Thomas W. Allen, E. E. Sikes, Commentary on the Homeric Hymns

[2] Νάξῳ: see Preller-Robert i.^{2} 676 f.

εἰραφιῶτα: for the form cf. “σπαργανιῶτα” h. Herm. 310, “μηχανιῶτα 436, χαριδῶτα” h. xviii.12, “ὑλειῶτα” Anth. Pal. vi. 106. Some exx. are quoted by Fick B. B. xx. 179. The derivation and meaning of the epithet have only lately been made out. The ancients offer a choice of etymologies (schol. Il. 1.39 “ παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω, ὅθεν καὶ εἰραφιώτης ὁ Διόνυσος λέγεται: ἐστέφετο γὰρ κισσῷ: ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐρράφθαι αὐτὸν τῷ μηρῷ τοῦ Διός. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐρίφῳ αὐτὸν συνανατραφῆναι: ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐρίῳ αὐτὸν πλέκεσθαι:” cf. E. M. 302, 53, Choeroboscus ap. Cramer An. Ox. ii. p. 211, 32. The sense of the word in literature is that of “μηρορραφής” (Bacchae 96, Nonnus Dion. ix. 23, Orph. h.xlviii. 2. f., Orph. h.anon. 1=Abel p. 284). Fick l.c. reverts but without probability to “εἶρος ἔρρος” wool, in the sense of the shaggyanimal. sc. goat; Wieseler (Philol. x. 701) takes the word as equivalent to “ἐρίφιος”, the title of Dionysus (to whom kids were sacred) preserved by Hesych. and The B. derivation however which has found most favour is that of Sonne K. Z. x. 103, cf. Sanscrit RSabha a bull (see Neil ap. Frazer G. B. ii. 164 where the bull-Dionysus is discussed; Fröhde B. B. 21. 199, who adds “ἔρραος” ram; Prellwitz ib. 22, 99; Meillet I. F. v. 328 who adduces “ἀρνειός” and Lat. verres and thinks the original sense was “male”; Solmsen ib. vii. 46 sq. comparing Laconian “εἴρην”, and the Macedonian proper name “Ἀρραβαῖος”). We have the Aeolic form in Alcman fr. 90 “ἐρραφεώτου γὰρ ἄναξ”.