πλοῦν ἡμὶν εἴκῃ: a very rare instance of “εἴκω τινί τι” as=concedo aliquid alicui. We cannot compare O. C. 172“εἴκοντας ἃ δεῖ”, or Ai. 1243, “εἴκειν ἃ τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν κριταῖς”, where the acc. merely denotes the things in regard to which one is to yield. Still, Il. 23. 337“εἶξαί τέ οἱ ἡνία” (‘to give the horse rein’) seems to confirm “εἴκῃ” here. The analogy of “παρείκω” suggests to me that the constr. here would be somewhat softened if, instead of πλοῦν, we might read πλεῖν: cp. Legg. 934 C “ὅπως ἂν ἡμῖν παρείκωσι θεοὶ ... νομοθετεῖν”. But the change, though tempting, is not necessary.
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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