NOTES ON ALCESTIS
[1] Lactant. i. 10. "Quid Apollo? Nonne ... turpissime gregem pavit alienum?" B.
[2] Hygin. Fab. li. "Apollo ab eo in servitutem liberaliter acceptus." B.
[3] Cf. Hippol. 1437. B.
[4] No one will, I believe, object to this translation of ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ; it seems rather a matter of surprise that Potter has kept the Latin ORCUS, a name clearly substituted as the nearest to ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ of the masculine gender.
[5] Cf. Æsch. Eum. 723 sqq. B.
[6] It was customary to bury those, who died advanced in years, with greater magnificence than young persons.
[7] The horses of Diomed, king of Thrace. The construction is, Ευρυσθεως πεμψαντος [αυτον] μετα ‛ιππειον οχημα [αξοντα] εκ τοπων δυσχει μερων Θρηικης. MONK.
[8] On this custom, see Monk, and Lomeier de Lustrationibus § xxviii. B.
[9] Perhaps, "as though all were over," B.
[10] Casaubon on Theophr. § 16, observes that it was customary to place a large vessel filled with lustral water before the doors of a house during the time the corpse was lying out, with which every one who came out sprinkled himself. See also Monk's note, Kirchmann de Funeribus, iii. 9. The same custom was observed on returning from the funeral. See Pollux, viii. 7. p. 391, ed. Seber. B.
[11] See Dindorf. B.
[12] Potterus, Arch. Gr. mortuos a Græcis προνωπεις vocari tradit, quod solebant ex penitiore ædium parte produci, ac in vestibulo, i.e. προνωπιωι collocari: atque hunc locum adducit, sed frustra, ut opinor. Non enim mortua jam erat, nec producta, sed, ut recte hanc vocem interpretatur schol. εις θανατον προνενευκυια, i.e. morti propinqua. Proprie προνωπης is dicitur, qui corpore prono ad terram fertur, ut Æschyl. Agam. 242. Inde, quia moribundi virium defectu terram petere solent, ad hos designandos translatum est. KUINOEL.
[13] The old word "dizening" is perhaps the most literal translation of κοσμος, which, however, here means the whole preparations for the funeral. Something like it is implied in Hamlet, v. 1.
... her virgin rites,
Her maiden strewments, and the bringing home
Of bell and burial. B.
[14] Aristophanes is almost too bad in his burlesque, Equit. 1251. σε δ' αλλος τις λαβων κεκτησεται, κλεπτης μεν ουκ αν μαλλον, ευτυχης δ' ‛ισως. B.
[15] Some would translate προνωπης in the same manner as in verse 144.
[16] Conf. Ter.: Phorm. iv. 4, 5. Opera tua ad restim mihi quidem res rediit planissume.
[17] Perhaps it is unnecessary to remark, that αβιωτον agrees with βιον implied in βιοτευσει.
[18] ‛οραι scilicet ‛ηλιος. MONK.
[19] Cf. Hippol. 1372. B.
[20] It must be remembered that to survive one's children was considered the greatest of misfortunes. Cf. Plaut. Mil. Glor. l. 1. "Ita ut tuum vis unicum gnatum tuæ Superesse vitæ, sospitem et superstitem." B.
[21] Kuinoel carries on the interrogation to γαμους, and Buchanan has translated it according to this punctuation. Monk compares Iliad, p. 95; μηπως με περιστελωσ' ‛ενα πολλοι.
[22] Compare my note on Æsch. Ag. 414 sqq. B.
[23] These, my children.
[24] Reiske proposes to read τεθριππα δε ζευγη τε και—And both from your chariot teams, and from your single horses cut the manes.
[25] This festival was celebrated in honor of Apollo at Sparta, from the seventh to the sixteenth day of the month Carneus. See Monk. B.
[26] On λιπαραις Αθαναις, see Monk. B.
[27] Literally, the duplicate of such a wife.
[28] αναξ πελτης, so αναξ κωπης in Æsch. Pers. 384, of a rower. Wakefield compares Ovid's Clypei dominus septemplicis Ajax. MONK.
[29] Heath and Markland take τωι for τινι.
[30] Cf. Theocrit. Id. i. 71 sqq. of Daphnis, τηνον μεν θωες, τηνον λυκοι ωρυσαντο, Τηνον χοι 'κ δρυμοιο λεων ανεκλαυσε θανοντα ... πολλαι μεν παρ ποσσι βοες, πολλοι δε τε ταυροι, πολλαι δ' αυ δαμαλαι και πορτιες ωδυραντο. Virg. Ecl. v. 27 sqq. Calpurnius, Ecl. ii. 18. Nemesianus, Ecl. i. 74 sqq.; ii. 32. B.
[31] αρδην γινεται απο του αιρειν. δηλοι δε το φοραδην. Schol.
[32] Cf. Suppl. 773. "Αιδου τε μολπας εκχεω δακρυρροους, φιλους προσαυδων, ‛ων λελειμμενος ταλας ερημα κλαιω. See Gorius Monum. sive Columbar. Libert. Florent. mdccxxvii. p.186, who observes, "χαιρε was the accustomed salutation addressed to the dead. Catullus, Carm. xcvii. Accipe fraterno multum manantia fletu, atque in perpetuum frater HAVE, atque VALE." The same scholar compares a monument, apud Fabretti, cap. v. p. 392, n. 265,
D. M
AVE SALVINIA
OMNIUM. AMAN
TISSIMA. ET.
VALE,
which is very apposite to the present occasion. B.
[33] Wakefield reads χαιρε καιν Αιδου δομοις; having in his mind probably Hom. Il. Ψ. 19. Χαιρε μοι ‛ω Πατροκλε, και ειν Αϊδαο δομοισι.
[34] I should scarcely have observed that this is the proper sense of the imperfect, had not the former translator mistaken it. B.
[35] Cf. Iph. Taur. 244. χερνιβας δε και καταργματα ουκ αν φθανοις αν ευτρεπη ποιουμενη. B.
[36] An apparent allusion to the fable of Death and the Old Man. B
[37] Aristophanes' version of this line is, ω παι, τιν αυχεις, ποτερα Λυδον η Φρυγα Μορμολυττεσθαι δοκεις. B.
[38] Turned by Aristophanes into an apology for beating one's father, Nub. 1415. κλαουσι παιδες, πατερα δ' ου κλαειν δοκεις. See Thesmoph. 194. B.
[39] Cf. Æsch. Choeph. sub init. and Gorius, Monum. Libert. p. 24. ad Tab. x. lit. A.
[40] Theocrit. i. 27. Και βαθυ κισσυβιον κεκλυσμενον ‛αδει καρωι, Τω περι μεν χειλη μαρευεται ‛υψοθι κισσος. B.
[41] Hamlet, v. 1.
—Hold off the earth awhile,
Till I have caught her once more in mine arms:
[ leaps into the grave.]
Now pile your dust upon the quick and dead. B.
[42] Cf. vs. 195. ‛ον ου προσειπε και προσερρηθη παλιν. B.
[43] Ορφεια γαρυς, a paraphrasis for Ορφευς.
[44] αντιτεμων, μεταφορικως απο των τας ‛ριζας τεμνοντων και ‛ευρισκοντων. SCHOL. TR. Cf. on Æsch. Agam. 17. B.
[45] In Phavorinus, among the senses of κλισια is κλινη και κλινητηριον.
[46] It will be remembered that the tombs were built near the highways, with great magnificence, and sometimes very lofty, especially when near the sea-coast (cf. Æsch. Choeph. 351. D'Orville on Charit. lib. i. sub fin. Eurip. Hecub. 1273). They are often used as landmarks or milestones, as in Theocr. vi. 10, and as oratories or chapels, Apul. Florid, i. p.340, ed. Elm. B.
[47] This appears the most obvious sense, as connected with what follows. All the interpreters, however, translate it, I thought myself worthy, standing, as I did, near thy calamities,(i.e. near thee in thy calamities,) to be proved thy friend.
[48] In the same manner ‛ηβαι is used in Orestes, 687, ‛οταν γαρ ‛ηβαι δημος εις οργην πεσων.
[49] i.e. the severed head of the Gorgon. Valckenaer observes, that this is an expression meaning facie aversa, and compares l. 465 of the Phœnissæ.
[50] Winter's Tale, v. 3.
Start not: her actions shall be holy, as,
You hear, my spell is lawful: do not shun her,
Until you see her die again; for then
You kill her double: Nay, present your hand:
When she was young you woo'd her; now, in age,
Is she become the suitor?
Compare also Much Ado about Nothing, v. 4. B.
[51] ‛αφαγνιζειν h. l. non purificare sed desecrare. Orcus enim, quando gladio totondisset Alcestidis capillos, eam diis manibus sacram dicaverat, quod diserte ‛ηγνισαι appellat noster, vide 75—77. Contraria igitur aliqua ceremonia desecranda erat, antequam Admeto ejus consuetudine et colloquio frui liceret. HEATH.