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[153] The incident of the bath, as Kirchhoff has shown (Odyssee, p. 155), makes an awkward break in the scene with Penelope, and is ignored in the sequel. Penelope has failed to recognize Ulysses in his beggar's rags (l. 95 “κακὰ χροῒ εἵματ᾽ ἔχοντα”, cp. 115 “νῦν δ᾽ ὅττι ῥυπόω κτλ.”). He now returns from the bath resplendent in beauty: but the change is quite unnoticed. Yet the same change had profoundly moved Telemachus (16. 278 ff.). Observe also the weak repetition, 100-102 = 168-170. For these reasons Kirchhoff is probably right in rejecting 111-176 or 117-170.

157-162, = 6. 230-235. The first two of these lines (= 6. 230-231) must be wrongly inserted here, since μείζονα has no construction, and κὰδ δὲ κάρητος is a very awkward tautology after κὰκ κεφαλῆς in the preceding line. Ameis would reject also 159-162 (= 6. 232235). But this does not seem necessary.

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