κόμης … μυελὸν ἐκραίνει, he causes the brain to ooze out through his victim's hair,—at the moment when the skull is cloven. Cp. Eur. fr. 388 “κάρα τε γάρ σου συγχεῶ κόμαις ὁμοῦ”, | “ῥανῶ δὲ πεδόσ᾽ ἐγκέφαλον”: id. Eur. Cycl.402“τὸν δ᾽ αὖ, τένοντος ἁρπάσας ἄκρου ποδός”, | “παίων πρὸς ὀξὺν στόνυχα πετραίου λίθου” | “ἐγκέφαλον ἐξέρρανε” (where the verbal resemblance to this passage is remarkable). μυελὸν: “ἐγκέφαλος”, the proper word for ‘brain,’ is merely an adj. with which “μυελός” is understood. In Plat. Tim. 73C, D the “ἐγκέφαλος” is described as that part of the “μυελός” which is to receive “τὸ θεῖον σπέρμα”. διασπαρέντος: the skull, cleft from its centre (μέσου), is scattered in fragments. Other views are:—(1) The word means merely ‘cloven,’ and has been substituted for a word like “διαρραγέντος” on account of the following “αἵματος”. This seems impossible. (2) “διαρραγέντος”, or the like (see cr. n.), should be read. But “διασπαρέντος”, rightly understood, suits both nouns. Athenaeus (66 A) quotes vv. 781 f., as cited by Apollodorus (c. 140 B.C.), without variation from our text. The reading, then, is at least a very old one.
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part V: The Trachiniae. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1902.
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