(
Greek characters)
1476, (Greek characters)
Wunder, mistaking these words, badly reads (Greek characters)[1].
Schneidewin appears to understand them rightly, though somewhat vague in his translation. Erfurdt and Linwood correctly:
"quum ex ea voluptate, quam olim percepisti, conjecturam
fecissem de praesenti."
1494, (Greek characters)
Schneidewin says that (Greek characters) following (Greek characters) would mean,
"and to your parents." He reads, therefore, (Greek characters) for (Greek characters). In so doing, he has shewn himself blind to the true
force of these words. Sophocles meant Œdipus to represent
all the disgrace of his family, retrospective and prospective, as
derived from himself. In ordinary parlance, therefore, he would
have aaid, (Greek characters) (the emphatic word) (Greek characters). But instead of (Greek characters), this great master of
tragic effect has beautifully substituted (Greek characters): " Which will be
sullying imputations to (all who are) mine, to my parents, and
at the same time to you (my two children)." In this substitution
there is also another purpose, viz. to limit the fatherly concern
of Œdipus to his daughters. His comparative indifference to
his sons had been declared before (1459) ; and the poet had his
mind turned to the events of the Œdipodean myth, as developed
afterwards in his Œdipus Coloneus. Were I to desire any
emendation, it would be (Greek characters) for (Greek characters).
In the close of this paper, let me recur for a moment to the
fault found with this noble drama by Voltaire and others, on
account of the ignorance which Œdipus exhibits of the events
before his accession to the throne. This ignorance would not
seem to an ancient Athenian so improbable as it does to us.
Historical documents did not exist in the days of Œdipus : and
that peculiarly strong superstition of the Greeks which restrained
them from the mention of evil,
- ↑ In the edition of Sophocles among the new Teubner classics I regret to see this erroneous reading adopted, as well as (
Greek characters) in v. 1085, and (Greek characters) in v. 458. But (Greek characters) in v. 1279 is probably right.
