οὐδέποθ̓, ἑκόντα γ̓. In saying σώσους᾿, N. meant, ‘they will restore thee to health, and to honour.’ Ph. replies, ‘Never,—if I must visit Troy of my own free will.’ ὥστε expresses the condition: cp. n. on O. C. 602“πῶς δῆτά σ᾽ ἂν πεμψαίαθ̓, ὥστ᾽ οἰκεῖν δίχα”; The comma is better placed after “οὐδέποθ̓” than after “ἑκόντα γ̓”, since the latter thus gains emphasis. Cp. 1332. ἰδεῖν is right: the variant ἑλεῖν arose from the likeness of “Δ” to “Λ”, helped, perhaps, by a reminiscence of vv. 347, 998, 1347. μολεῖν would be feebler. For this use of “ἰδεῖν” (‘to set eyes upon,’ ‘visit’), cp. O. T. 824“εἴ...μοι φυγόντι μἤστι τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἰδεῖν”.
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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