Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone

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τοῦ παντὸς Ζηνὸς ἑρκείου = πάντων τῶν οἰκείων (schol.): so Eustath. 1930, 30 “ἑρκεῖον Δία ἐκεῖνος” (Sophocles) “τοὺς ἐν οἴκῳ πάντας δηλοῖ”. The altar of “Ζεὺς ἑρκεῖος” stood in the court-yard (“αὐλή”) in front of the Greek house; “ἕρκος” denoting the buildings which enclose the “αὐλή”, or, sometimes, the space so enclosed, the “αὐλή” itself. In Od. 22.334 Phemius thinks of passing from the “μέγαρον” into the “αὐλή, Διὸς μεγάλου ποτὶ βωμὸν ι Ἑρκείου”. (Cp. my Introd. to Homer, p. 58.) This is the altar at which Peleus was sacrificing, “αὐλῆς ἐν χόρτῳ” (Il. 11.774 : cp. Athen. 5, p. 189 F): as in Plat. Rep. 328C there is sacrifice in the “αὐλή”. So in Her. 6.68 Demaratus supplicates his mother especially by “τοῦ Ἑρκείου Διὸς τοῦδε” (whose altar or image he is touching, “καταπτόμενος”). Priamisslain “πρὸς...κρηπίδων βάθροις...Ζηνὸς ἑρκείου” (Eur. Tro. 16),—“ἐπὶ τῇ ἐσχάρᾳ, τοῦ Ἑρκείου” (Paus. 4.17.4): cp. Ovid Ibis 286, Cui nihil Hercei profuit ara Iovis. In Cratinus jun., “Χείρων” 1 ff. (c. 350 B.C.), a returned exile says, “ξυγγενεῖς ι καὶ φράτορας καὶ δημότας εὑρὼν μόλις ι εἰς τὸ κυλικεῖον ἐνεγράφην” (put on the feasting-list—“παρὰ προσδοκίαν” for “εἰς τὸ γραμματεῖον”): “Ζεὺς ἔστιμοι ι ἑρκεῖος, ἔστι φράτριος”: where “ἑρκεῖος” corresponds with “ξυγγενεῖς”. Dionysius 1. 67 expresses the attributes of the Roman Penates by the words “πατρῷοι, γενέθλιοι, κτήσιοι, μύχιοι, ἐρκεῖοι” (for “ἑρκίους” in his text should be “ἑρκείους”: so L has “ἑρκίου” here).—In relation to the family, “Ζεύς” is also “γενέθλιος” ( Pind. O. 8. 16: cp. “ξύναιμος”, Pind. O. 659), “ὁμόγνιος”, and “ἐφέστιος” (as presiding over household life: Ai. 492, Her. 1.44).—For the god's name used to denote that which he protects, cp. Eur. Hec. 345 “πέφευγας τὸν ἐμὸν ἱκέσιον Δία”, = my supplication, with its consequences.