[55] †δῖε κάτωρ: “εκάτωρ, κάτωρ” appear to be impossible and meaningless forms, although the latter is defended by Chudziński (p. 9), and Ridgeway (J. P. 1888, p. 113) who translates “oarsman,” comparing “κατήρης”; this, word, however, properly means “furnished with,” and only bears the special sense “fitted with oars” when joined to “πλοῖον” ( Herod.viii. 21) or in a similar context. Again, on this theory, the first part of the word is “κατά”, and it is hardly possible that this prep. with the termination “-ωρ” could imply “mariner.” Of the conjectures, only “ἀκάτωρ, ἄκτωρ, κράτωρ” are formally possible, and there is little probability in any of these. M's “ἑκάτωρ” (M has often the closest form of a corruption; cf. 43) might be thought to suggest a shortened form of a proper name, e.g. “Ἑκατήνωρ” (Fick Personennamen p. 117); but the introduction of the name seems even more out of place here than it would be at 43.
There is no objection to “δῖε”, which might be applied to the helmsman as appropriately as to the swineherd in the Odyssey. Gemoll suggests that there is a corruption of Dia, the old name of Naxos (cf.); but the place-name is unmanageable in the verse. τῷ ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ: Gemoll points to the use of “τῷ” as a mark of late epic usage; as a matter of fact the whole formula occurs in Il. 11.608 “, δ” 71.
