Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Electra

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πάλαι goes with αἰσθάνει (lit., ‘hast thou not long since been aware?’): not with “ἀνταυδᾷς”. For “πάλαι” referring to a recent moment, cp. 676.

1478 In ἀνταυδᾷς, a compound found only here, “ἀντί” has the same force as in “ἀντονομάζω”, Thuc. 6. 4.§ 6 “τὴν πόλιν” (Rhegium)..“οἰκίσας Μεσσήνην...ἀντωνόμασε”, ‘changed its name’ to Messene. Aegisthus ‘changes the designation’ of living men, and speaks of them ἴσα τοῖς θανοῦσιν, in the same terms which would properly be applied to the dead. Thus the strict sense of the words is, ‘Thou perversely (“ἀντ-”) speakest of the living as if they were dead.’ The acc. ζῶντας stands with “ἀνταυδᾷς” as with the simple “αὐδᾶν” (e.g., Eur. Hipp. 582“αὐδῶν δεινὰ πρόσπολον κακά”). If “ἀνταυδᾷς” meant ‘reply to,’ or ‘speak face to face with,’ it would require the dative.

Editors from Brunck onwards have been nearly unanimous in accepting ζῶντας, Tyrwhitt's correction of the MS. ζῶν τοῖς. Campbell, who retains “ζῶν τοῖς”, explains thus: ‘that thou, a living man, hast been replying to the dead (Orestes), in tones like theirs (“ἴσα”）’: i.e., ‘with a tongue that is already doomed to death.’