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[318] ἑλών, ‘having taken,’ sc. from the store-room, not=“ἑλόμενος”, ‘having chosen;’ so “ἔξελε”, sc. “φωριαμῶν”, Il.24. 229.It is better to join “καί” closely with “μάλα”, which it emphasizes. ‘A gift very beautiful indeed.’ This use of “καί” is not uncommon with adverbs of intensity, compare supra 46 “καὶ λίην κεῖνός γε ἐοικότι κεῖται ὀλέθρῳ Il., 8. 154 κήδεά μοι καὶ μᾶλλον ἐνὶ φρεσὶν περ ἄεθλοι”, Il.13. 638τῶν πέρ τις καὶ μᾶλλον ἐέλδεται ἐξ ἔρον εἷναι”, Aesch. P. V.728αὗταί σ᾽ ὁδηγήσουσι καὶ μάλ᾽ ἀσμένως”, Choeph. 879 “καὶ μάλ᾽ ἡβῶντος δὲ δεῖ”, Aesch. Eum.373δόξαι τ᾽ ἀνδρῶν καὶ μάλ᾽ ὑπ᾽ αἰθέρι σεμναί”, Soph. Elect.1455πάρεστι δῆτα καὶ μάλ᾽ ἄζηλος θέα”, Hdt.2. 69οἱ δὲ περὶ Θήβας καὶ κάρτα ἥγηνται αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἱρούς”, Plat. R. P. 342 Cσυνεχώρησαν ἐνταῦθα καὶ μάλα μόγις” , Sympos. 189 Aἔφη εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἀριστοφάνη ὅτι καὶ μάλ᾽ ἐπαύσατο” .

σοὶ δ᾽ ἄξιον ἔσται ἀμοιβῆς. This passage may be interpreted in several ways. The simplest way seems to be ‘it will bring you its full value in the shape of a return.’ Telemachus had a misgiving that if the guest refused his present, or postponed the receiving of it, it was because he was not prepared to ‘cap it’ with a return present. Athena, to reassure him, tells him he need not hesitate to give a costly gift, for she pledges herself to meet it handsomely on her return: and so Telemachus will find this gift ‘no bad investment.’

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hide References (8 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (8):
    • Aeschylus, Eumenides, 373
    • Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound, 728
    • Herodotus, Histories, 2.69
    • Homer, Iliad, 13.638
    • Homer, Iliad, 24.229
    • Plato, Republic, 342c
    • Plato, Symposium, 189a
    • Sophocles, Electra, 1455
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