τὸν βίον. This verse deserves notice as one of those which indicate the sensitiveness of the Athenian ear to accent. For if “βίον” could have been mistaken for “βιόν”, the effect would have been as unhappy as when the actor pronounced “γαλήν̓” too much like “γαλῆν” ( Ar. Ran. 304).—Cp. 1282. 932 A dactyl is here followed by a tribrach, as in 1029 we have two tribrachs. In both verses the rhythm marks agitation.
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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