θνῄσκοντι συνείσει, thou wilt be conscious of my death,—i.e., wilt be the only witness of it. Cp. El. 92“τὰ δὲ παννυχίδων ἤδη στυγεραὶ” | “ξυνίσασ᾽ εὐναὶ μογερῶν οἴκων”: and so oft. The MSS. have συνοίσει. This has been rendered: (1) ‘thou wilt be a fit place for me’ to die in,—i.e., good enough. Now, the midd. “συμφέρομαι” does, indeed, mean ‘to agree with’ one,—in opinions, or tastes: O. C. 641 n.: Her. 4. 114“οὐκ ἂν ὦν δυναίμεθα ἐκείνῃσι συμφέρεσθαι” (‘live in harmony with them’). But συνοίσει here could not mean simply, conveniet mihi morienti. (2) ‘Thou wilt be profitable to me,’—by giving me a grave. So the first schol.: “ἀπολλυμένῳ μοι σύμφορον ἔσει καὶ ὠφέλιμον, καὶ δέξει με ἀποθανόντα”. This version confounds συνοίσει with συνοίσεις. (3) ‘Thou wilt be with me,’ —simply. This last is impossible. “συμφέρομαι” never means, or could mean, merely “σύνειμι” or “συνδιάγω”. Dindorf, who quotes a schol. for this, has not perceived that this schol.,—the second, prefaced by “ἢ οὕτω”,—is explaining, not συνοίσει, but, manifestly, συνείσει:—“σὺν ἐμοὶ ἔσει καὶ ὄψει με ἀποθανόντα”.
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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