Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Ajax

ἡμῖν could be joined with λέγεις: for we sometimes find a word devoid of emphasis standing first in a trimeter, though a slight pause follows; e.g. 847 “ἴδῃς”: Aesch. Ag. 1130“οὐ κομπάσαιμ᾽ ἂν θεσφάτων γνώμων ἄκρος ι εἶναι, κακῷ δέ τῳ προσεικάζω τάδε”: Aesch. P. V. 673“διάστροφοι ι ἦσαν, κεραστὶς δ᾽ κ.τ.λ.” But on the whole it seems better to have a comma after “λέγεις”, and to take “ἡμῖν” as ethic dat. (‘to our sorrow’): though this, too, is slightly harsh; for such an ethic dat. ought not to stand first, but to follow some significant word, as in 216 “μανίᾳ γὰρ ἁλοὺς ἡμὶν ὁ κλεινός”: El. 272“τὸν αὐτοέντην ἡμίν”.

διαπεφοιβάσθαι: the compound occurs only here. “φοιβάζω”, from “Φοῖβος”, meant ‘to inspire,’ as Apollo inspires the divine frenzy of “μάντις” or of poet; Anthol. 9. 525. 22 “Φοῖβον, φοιβάζοντα, φιλοστέφανον, φιλογηθῆ”: Longinus 8 § 4 “πάθος φοιβάζον τοὺς λόγους”. (The word could mean also ‘to utter prophetically,’ as in Lycophron 6 “δαφνηφάγων φοίβαζεν ἐκ λαιμῶν ὄπα”.) Tecmessa has just described both the recent frenzy of Ajax—which she had already pictured in vv. 233 ff.—and his present despair. By “διαπεφοιβάσθαι” the Chorus mean that a malign power has taken permanent possession of his mind. The mental trouble outlasts the frenzy (279 f.). Both “διά”, and the perfect tense, serve to mark this. By κακοῖς they mean his troubles in regard to the arms of Achilles.