ὡς κακὸν: cp. Eur. Med. 731 ff., where Medea asks Aegeus to clinch his promise with an oath, and he asks, “μῶν οὐ πέποιθας”; Shaks. Jul. Caes. 2. 1. 129 ff. “Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous,—
...unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt.
” “πιστώσομαι. πιστόω” is “"to make “πιστός"””: Thuc. 4.88 “πιστώσαντες αὐτὸν τοῖς ὅρκοις”, when they had bound him by the oaths (iureiurando obstrinxerant): so the pass., Od. 15.435 “εἴ μοι ἐθέλοιτέ γε, ναῦται, ι ὅρκῳ πιστωθῆναι”. The midd. expresses “"in one's own interest,"” as here; or reciprocity, as Il. 21.286 “χειρὶ δὲ χεῖρα λαβόντες ἐπιστώσαντ᾽ ἐπέεσσιν”.
