Il primo episodio dell’ 'Ipsipile' di Euripide

Abstract

The first episode of the Hypsipyle begins with the arrival of Amphiaraus, one of the Seven, who has foreseen his own death at Thebes. In the words spoken by the Argive seer, preserved by P. Oxy. 852 (fr. 752h Kannicht, vv. 15-25), the scholars have identified two corruptions, ἐρημίαι at the end of the v. 15 and ἄπορον at the beginning of the v. 18, corrected from ἄποιν(α) probably by a different hand. These terms produce a series of repetitions which are regarded as intolerable for the usus scribendi of Euripides. Several emendations have been suggested, but a new critical analysis induce to conserve the lectiones traditae, which seem to point out the difficult situation of Amphiaraus: he is in an uninhabited place and needs Hypsipyle’s help in finding spring-water to celebrate a sacrifice on behalf of the army on crossing the frontier.