τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν τίν' εἶχε Soph. OT 740-41
Posted: January 17th, 2015, 7:15 pm
Soph. OT 740-41
Oedipus
Μήπω μ' ἐρώτα· τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν
τίν' εἶχε φράζε, τίνα δ' ἀκμὴν ἥβης ἔχων.
This syntax is spare with no wasted words, assuming the text is sound — Jebb[1] had a problem with it. Helma Dik[2] commented on it. My question pertains to the word order τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν τίν' εἶχε. I noted in Jebb's comment: Herm. was inclined to defend as if τίνα φύσιν εἶχε = τίς ἦν φύσιν which is more or less what my question is about. Was Herm's analysis correct?
[1]
some context:
{ΟΙ.} Οἷόν μ' ἀκούσαντ' ἀτίως ἔχει, γύναι,
ψυχῆς πλάνημα κἀνακίνησις φρενῶν.
{ΙΟ.} Ποίας μερίμνης τοῦθ' ὑποστραφεὶς λέγεις;
{ΟΙ.} Ἔδοξ' ἀκοῦσαι σοῦ τόδ', ὡς ὁ Λάϊος
730
κατασφαγείη πρὸς τριπλαῖς ἁμαξιτοῖς.
{ΙΟ.} Ηὐδᾶτο γὰρ ταῦτ' οὐδέ πω λήξαντ' ἔχει.
{ΟΙ.} Καὶ ποῦ 'σθ' ὁ χῶρος οὗτος, οὗ τόδ' ἦν πάθος;
{ΙΟ.} Φωκὶς μὲν ἡ γῆ κλῄζεται, σχιστὴ δ' ὁδὸς
ἐς ταὐτὸ Δελφῶν κἀπὸ Δαυλίας ἄγει.
735
{ΟΙ.} Καὶ τίς χρόνος τοῖσδ' ἐστὶν οὑξεληλυθώς;
{ΙΟ.} Σχεδόν τι πρόσθεν ἢ σὺ τῆσδ' ἔχων χθονὸς
ἀρχὴν ἐφαίνου, τοῦτ' ἐκηρύχθη πόλει.
{ΟΙ.} Ὦ Ζεῦ, τί μου δρᾶσαι βεβούλευσαι πέρι;
{ΙΟ.} Τί δ' ἐστί σοι τοῦτ', Οἰδίπους, ἐνθύμιον;
740
{ΟΙ.} Μήπω μ' ἐρώτα· τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν
τίν' εἶχε φράζε, τίνα δ' ἀκμὴν ἥβης ἔχων.
{ΙΟ.} Μέγας, χνοάζων ἄρτι λευκανθὲς κάρα,
μορφῆς δὲ τῆς σῆς οὐκ ἀπεστάτει πολύ.
{ΟΙ.} Οἴμοι τάλας· ἔοικ' ἐμαυτὸν εἰς ἀρὰς
745
δεινὰς προβάλλων ἀρτίως οὐκ εἰδέναι.
{ΙΟ.} Πῶς φῄς; ὀκνῶ τοι πρὸς σ' ἀποσκοποῦσ', ἄναξ.
{ΟΙ.} Δεινῶς ἀθυμῶ μὴ βλέπων ὁ μάντις ᾖ.
Δείξεις δὲ μᾶλλον, ἢν ἓν ἐξείπῃς ἔτι.
Oedipus
Μήπω μ' ἐρώτα· τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν
τίν' εἶχε φράζε, τίνα δ' ἀκμὴν ἥβης ἔχων.
This syntax is spare with no wasted words, assuming the text is sound — Jebb[1] had a problem with it. Helma Dik[2] commented on it. My question pertains to the word order τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν τίν' εἶχε. I noted in Jebb's comment: Herm. was inclined to defend as if τίνα φύσιν εἶχε = τίς ἦν φύσιν which is more or less what my question is about. Was Herm's analysis correct?
[1]
[2] Helma Dik labeled Λάϊον the topic and φύσιν a subtopic. Word Order Greek Tragic Dialogue p159 n44.[740] I do not believe that Soph., or any Greek, could have written φύσιν ι τίν᾽ εἶχε, φράζε, τίνα δ᾽ ἀκμὴν ἥβης ἔχων, which Herm. was inclined to defend as if τίνα φύσιν εἶχε = τίς ἦν φύσιν. Now τίνος would easily pass into τίνα δ᾽ with a scribe who did not follow the construction; and to restore τίνος seems by far the most probable as well as the simplest remedy. No exception can be taken to the phrase τίνος ἀκμὴν ἥβης as = “the ripeness of what period of vigorous life.”
some context:
{ΟΙ.} Οἷόν μ' ἀκούσαντ' ἀτίως ἔχει, γύναι,
ψυχῆς πλάνημα κἀνακίνησις φρενῶν.
{ΙΟ.} Ποίας μερίμνης τοῦθ' ὑποστραφεὶς λέγεις;
{ΟΙ.} Ἔδοξ' ἀκοῦσαι σοῦ τόδ', ὡς ὁ Λάϊος
730
κατασφαγείη πρὸς τριπλαῖς ἁμαξιτοῖς.
{ΙΟ.} Ηὐδᾶτο γὰρ ταῦτ' οὐδέ πω λήξαντ' ἔχει.
{ΟΙ.} Καὶ ποῦ 'σθ' ὁ χῶρος οὗτος, οὗ τόδ' ἦν πάθος;
{ΙΟ.} Φωκὶς μὲν ἡ γῆ κλῄζεται, σχιστὴ δ' ὁδὸς
ἐς ταὐτὸ Δελφῶν κἀπὸ Δαυλίας ἄγει.
735
{ΟΙ.} Καὶ τίς χρόνος τοῖσδ' ἐστὶν οὑξεληλυθώς;
{ΙΟ.} Σχεδόν τι πρόσθεν ἢ σὺ τῆσδ' ἔχων χθονὸς
ἀρχὴν ἐφαίνου, τοῦτ' ἐκηρύχθη πόλει.
{ΟΙ.} Ὦ Ζεῦ, τί μου δρᾶσαι βεβούλευσαι πέρι;
{ΙΟ.} Τί δ' ἐστί σοι τοῦτ', Οἰδίπους, ἐνθύμιον;
740
{ΟΙ.} Μήπω μ' ἐρώτα· τὸν δὲ Λάϊον φύσιν
τίν' εἶχε φράζε, τίνα δ' ἀκμὴν ἥβης ἔχων.
{ΙΟ.} Μέγας, χνοάζων ἄρτι λευκανθὲς κάρα,
μορφῆς δὲ τῆς σῆς οὐκ ἀπεστάτει πολύ.
{ΟΙ.} Οἴμοι τάλας· ἔοικ' ἐμαυτὸν εἰς ἀρὰς
745
δεινὰς προβάλλων ἀρτίως οὐκ εἰδέναι.
{ΙΟ.} Πῶς φῄς; ὀκνῶ τοι πρὸς σ' ἀποσκοποῦσ', ἄναξ.
{ΟΙ.} Δεινῶς ἀθυμῶ μὴ βλέπων ὁ μάντις ᾖ.
Δείξεις δὲ μᾶλλον, ἢν ἓν ἐξείπῃς ἔτι.