[677] Perhaps one reason was the great sweep of story which it covers. [678] See Mr. J. U. Powell’s careful and lucid account in his edition (pp. 7-32). [679] Verrall, _Eur. the Rationalist_, pp. 236 _sq._ [680] Mr. J. U. Powell, whose edition should be consulted. [681] vv. 1233 _sq._:— ὑμεῖς δ’ ἀγῶν’ ἀφέντες, Ἀργεῖοι, χθόνα νίσεσθε, βίοτον μὴ λιπόντες ἐνθάδε, are out of the question as work of Euripides. There are several other faults. [682] vv. 1259 _sqq._ [683] Mr. Powell, however, rightly remarks that vv. 1265-6 are “strained”. [684] vv. 1758 _sq._ [685] vv. 1524 _sq._ [686] So the scholiast: ὅ τε ἐπὶ πᾶσι μετ’ ᾠδῆς ἀδολέσχου φυγαδευόμενος Οἰδίπους προσέρραπται διὰ κενῆς. [687] vv. 1090-1199 (the ῥῆσις containing the description of the Seven). [688] vv. 1182 _sqq._ [689] Verrall (_Eur. the Rationalist_, pp. 231-60) believed that those parts which introduce Antigone are un-Euripidean. The terrace-scene has already been discussed. In the body of the play, as he argues with much point, wherever mention of Antigone occurs, it is obtrusive and embarrassing. Her lament with Œdipus at the close contains many inappropriate features. He concludes that Œdipus is an allegory of Euripides himself, leaving Athens in sorrow at the end of his life, and that Antigone represents his literary offspring, the plays. The Sphinx is “the spirit of mystery and darkness,” which the poet has fought and quelled. All this was composed by a poet of the Euripidean circle to commemorate the master; it includes a compliment—the quotation from the _Œdipus Tyrannus_—to Sophocles, who had shown public respect to his rival when the news of his death reached Athens. [690] One notices the criticism (vv. 751 _sq._) of Æschylus, _Septem_ (vv. 375 _sqq._) when Eteocles declares that to give a list of his champions would be waste of time. [691] The “popular” character of the _Phœnissæ_ is brought out by the relish with which the _Argument_ enumerates its murderous happenings. [692] In this passage an allusion has by some been supposed to Alcibiades’ return to Athens (411 B.C.). [693] Cp. vv. 302 _sq._ (γηραιὸν πόδ’ ἕλκω) with v. 316 (περιχορεύουσα). [694] vv. 528 _sqq._ [695] Croiset gives the probable _arrangement_: protagonist, Orestes, messenger; deuteragonist, Electra, Menelaus, Phrygian; tritagonist, Helen, Tyndareus, Pylades, Hermione, Apollo. [696] See Murray’s text. [697] vv. 1167 _sqq._ [698] vv. 491-525. [699] vv. 28 _sqq._ [700] vv. 285 _sqq._ Menelaus (v. 417) casually calls Apollo “stupid”. [701] vv. 380 _sqq._ [702] v. 386. [703] v. 388. [704] v. 390. [705] vv. 544 _sqq._ The flatness of the translation given above is not, I think, inappropriate, νῦν δὲ σὴν ταρβῶ τρίχα (v. 550), is merely hideous. μαστοῖς τὸν ἔλεον θηρώμεναι (v. 568), is even worse. [706] v. 551. [707] v. 634. [708] v. 397. [709] vv. 640 _sq._ [710] vv. 658-61. [711] vv. 932 _sqq._ [712] v. 1576: ποτέρον ἐρωτᾶν ἢ κλύειν ἐμοῦ θέλεις; [713] v. 396.