ἢ πρὸς οἶκον τὸν σὸν “κ.τ.λ.” He asks N. to convey him, either merely to the youth's own home (Scyros), or, better still, a little further, viz., to Euboea (cp. n. on 240); whence it will be easy to reach Malis (492). τὰ Χαλκώδοντος Εὐβοίας σταθμά, the Euboean abode of Chalcodon, i.e. Euboea, his realm. Cp. Tr. 1191“τὸν Οἴτης Ζηνὸς ὕψιστον πάγον”. In Il. 2. 536 ff. Elephenor, son of Chalcodon, figures as the leader of all the Euboeans in the Greek army, who are called “Ἄβαντες”, and represent six towns, including Carystus at the extreme south of the island, Chalcis at the middle point of its west coast, and Histiaea in the extreme north. Schneidewin remarks that Philoctetes, the former comrade of Heracles, might naturally name Chalcodon, who had been the companion of Heracles in an expedition against the Eleans ( Paus. 8. 15. 6). But that was merely a local Arcadian myth; and Pausanias finds it inconsistent with the better-known Theban tradition, according to which Chalcodon was slain by Amphitryon in a war between the Euboeans and Thebans (9. 19. 3). At any rate the Attic poet might think of the Attic legend, according to which Theseus had sent his sons for protection to Chalcodon's son Elephenor, before retiring from Athens to Scyros ( Plut. Thes. 35).
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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