The thesis of the article may be briefly summarized as follows: Lines 671-673 in all of our ancient MSS are consistently assigned to Philoctetes. Modern editors however, following in the footsteps of nineteenth century scholars regularly assign these lines change in line assignment was made on purely subjective grounds for no reason that can be substantiated by the dramatic situation therefore, the article concludes that in the absence of any sound reasons for the alteration we should return to the readings of the major manuscripts and the earliest editions of the play.