ἰοὺ ἰού, a cry of surprise, with which the watcher greets the beacon in Aesch. Ag. 25,—where it is ‘extra metrum,’ as in Soph. Ai. 737.It stands within the verse, as here, in Soph. O. T. 1071, Soph. O. T. 1182, Soph. Tr. 1143. καὶ ταῦτά γ̓. In v. 29, “καὶ στίβου γ̓, γε” specially emphasises the word “στίβου”: here, it does not specially emphasise “ταῦτα”, but helps “καί” to introduce the new fact; i.e., it is not, ‘and here are rags,’ but rather, ‘yes, and here are rags.’ Wherever καί … γε occurs, it is well to note in which of these two ways it is used. Examples like “καὶ ταῦτά γ̓” here are, below, 1296 “καὶ πέλας γ̓”: O. T. 1132“κοὐδέν γε θαῦμα”: ib. 1319 “καὶ θαῦμά γ᾽ οὐδέν”. Examples like “καὶ στίβου γ̓” are, below, O. T. 674“καὶ σέ γ᾽ εἰσάξω”: 1277 “καὶ πέρα γ᾽ ἴσθ᾽ ἢ λέγω.” ἄλλα, ‘withal’ (i.e., besides the other objects already found): cp. O.T. 290 n.: Aesch. Theb. 424“γίγας ὅδ᾽ ἄλλος.” θάλπεται, ‘are drying’ in the sun at the seaward mouth of the cave (cp. 17). Not, ‘are warm’ to the touch,—as if recently used. Cp. Helen. 181 “ἁλίου πέπλους” | “αὐγαῖσιν ἐν ταῖς χρυσέαις” | “ἀμφιθάλπους᾿”.
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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