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[330] κατεβήσετο. The greatest uncertainty exists as to the spelling of this word. In the Iliad, with the exception of 5. 352, the Cod. Venetus always gives “ἐβήσετο”, not “ἐβήσατο”, though in some passages “α_” is written over the “ε_” by another hand. The testimony of the Schol. is extremely confusing. Schol. A. on Il.2. 95 gives “ἀπεβήσετο: εἰ μὲν ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀπέβαινε παρατατικοῦ, διὰ τοῦ α_ γραπτέον, ἀπεβήσατο, οὕτως Ἐπαφρόδιτος”. Schol. “β. ὁ μὲν Ζηνόδοτος διὰ τοῦ ε_ γράφει, ὃ καὶ ἄμεινον, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι διὰ τοῦ α_”. Schol. A. on Il.3. 262“προκρίνει μὲν τὴν διὰ τοῦ ε_ γραφὴν βήσετο, πλὴν οὐ μετατίθησιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ α_ γράφει Ἀρίσταρχος”. Schol. A. on Il.10. 513“ἐπεβήσετο, οὕτως Ἀρίσταρχος”. The statements are of course irreconcileable. The view of Epaphroditus (quoted above), that the form should be written with “α_” if it had the force of an imperfect tense, with “ε_” if that of an aorist, is not borne out by fact, though it may be noticed that “βήσετο” is written parallel with “ἔβαινε” Od.3. 471, and “ἐπεβήσετο” with “βαῖνε” Il.11. 517.Cp. Od.10. 107.

The ancients treated these forms as imperfects, derived from the future stem. Cp. Cramer, Epim. 42. 21 “ἐκ τοῦ βίβημι βήσω καὶ μετάγεται ὁ μέλλων εἰς ἐνεστῶτα” (present tense), “καὶ γίνεται βήσω, ὃ μέλλοντα οὐκ ἔχει. τὰ γὰρ ἀπὸ μελλόντων εἰς ἐνεστῶτα μεταγόμενα ῥήματα ἄχρι τοῦ παρατατικοῦ” (imperfect tense), “κλίνεται, ὡς τὸ ἄξω, ‘ἄξετε δὲ Πριάμοιο βίην”’ ( Il.3. 105), “ὁ παρατατικὸς” “ἔβησον, ἐβησόμην, ἐβήσου, ἐβήσετο καὶ ἀπεβήσετο”. So Herodian on “ἄξετε, οἴσετε”, cp. Cramer (A. O. 4. 202, 209), “ὁ δὲ Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐνεστῶτός φησι ταῦτα καὶ παρατατικοῦ”.

It is more correct to say that several stems form a Weak Aorist, as a Thematic tense, with “ε” or “ο” instead of “α^”. Cp. “ἐδύσετο, πελάσσετον” (imperat.), “λέξεο, ὄρσεο, οἴσετε, ἀξέμεναι”.

Here we must interpret the accusative κλίμακα as expressing the way or path along which she goes. So “ἀπέσσυτο ὁδόν” Il.6. 391, “ἄλλην ὁδὸν ἤλθομεν” Od.9. 261, “ἴσαν λείην ὁδόν” Od.10. 103, “προσέβη τρηχεῖαν ἀταρπόν” Od.14. 1.The use is similar with “καταβαίνειν, ξεστὸν ἐφολκαῖον καταβάς” ib. 350. This local accusative is quite different to such usages as “θάλαμον κατεβήσετο” Od.2. 337, “κατέβαιν᾽ ὑπερώια” Od.23. 85.

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

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