Οἰδίπους Τύραννος (2)

ἕδρας The word ἕδρα= “posture,” here, as usu., sitting: when kneelingis meant, some qualification is added, as Eur. Phoen. 293 γονυπετεῖς ἕδρας προσπίτνω σ’, “I supplicate thee on my knees.” The suppliants are sitting on the steps (βάθρα) of the altars, on which they have laid the κλάδοι: see 142: cp. 15 προσήμεθα, 20 θακεῖ : Aesch. Eum. 40 (Orestes a suppliant in the Delphian temple) ἐπ’ ὀμφαλῷ (on the omphalos) ἕδραν ἔχοντα προστρόπαιον … ἐλαίας θ’ ὑψιγέννητον κλάδον. θοάζετε prob. = θάσσετε, “sit,” ἕδρας being cognate acc. In Eur. θοάζω( θοός) always =“to hasten” (transitive or intrans.). But Empedocles and Aesch. clearly use θοάζω as =θάσσω, the sound and form perh. suggesting the epic θαάσσω, θόωκος. See Appendix.