ἀδελφὰ … τούτοισιν: but Ant. 192 “ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε”. The dat. occurs elsewhere (as Plat. Tim. 67E), but the gen. is much commoner. φορεῖ is taken by some as “"obtains by begging"”; but a conjecture to that effect would be hardly in place. Obviously it means simply “"carries,"” and alludes to a wallet (“πήρα”) carried by Oed., for the reception of the “σπανιστὰ δωρήματα” (4). This was a part of the conventional outfit for the wandering beggar ; so, when Athena turned Odysseus into that guise, she gave him “σκῆπτρον καὶ ἀεικέα πήρην,
πυκνὰ ῥωγαλέην: ἐν δὲ στρόφος ἦεν ἀορτήρ
”: “"a staff, and a mean, much-tattered wallet; and therewith was a cord to hang it"” (Od. 13.437).
