οὐδ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπου: cp. 1069.— τόνδε κοσμῆσαι, to exercise authority over him. “κοσμεῖν” is properly said of a commander disposing his forces; Il. 2. 554“κοσμῆσαι ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας”: [Eur. ] Rhes. 662 “κοσμήσων στρατόν”. The Atreidae are “κοσμήτορε λαῶν” ( Il. 1. 16). For “κοσμεῖν” with ref. to civil government, cp. Ant. 677. ἀρχῆς … θεσμὸς, an ordinance, an established right, of command. ἔκειτο, had been laid down (“κεῖμαι” serving as perf. pass. of “τίθημι”): cp. Thuc. 5. 105§ 2 “οὔτε θέντες τὸν νόμον, οὔτε κειμένῳ πρῶτοι χρησάμενοι.” ἢ καὶ τῷδε σέ, ‘than for him, on his part, to rule thee’: for this “καί”, cp. O. C. 53“ὅσ᾽ οἶδα κἀγώ” (n.).
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part VII: The Ajax. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1907.
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