SOPHOCLES Or 226-9

τοντον κελεύω πάντα σημαίνειν εμοι κεί μεν φοβείται τονπίκλημ' ύπεξελών αντος καθ1 αντον · πείθεται γαρ άλλο μεν άστεργές ονοέν, γης δ' απειαιν αβλαβής

227f. νπεξελών /αυτός MSS : νπεξελεϊν j αυτόν Κ. Halm : ύπεξελών G. Murray

In a recent article I have drawn attention to the need for giving consideration to Gilbert Murray's conjectural accentuation (x). There also I reminded scholars that νπεξελών is much more probably the future participle from ύπεξελαννειν than a rare formation from νπεξαιρεΐν like the much later parallels άνελώ, καθελώ and διελώ which are cited by LSJ. I now wish to discuss the meaning which this passage might bearif we were to accept Murray's proposed accentuation into our texts. Let us remember that in so doing we must also accept the other reading so often discarded in our modern texts — αυτός καθ1 αυτόν.

For the verb ύπεξελαύνω LSJ quote two usages only, both from Herodotus Book IV. For Hdt. IV, 120 they offer drive away secretly or gradually, and Hdt. IV, 130 they explain as« intransitive, = march away». For this latter passage Stephanus suggests clam progredior lon- gius, which might suit the present Sophoclean context better. In the context of the curse of Oedipus« driving away» can be considered appropriate to the king's proposed actions only : for persons being warned or threatened the sense of the intransitive «going away» alone is relevant. Therefore ύπεξελών must be taken in the sense of Hdt. IV, 130. The participle here will be masculine nominative singular future, and might well be rendered in Stephanus' terms « about to go away secretly». Such an intransitive rendering here