ἐναργής, ‘clearly seen,’ ‘present to the lover's sight,’ marks the vivid appeal to the senses, in contrast with the invisible and spiritual majesty of the “θεσμοί” which Love overrides. For “ἐναργής” as =‘before our eyes,’ ‘in bodily presence,’ cp. O. C. 910; Tr. 11, 224. βλεφάρωνἵμερος, love-influence from the eyes, εὐλέκτρου νύμφας, of the fair bride. Both genitives are possessive, but “βλεφάρων” goes more closely with “ἵμερος”, denoting the latter's source. Cp. 929: O. C. 729 “ὀμμάτων... ι φόβον...τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπεισόδου”, fear, shown in your eyes (possess. gen.), of my entrance (objective gen.). In Phaedr. 251 B Plato describes “ἵμερος” as the desire infused into the soul by an emanation of beauty (“κάλλους ἀπορροή”) proceeding from the beloved, and received through the eyes of the lover (“διὰ τῶν ὀμμάτων”). So the soul is spoken of (ib. E) as “ἐποχετευσαμένη ἵμερον”, ‘having refreshed herself with the love-shower’ or ‘effluence of beauty.’ And “ἵμερος” itself receives fanciful derivations, as ib. 251 C, “ἐκεῖθεν μέρη ἐπιόντα καὶ ῥέοντα, ἃ δὴ διὰ ταῦτα ἵμερος καλεῖται” (i.e. from “ἰέναι μέρη” and “ῥεῖν”): while in Crat. 419E it is explained by “ἱέμενος ῥεῖ”. The real origin of the word is prob. from rt. “ἰς”, ‘wish,’ whence “ἰότητι”, and “Ἰσ-μήνη”, Desiderata. Curt. § 617. So Soph. fr. 161 “ὀμμάτων ἄπο ι λόγχας ἵησιν”: 733 “ὀμμάτειος πόθος”: 430 (Hippodameia speaking of Pelops), “τοιάνδ᾽ ἐν ὄψει λίγγα θηρατηρίαν ι ἔρωτος, ἀστραπήν τιν᾽ ὀμμάτων, ἔχει” (‘such a subduing arrow of love, a lightning from the eyes’): Aesch. Ag. 742 “μαλθακὸν ὀμμάτων βέλος, ι δηξίθυμον ἔρωτος ἄνθος”: Suppl. 1004 “ὄμματος θελκτήριον ι τόξευμ᾽ ἔπεμψεν, ἱμέρου νικώμενος”: Eur. Hipp. 525 “Ἔρως, Ἔρως ὃ κατ᾽ ὀμμάτων ι στάζεις πόθον, εἰσάγων γλυκεῖαν ι ψυχαῖς χάριν οὓς ἐπιστρατεύσῃ” [i.e. ‘on the eyes’ of mortals: better “ὁ...στάζων”, or else “ὃς ἀπ᾽”—.] εὐλέκτρου, epithet of “Κύπρις” in Tr. 515. Cp. Anthol. P. 7. 649 “εὐλεγχέος θαλάμου” (happy nuptials).
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part III: The Antigone. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1900.
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