Equal rule? Oedipus Jocasta Creon Soph.OT 579

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C. S. Bartholomew
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Equal rule? Oedipus Jocasta Creon Soph.OT 579

Post by C. S. Bartholomew »

Κρέων
τί δῆτ᾽; ἀδελφὴν τὴν ἐμὴν γήμας ἔχεις;

Οἰδίπους
ἄρνησις οὐκ ἔνεστιν ὧν ἀνιστορεῖς.

Κρέων
ἄρχεις δ᾽ ἐκείνῃ ταὐτὰ γῆς ἴσον νέμων;

Οἰδίπους
580 ἃν ᾖ θέλουσα πάντ᾽ ἐμοῦ κομίζεται.

Κρέων
οὔκουν ἰσοῦμαι σφῷν ἐγὼ δυοῖν τρίτος;


Οἰδίπους
ἐνταῦθα γὰρ δὴ καὶ κακὸς φαίνει φίλος.
I don't quite understand what is going on here. Is Oedipus giving a straight answer in 580 ἃν ᾖ θέλουσα πάντ᾽ ἐμοῦ κομίζεται or is he being evasive?

The next two lines take the issue in a different direction. Seems like there is something going on here a commentary would discuss but I no longer have a recent commentary on hand.
C. Stirling Bartholomew

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Scribo
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Re: Equal rule? Oedipus Jocasta Creon Soph.OT 579

Post by Scribo »

Wait, am I missing a problem here? to me it seems straight forward. Whatever she wishes for is provided for by Oid. "Sharing rule" doesn't seem to be a problem on a few levels:

i) It's a play and therefore social institutions are often open to re-interpretation, wrongfully imposed (e.g look at the Aias and the relationship between Aga, Men and Od seem to have an Attic military colouring. Not equal kings but one is a strategos etc) or just ignored.

ii) "Shared rule" does sort of have a literary precedence in Iliad IX

iii) They're family (....ew) so it's not so weird

For what it's worth Dawe's discussion centres on the placement of γῆς, whether it goes with ἄρχεις or ἲσον. Whichever reading you take, the effect is essentially the same.
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C. S. Bartholomew
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Re: Equal rule? Oedipus Jocasta Creon Soph.OT 579

Post by C. S. Bartholomew »

Yes, It is easy enough to read. But agency is demoted by using passive.

Οἰδίπους
580 ἃν ᾖ θέλουσα πάντ᾽ ἐμοῦ κομίζεται.

Perhaps I am looking for some word games, a not so direct answer to the question. Perhaps Οἰδίπους doesn't actually agree with Creon's framing of the question. He doesn't deny that Jocasta has royal rights but he brings it in through the back door saying she gets what ever she wants "from me."

POSTSCRIPT

Looks like most of my question is answered immediately in Creon's monologue on royal authority and kingship.
C. Stirling Bartholomew

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