[6]
Apollodorus, in teaching us how the poet is wont to distinguish between places of the same name, says that as the poet, in the case of Orchomenus, for instance, refers to the Arcadian Orchomenus as "abounding in flocks"1 and to the Boeotian Orchomenus as "Minyeian,"2 and refers to Samos as the Thracian Samos3 by connecting it with a neighboring island,4 “"betwixt Samos and Imbros,"
”5 in order to distinguish it from Ionian Samos—so too, Apollodorus says, the poet distinguishes the Thesprotian Ephyra both by the word "distant" and by the phrase “"from the River Sellëeis."
”67 In this, however, Apollodorus is not in agreement with what Demetrius of Scepsis says, from whom he borrows most of his material; for Demetrius says that there is no River Sellëeis among the Thesprotians, but says that it is in the Eleian country and flows past the Ephyra there, as I have said before. In this statement, therefore, Apollodorus was in want of perception;8 as also in his statement concerning Oechalia, because, although Oechalia is the name of not merely one city, he says that there is only one city of Eurytus the Oechalian, namely, the Thessalian Oechalia, in reference to which Homer says: “"Those that held Oechalia, city of Eurytus the Oechalian."
”9 What Oechalia, pray, was it from which Thamyris had set out when, near Dorium, the Muses “"met Thamyris the Thracian and put a stop to his singing"?
”10 For Homer adds: “"as he was on his way from Oechalia, from Eurytus the Oechalian."
”11 For if it was the Thessalian Oechalia, Demetrius of Scepsis is wrong again when he says that it was a certain Arcadian Oechalia, which is now called Andania; but if Demetrius is right, Arcadian Oechalia was also called "city of Eurytus," and therefore there was not merely one Oechalia; but Apollodorus says that there was one only.
”5 in order to distinguish it from Ionian Samos—so too, Apollodorus says, the poet distinguishes the Thesprotian Ephyra both by the word "distant" and by the phrase “"from the River Sellëeis."
”67 In this, however, Apollodorus is not in agreement with what Demetrius of Scepsis says, from whom he borrows most of his material; for Demetrius says that there is no River Sellëeis among the Thesprotians, but says that it is in the Eleian country and flows past the Ephyra there, as I have said before. In this statement, therefore, Apollodorus was in want of perception;8 as also in his statement concerning Oechalia, because, although Oechalia is the name of not merely one city, he says that there is only one city of Eurytus the Oechalian, namely, the Thessalian Oechalia, in reference to which Homer says: “"Those that held Oechalia, city of Eurytus the Oechalian."
”9 What Oechalia, pray, was it from which Thamyris had set out when, near Dorium, the Muses “"met Thamyris the Thracian and put a stop to his singing"?
”10 For Homer adds: “"as he was on his way from Oechalia, from Eurytus the Oechalian."
”11 For if it was the Thessalian Oechalia, Demetrius of Scepsis is wrong again when he says that it was a certain Arcadian Oechalia, which is now called Andania; but if Demetrius is right, Arcadian Oechalia was also called "city of Eurytus," and therefore there was not merely one Oechalia; but Apollodorus says that there was one only.
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