[381] τῷ πολυζήλῳ βίῳ locative dative, defining the sphere of ὑπερφέρουσα, like “ἔτι μέγας οὐρανῷ ι Ζεύς” Soph. El. 174. πολυζήλῳ= full of emulation(ζῆλος). Others understand, “in the much admired life” (of princes). This is the sense of πολύζηλον (πόσιν) in Soph. Trach. 185. But (1) βίῳ seems to denote life generally, rather than a particular station: (2) the phrase, following πλοῦτε καὶ τυραννί, would be a weak addition. τέχνη τέχνης ι ὑπερφέρουσα refers to the view that the art of ruling is the highest of arts: cp. Soph. Phil. 138 “τέχνα γὰρ τέχνας ἑτέρας προὔχει ι καὶ γνώμα, παρ᾽ ὅτῳ τὸ θεῖον ι Διὸς σκῆπτρον ἀνάσσεται”: for skill and wit(γνώμη), surpassing those of other men, belong to him by whom is swayed the godlike sceptre which Zeus gives. Xen. Mem. 4.2.11 “μεγίστης ἐφίεσαι τέχνης: ἔστι γὰρ τῶν βασιλέων αὕτη, καὶ καλεῖται βασιλική.” But there is also an allusion to the skill shown in solving the riddle, by which Oed. surpassed the μαντικὴ τέχνη of Teiresias (cp. 357).
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