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[269] μοῖρα … αμῆναι. Eustath. ad loc. (1) “ἢ λέγει ὅτε μοῖρα ἦν θανεῖν τὸν ἀοιδόν: ἢ ὅτε” (2) “ἐχρῆν ἀποθανεῖν τὸν Αἴγισθον: ἢ ὅτε” (3) “μοῖρα ἦν τὴν Κλυταιμνήστραν ὑπὸ τῷ Αἰγίσθῳ γενέσθαι, ὃ καὶ κρεῖττον:” to which the Schol. alludes; (4) the impossible view “ἢ τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονα”. Nitzsch strangely adopts (1) and refers “μιν” to “ἀοιδός”, in spite of the words “τὸν μὲν ἀοιδόν” that follow. The reference (2) to Aegisthus seems on the whole the simplest, and the expression that he was ‘Fate-bound to his ruin’ reminds us of Od.1. 37“εἰδὼς αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον”, etc. Besides which it is more likely that “Αἴγισθον” is the subject to “δαμῆναι”, because “ἄγων” and “κάλλιπεν” must of necessity refer to him. At the same time it may be remarked that it is distinctly said there that Aegisthus fell “ὑπὲρ μόρον”, which is somewhat inconsistent with “μοῖρα θεῶν ἐπέδησε”. The view (3) which Eustath. supports is ably advocated by Ameis, who points out that the words “ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δή μιν” stand in close relation to “τὸ πρὶν μέν” (265), and that “δαμῆναι”, in the sense of ‘yielding’ to any overmastering influence, is used of lust or passion in Il.14. 515, 353, where we find “θεᾶς ἔρος . . θυμὸν ἐδάμασσεν”, and “φιλότητι δαμείς”. Nor is this view inconsistent with “ἐθέλουσαν ἀνήγαγε” (272), for, her scruples once overcome, she was only too glad to follow her lover: but the conquest of these scruples was hard enough to justify the use of “δαμῆναι”, for Aegisthus was so surprised at his own success that he sacrificed drink-offerings, “ἐκτελέσας μέγα ἔργον ὃ οὔ ποτε ἔλπετο θυμῷ”.

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

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