Διονυσιάζουσαι (fr. 6)

65

13 οφθαλμία τις όφθαλμιάω “suffer from ophthalmia” is a generic term
for various eye-infections, usually curable, contrasting here with being perma-
nently blind; cf. Hdt. 7.229; Hp. Aph. 6.17; Ar. Ach. 1027 (with Olson 2002, ad
toed)·, άπόλωλα τώφθαλμω; Ra. 192 έτυχον οφθαλμιών “I happened to suffer from
ophthalmia”; X.HG 2.1.3; Pl. Ale. 2.139e; Antiph. fr. 252.1.
Φινεΐδαι Plexippus and Pandion, the sons of Phineus ([Apollod.] Bibl. 3.200;
but according to the scholia in Apollodorus Rhodius, they were named Parthenius
and Carambis; cf. Σ LP 2.178-82b; S. fr. 704 Radt), the king of Salmydessus, were
borne by his first wife Cleopatra. After Cleopatra’s death, Phineus married Idaea,
the daughter of Dardanus. Both of Phineus’ sons were slandered by their stepmo-
ther as would-be killers of Phineus and usurpers of his crown, and were condem-
ned to lose their eyes. That version is given in S. Ant. 970-3. Phineus was punished
by Zeus for this cruelty, and became blind himself, while the Harpies were sent
by the god to spoil his food on the table. His sight was restored by the Argonauts,
who visited him and were instructed by him on the easiest way to Colchis; cf. Ganz
1993, 349-56; Olson 2007, 171.
Φινεΐδαι seems to be the title of a tragedy by an unknown author (Trag. adesp.
fr. 10a Kannicht-Snell), praised by Aristotle for the type of recognition (Ro. 1455a
10-12).72 Φινεύς was the title of tragedies by Aeschylus and Sophocles (two plays;
cf. Φινεύς a and β, frr. 700-717 Radt), and of a comedy by Theopompus.
14 ή Νιόβη Niobe was the wife of Amphion and had many children (six
sons and six daughters according to Hom. II. 24.603-4, or seven sons and as many
daughters according to other sources). She insulted Leto when she boasted that she
was more fortunate than the goddess in child-bearing. Leto entreated her children,
Apollo and Artemis, to punish the arrogant Niobe, and all the sons of Niobe were
killed by Apollo, all her daughters by Artemis. Niobe was then turned into stone;
see [Apollod.] Bibl. 3.5; Gantz 1993, 536-7. Tragedies with the title Niobe were
written by Aeschylus and Sophocles. One of them probably contained a famous
lament-speech and its artistic interpretation by the actor Oiagros must have been
impressive (cf. Ar. V. 579-80 with Biles-Olson 2015, ad loc.').
κεκούφικε Unsurprisingly, the verb mainly occurs in tragedy, in particular
in a consolatory context; cf. E. Med. 473; Or. 43; fr. 573.2-3 Kannicht... όδυρμοί
δακρύων τ’ έπιρροαί · I άλγηδόνας δέ ταΰτα κουφίζει φρένων “lamentations and
floods of tears; these relieve mental pain”; but cf. Men. fr. 663 ιατρός έστιν ό λόγος
άνθρώποις νόσων· / ψυχής γάρ ούτος μόνος έχει κουφίσματα “speech is a physi-
cian for human disease; it is this alone which provides the soul with consolation”;
Th. 2.44; D. 60.35. It also occurs in poetic contexts: Arist. Pol. 8.1342a 14 και πάσι
γίγνεσθαι τινα κάθαρσιν και κουφίζεσθαι μεθ’ ήδονής “and all (emotional people)
must undergo a purgation and be pleasantly relieved.” A slightly different opinion
is that misfortunes are more tolerable when shared with many: cf. Th. 7.75.6 και

72 Cf. Kannicht-Snell 1981, ad Trag. adesp. fr. 10a: “argumentum ‘Phineidarum’ ab
Aristotele adumbratum prorsus obscurum”.