instead of λέγειν, but the latter has naturally been conformed to “χρείη”. The conject. “παύσειεν” is admissible (cp. O. C. 1751παύετε θρῆνον, παῖδες”), but unnecessary, and scarcely probable. Prof. Postgate's suggestion, that ἀοιδὰς καὶ γόους are objects to ἴστε, is tenable; but against it is the fact that in such cases the object of the principal verb is almost invariably the anticipated subject of the dependent clause (as O. C. 1197γνώσει κακοῦ θυμοῦ τελευτὴν ὡς κακὴ προσγίγνεται”); as if here we had, “ἆρ᾽ ἴστ᾽ ἀοιδὰς ὡς μακραί εἰσι”; An object is very rarely so anticipated, as in Isae. or. 10 § 18, “ἴσως οὖν ἄν τις...τὸν χρόνον ὑμῶν θαυμάσειε, πῶς ποτε πολὺν οὕτως εἰάσαμεν.

οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἷς, more emphatic than “οὐδεὶς ἄν”: O. T. 281 n.


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hide References (3 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (3):
    • Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 1197
    • Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 1751
    • Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, 281
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