Oidipous’s worry for his daughters is based upon the assumption that they cannot live independently of other people (πρὸς ἀνθρώπων) but this necessary support will be denied them because no community will accept into its ranks the children born of polluted parents. He foresees that his daughters will be forced to live in isolation. Given the way that this performance has cultivated its audience’s sensitivity to parallels between mythic Thebes and historic Athens, the audience may well translate Oidipous’s concern for the regard in which all men will hold his daughters into a concern for the regard in which all men will in future hold the next generation of Athenians. To the extent that the city’s wherewithal (βιῶναι) depends upon commerce, the crimes committed by the generation now in power can be expected to visit punishment on the next generation. Other cities will be unwilling to ally themselves with Athens. This prediction, of course, requires no prophetic insight—Greek cities formerly allied with Athens were at the time of this play’s performance already working to isolate it, reduce its influence, and cut its revenues. [Mj] [Mg] [Mw]