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[131] ἀρνειὸν … κάπρον. Eustath. “ἡ τοιαύτη θυσία τριττύα λέγεται παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοῖς, οἳ τριττύαν ἔλεγον τὴν ἐκ τριῶν ζώων θυσίαν”. The triplet might be made up in different ways from sheep, oxen, goats, and swine. The number three gave the sense of completeness. Nitzsch compares the “τριττύα” with the Roman ‘suovetaurilia.’ This sacrifice to Poseidon must be regarded as quite special in its character, for the usual offering to the sea-god was a black bull, see Od.3. 5.

ἐπιβήτωρ, ‘mate.’ “ἐπιβαίνειν” is similarly used of the stallion, Arist. H. A. 5. 2. 3; the common word is “ὀχεύειν”.

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

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