Ο᾿ρεία δ᾽, MeklerS. 's correction of βαρεῖα δ̓, occurs in his revision of Dindorf (6th Teubner ed., 1885), where it is placed in the text. But, so far as I know, the arguments for it have not yet been stated. It is one of those emendations, the probability of which cannot be adequately estimated at a first glance, but must be carefully considered in relation to the peculiarities of the MS. (1) We observe, then, that L has “βαρεῖ”|“αδ᾽ ἀθυρόστομος”. This favours the view that v. 188 began with “α δ̓” rather than “ἁ δ̓”. But, as metre proves, that “α” must have been “α_”, not “α^”: and this points to an ending “-εί”|“α_”, as in “ὀρεί”|“α”. (2) Some corruptions in L, as in other MSS., have arisen through the genuine word being mistaken for one resembling it in form; as “ἄχος” has become “ἄχθος” in O. T. 1355.And this could occur even when the initial of the false word did not belong to the true word. See Tr. 887“στονόεντος ἐν τομᾷ σιδάρου”. For “τομᾷ”, L there has “στομαῖ”: and this, not merely through the influence of “στονόεντος”, but, evidently, because the scribe was thinking of “στόμα”. Thus, even without assuming an intermediate “ἀρεί”|“α” or “ἀρεῖ”|“α”, we see that “βαρεῖ”|“α” was a possible corruption of “ὀρεί”|“α”. Note, as increasing the probability, that v. 208, “βαρεῖα τηλόθεν αὐδά”, stands in L in the middle of the same page (82 A) which contains this verse. (3) ὀρεία, as an epithet for Echo here, is illustrated by the only other place in the play where such echo is spoken of: 1458 “πολλὰ δὲ φωνῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας” | “Ἑρμαῖον ὄρος παρέπεμψεν ἐμοί”. The “θῆρες” have just been mentioned (185); and at 937 we have “θηρῶν ὀρείων”. Cp. Hymn. Hom. 19. 21 “κορυφὴν δὲ περιστένει οὔρεος ἠχώ”. Echo is the ‘neighbour’ of Pan (Moschus 6. 1), himself “ὀρεσσιβάτης” ( O. T. 1100).—For other conjectures, see Appendix. ἀθυρόστομος is not extant elsewhere. Cp. Eur. Or. 903 “ἀνήρ τις ἀθυρόγλωσσος, ἰσχύων θράσει”. Ar. Ran. 838“ἔχοντ᾽ ἀχάλινον ἀκρατὲς ἀθύρωτον στόμα”. Theognis 421 “πολλοῖς ἀνθρώπων γλώσσῃ θύραι οὐκ ἐπίκεινται” | “ἁρμόδιαι”.—Wecklein reads ἀθυροστομοῦς᾿ (comparing “θρασυστομεῖν, πολυστομεῖν”), for the sake of the long final syll.: but see on “μετὰ” in 184.
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part IV: The Philoctetes. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1932.
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