Οἰδίπους Τύραννος (35)

ὅς γ’ The γ’ of the MSS. suits the immediately preceding verses better than the conjectural τε, since the judgment(κρίνοντες) rests solely on what Oed. has done, not partly on what he is expected to do. Owing to the length of the first clause (35-39) τ’ could easily be added to νῦν in 40 as if another τε had preceded. ἐξέλυσας … δασμὸν . The notion is not, “paid it in full,” but “loosed it,” —the thought of the tribute suggesting that of the riddle which Oed. solved. Till he came, the δασμός was as a knotted cord in which Thebes was bound. Cp. Soph. Trach. 653 Ἄρης … ἐξέλυσ’ | ἐπίπονον ἁμέραν, “has burst the bondage of the troublous day.” Eur. Phoen. 695 ποδῶν σῶν μόχθον ἐκλύει παρών, “his presence dispenses with (solves the need for) the toil of thy feet.” This is better than (1) “freed the city from the songstress, in respect of the tribute,” or (2) “freed the city from the tribute(δασμόν by attraction for δασμοῦ) to the songstress.”