Scholia vetera in Sophoclis "Oedipum Coloneum"

Georgios A. Xenis

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2018
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9783110456042
• Subtopic: Ancient & Classical Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

The ancient scholia to Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus shed light on Alexandrian ways of engaging with this play, and are richer than those to the other Sophoclean plays. The last editor, Vittorio de Marco (1952), established a better text of these scholia than his predecessors, in as much as he had a fuller knowledge of their manuscript tradition and a better understanding of their stratified nature. Still, his work is marred by a number of inaccuracies, omissions and methodological shortcomings. The new edition by Georgios Xenis improves on de Marco's work by a careful examination of all the sources of the text and the conjectures proposed by scholars, and by relying on a clearly defined methodological framework. In this edition the scholia to the Oedipus at Colonus are restored in a textual state that is arguably the earliest we can recover, and is free of contradictions, unacceptable repetitions, and hybridisation or blending of elements from different versions. The critical text is accompanied by a detailed apparatus criticus, and is contextualised in its ancient scholarly tradition by means of a rich array of passages drawn from comparable sources. Extensive indices are provided at the end of the volume. The edition will be an invaluable resource for those engaged in the interpretation of Sophocles' tragedies and, in particular, of the Oedipus at Colonus, and will be of interest to classicists working on ancient literary criticism and ancient scholarship.

1 The direct tradition

1.1 Overview

Both the direct and the indirect tradition of the scholia vetera to Oedipus Coloneus was studied by De Marco.5 Unfortunately, upon investigation, his collations are found to contain far too many mistakes to inspire confidence.6 Therefore much of the work he did needs to be done afresh.

The scholia vetera to Oedipus Coloneus occur in the same four versions that are encountered in the transmission of the scholia vetera to Trachiniae.7

(i) The Laurentian version

L, Florence, Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana, plut. 32.9. Parchment, 309 x 212 mm., 264 ff. Mid-tenth century. Codex optimus. For a description and bibliography, see Xenis1 26–8. Hypotheses, dramatis personae, poetic text and scholia to Oedipus Coloneus on ff. 96r–118r. More precisely: hypothesis I on ff. 96r–96v; dramatis personae and the poem εἰπὲ ποῦ ἡ χθὲς ἔβη etc8 on f. 96v; poetic text and scholia on ff. 97r–117v; the poem εὗρες, Σοφόκλεις, ἐν σοφοῖς μέγα κλέος etc9 on f. 117v; and hypotheses II, III, IV on f. 118r. Examined in facsimile.10

Λ, Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek, Bibl. Publ. Graec. 60A. Palimpsest (Sophocles is the scriptio inferior), parchment, 220 x 160 mm., 147 ff. in its current state. Mid-tenth century. For a description and bibliography, see Xenis1 28–9. From Oedipus Coloneus the manuscript preserves Hypothesis I, dramatis personae and the poem εἰπὲ ποῦ ἡ χθὲς ἔβη etc on f. 67;11 lines 1–152 on ff. 67, 20, 21, 70; lines 246–606 on ff. 143, 58, 135, 36, 37, 134, 63, 142; lines 607–53, 745–835, and 917–64 on ff. 91, 120, 117, 94; lines 1012–59 on f. 147;12 and lines 1388–1435, 1481–1576, and 1624–71 on ff. 95, 49, 56, 90.13 Examined briefly by autopsy.14

Lp (De Marco’s P or P1),15 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, grec 2799. Paper, 229 x 166 mm., VI + 164 ff. Copied by Marcus Musurus in Florence, 1492–4/5. For a description and bibliography, see Xenis1 33–416 and Speranzi 222–4. The scholia to Oedipus Coloneus are written on ff. 21r–38r. Hypothesis III appears on f. 38v. Collated from black and white digitised images.

Ld (Janz’s symbol; De Marco designates it with Pa), Parma, Biblioteca Palatina, Fondo Parmense 3176. Paper, 310 x 220 mm., 159 ff. Early sixteenth century. Scholia to Oedipus Coloneus on ff. 119r–133v. De Marco3 7; Turyn 186 and 196–7; Janz 22; Xenis2 14. Further bibliography in Speranzi 369.

Lf (De Marco’s φ), Florence, Biblioteca Laurenziana, Conventi Soppressi 142. Paper, 217 x 161 mm., 181 ff. Around 1500. De Marco3 2–3; Turyn 186–7 and 197; Janz 11; Xenis2 14. Hypothesis III to Oedipus Coloneus on f. 70r; Scholia on ff. 70v–93v.

Lr (designated by Papageorgiou and De Marco with l), Prague, Lobkovická Roudnická Knihovna, VI Fe 43. Paper, 200 x 152 mm., 414 pages. Early sixteenth century. See Janz 23 with further bibliography. Hypothesis III to Oedipus Coloneus on p. 67; scholia on pp. 68–118.

Papyri: A small fraction of Hypothesis IV exists in a papyrus of the 4th / 5th cent. AD; it has been edited by W. Luppe, ‘P. Vindob. G 29779, ein Sophokles-Kodex’, WS 19 (1985) 89–104.

(ii) The Roman version

M, Modena, Biblioteca Estense, α. Τ. 9.4. Paper, 223 x 160 mm., IV+199ff. Fifteenth century. For a description and bibliography, see Xenis1 44. Hypothesis I to Oedipus Coloneus on f. 117r–118r, dramatis personae on f. 118r, scholia 118r–138v. No poetic text. Collated from digital images.

R, Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, gr. 2291. Paper, 312 x 215 mm., V+283ff. Fifteenth century. For a description and bibliography, see Xenis1 42–4. Hypothesis I to Oedipus Coloneus is found on f. 191r; dramatis personae on f. 191r+v; poetic text and scholia on ff. 191v–230r. Collated from microfilm.

(iii) The Triclinian version

T, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, grec 2711. Paper, 298 x 195 mm., 262 ff. Mid to late fourteenth century. For bibliography, see Xenis2 15. Hypothesis I to Oedipus Coloneus on f. 148v; dramatis personae on ff. 148v–149r; poetic text and scholia on ff. 149r–193r. Consulted online.

Ta (De Marco’s V), Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, graecus 470. Parchment, 345 x 240 mm., II + 303 ff. Fifteenth century. For bibliography, see Xenis2 15. Hypothesis I to Oedipus Coloneus on f. 180r; dramatis personae on f. 180r; poetic text and scholia to on ff. 180r–203v. Collated from microfilm and briefly by autopsy.

(iv) The a-version

A, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, grec 2712. Parchment, 290 x 230 mm., 324 pp. Around 1300. For bibliography, see Xenis2 15. Hypotheses I and IV to Oedipus Coloneus on p. 165; dramatis personae on p. 165; poetic text and sparse scholia on pp. 165–182. Collated from microfilm.

U, Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, graecus 467. Paper, 228 x 140 mm., IV + 336 ff. Around 1310. For bibliography, see Xenis2 15. Hypotheses I and IV to Oedipus Coloneus on f. 188r+v; dramatis personae on f. 188v; poetic text and scholia on ff. 189r–246r. Collated from microfilm.

Y, Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, philosophicus-philologicus graecus 48. Paper, 300 x 215 mm., I + 118 ff. Fourteenth century. For bibliography, see Xenis2 15. Hypotheses I and IV to Oedipus Coloneus on f. 65r; dramatis personae on f. 65v; poetic text and sparse scholia on ff. 65v–84r. Consulted online.

1.2 The int...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Preface and Acknowledgements
• Contents
• Sources and Bibliography
• Introduction
• 1 The direct tradition
• 2 The indirect tradition: the Suda
• 3 Previous editions
• Critical text
• Indices