Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound and the Seven Against Thebes Part 11

[49] I have followed Dindorf's elegant emendation. See his note, and Blomf. on Ag. 1.

[50] After the remarks of Dindorf and Paley, it seems that the above must be the sense, whether we read [Greek: hon]

with Hermann, or take [Greek: hos] for [Greek: e hos] with the above mentioned editor.

[51] Paley remarks that [Greek: tas pol. tychas] is used in the same manner as in Pers. 453, [Greek: phtharentes]="s.h.i.+pwrecked" (see his note), or "wandering."

He renders the present pa.s.sage "the adventures of her long wanderings."

[52] With the earlier circ.u.mstances of this narrative compare the beautiful story of Psyche in Apuleius, Met.

IV. p. 157, sqq. Elm.

[53] Cf Ag. 217, [Greek: epei d' anankas edy lepadnon].

[54] [Greek: krenen] is the elegant conjecture of Canter, approved by Dindorf. In addition to the remarks of the commentators, the tradition preserved by Pausanias II. 15, greatly confirms this emendation. He remarks, [Greek: therous de aua sphisin esti ta rheumata plen ton en Lerne]. It was probably somewhat proverbial.

[55] I shall not attempt to enter into the much-disputed geography of Io's wanderings. So much has been said, and to so little purpose, on this perplexing subject, that to write additional notes would be only to furnish more reasons for doubting.

[56] Probably the Kurban. Schutz well observes that the words [Greek: ou pseudonymon] could not be applied to an epithet of the poet's own creation. Such, too, was Humboldt's idea. See my first note on this play.

[57] See Schutz and Griffiths.

[58] Wrapped in mystery as the liberation of Prometheus is in this drama, it may be amusing to compare the following extracts from the Short Chronicle prefixed to Sir I.

Newton's Chronology.

"968. B.C. Sesak, having carried on his victories to Mount Caucasus, leaves his nephew Prometheus there, to guard the pa.s.s, etc.

"937. The Argonautic expedition. Prometheus leaves Mount Caucasus, being set at liberty by Hercules," etc.--Old Translator.

[59] Stanley compares Pindar, Isth. vii. 33.

----[Greek: pepromenon en pherteron gonon [hoi] anakta patros tekein].

And Apoll. Rhod. iv. 201. Also the words of Thetis herself in Nonnus, Dionys. x.x.xiii. 356.

[Greek: Zeus me pater edioke kai ethelen es gamon helkein, ei me min potheonta geron anekopte Prometheus, thespizon Kronionos areiona paida phyteusai].

[60] "These were; 1. Epaphus; 2. Lybia; 3. Belus; 4.

Danaus; 5. Hypermnestra; 6. Abas; 7. Proetus; 8.

Acrisius; 9. Danae; 10. Perseus; 11. Electryon; 12.

Alcmena; 13. Hercules."--Blomfield.

[61] For two ways of supplying the lacuna in this description of Io's travels, see Dindorf and Paley.

[62] Being turned into stone. Such was the punishment of the fire-wors.h.i.+pers in the story of the first Lady of Baghdad. See Arabian Nights, Vol. I., p. 198. The mythico-geographical allusions in the following lines have been so fully and so learnedly ill.u.s.trated, that I shall content myself with referring to the commentators.

[63] See Linwood's Lexicon and Griffiths' note.

[64] There is still much doubt about the elision [Greek: esesth', ei]. Others read the pa.s.sage interrogatively. See Griffiths and Dindorf.

[65] This pun upon the name of Epaphus is preserved by Moschus II. 50.

[Greek: en d' en Zeus, epaphomenos erema cheiri theeie portios Inachies. ten heptaporo para Neilo ek boos eukeraoio palin metameibe gynaika.]

and Nonnus, III. p. 62, 20:

[Greek: enth' Epaphon dii tikten akerasion hoti kolpon Inachies damales epaphesato theios akoites chersin erosaneessi--]

[66] There is much difficulty in this pa.s.sage. Dindorf understands [Greek: ekeinon] (aegypti filiorum), and so Paley, referring to his notes on Ag. 938, Suppl. 437. Mr.

Jelf, Gk. Gr., - 696, Obs. 3, appears to take the same view. There does not, therefore, seem any need of alteration. On the other interpretation sometimes given to [Greek: phthonon hixei somaton], see Linwood, v. [Greek: phthonos].

[67] [Greek: sphagaisi] is rightly rendered "in jugulo" by Blomfield, after Ruhnk. Ep. Crit. I. p. 71. To the examples quoted add Apul. Met. I. p. 108, "per jugulum sinistrum capulotenus gladium totum ei demergit," and p.

110, "jugulo ejus vulnus dehiscit in patorem," The expression [Greek: nyktiphroureto thrasei] is well ill.u.s.trated by the words of Nonnus, I. c. p. 64, 17.

[Greek: kai kryphiois xipheessi siderophoron epi lektron a.r.s.ena gymnon Area kateunase thelys Enyo].

[68] See Nonnus I. c. Ovid, ep. xiv. 51, sqq.

"Sed timor, et pietas crudelibus obst.i.tit ausis: Castaque mandatum dextra refugit opus."

[69] On [Greek: sphakelos] see Ruhnk. Tim. p. 123, and Blomfield.

[70] See Paley. [Greek: a] is never intensive.

[71] On this admonition, generally attributed to Pittacus, see Griffiths, and for a modern ill.u.s.tration in the miseries of Sir John Anvil (or Enville), Knt., the Spectator, No. 299.

[72] Paley would supply [Greek: potniai] to complete the metre.

[73] I have followed Griffiths.

[74] Dindorf would throw out [Greek: aphobos], Paley [Greek: ou dedia], remarking that the sense appears to require [Greek: hote].

[75] _I.e._ possessing resources even among impossibilities. Cf. Antig. 360. [Greek: aporos ep' ouden erchetai], and for the construction, Jelf, Gk. Gr. - 581, 2. obs.

[76] I think Elmsley has settled the question in favor of [Greek: toion] for [Greek: hoion].

[77] "In aeschylus we seem to read the vehement language of an old servant of exploded t.i.tanism: with him Jupiter and the Olympians are but a new dynasty, fresh and exulting, insolent and capricious, the victory just gained and yet but imperfectly secured over the mysterious and venerable beings who had preceded, TIME, HEAVEN, OCEAN, EARTH and her gigantic progeny: Jupiter is still but half the monarch of the world; his future fall is not obscurely predicted, and even while he reigns, a gloomy irresistible destiny controls his power."--Quart. Rev. xxviii, 416.

[79] Milton, Samson Agon.

_Dalilah._ "I see thou art implacable, more deaf To prayers than winds or seas."

Merchant of Venice, Act 4, sc. 1.

"You may as well go stand upon the beach And bid the main flood bate his usual height."

See Schrader on Musaeus, 320.

[80] See Linwood's Lexicon. Cf. Nonnus, Dionys. II. p. 45, 22.