[226] εἰλαπίνη. A feast given by a single host: “ἔρανος” is described 375 infra “ὑμὰ κτήματ᾽ ἔδοντες ἀμειβόμενοι κατὰ οἴκους”. It is doubtful whether an “ἔρανος” is described in Od.4. 622“οἱ δ᾽ ἦγον μὲν μῆλα, φέρον δ᾽ εὐήνορα οἶνον”,
“σῖτον δέ σφ᾽ ἄλοχοι καλλικρήδεμνοι ἔπεμπον” (see critical note ad loc.); for the true characteristic of the “ἔρανος” is not that all the partakers of the feast contribute to it (though that is not excluded), but that the feast takes place at the house of each in turn. This suits better with the Attic use of “ἐρανίζω” Demosth. 1484. 2; Aeschin.60. 4.The same three kinds of entertainment are mentioned together, Hom. Od.11. 415“ἢ γάμῳ ἢ ἐράνῳ ἢ εἰλαπίνῃ τεθαλυίῃ”. The “ἔρανος” was naturally the least splendid; it had, that is, already the same character which distinguished it later, and gives point to the illustration of Arist. Eth. Nic. 4. 2. 20 “τοὺς ἐρανιστὰς γαμικῶς ἑστιῶν” , which is the characteristic of the “βάναυσος”. Different again were the “συσσίτια” of the chiefs with the king, either at his or at the public expense, indicated Od. 7. 49, 99; 8. 41; 13. 8; Il. 4. 344; 9. 70. These were provided daily, or at least frequently, as a matter of course (cp. Od.13. 8“ὅσσοι ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γερούσιον αἴθοπα οἶνον”“αἰεὶ πίνετ᾽ ἐμοῖσι”), even in war, as appears from the Iliad; and at these, strangers like Odysseus were entertained as public guests. The feast described (if the lines be genuine) in Od.4. 622, must be one of these “συσσίτια”, for it is at the king's table, and the “δαιτυμόνες” being always a king's guests, are distinct from the “ἐρανισταί”. Hence we should infer, contrary to Nitzsch, that it was no “ἔρανος”, of which the characteristic was that it was held at each house in turn; and it is no valid objection to this that the “δαιτυμόνες” contributed; for unless the king had ample means he was not expected to supply the whole entertainment. Cf. Il.9. 70-74. The means were provided, as Hayman suggests, ‘out of his receipt in kind;’ whence the ‘guests are said “δήμια πίνειν”’ Il.17. 250.In the scansion of the line, read “εἰλαπίν”
“η ἦε γά”
“μος”. For the accentuation of “ἦε” in the latter of two questions see on 175 supra.
