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[280] οἷς ἀγανοῖς … κατέπεφνε. A sudden death without suffering is ascribed to the ‘painless shafts’ of Artemis or Apollo, the goddess generally bringing death to women, the god to men. Such a death was easy; cp. Od.18. 202“εἴθε μοι ὣς μαλακὸν θάνατον πόροι Ἄρτεμις ἁγνή” In Od.11. 172 it is contrasted with “δολιχὴ νοῦσος”, and, in 15. 407-411, with any form of “νοῦσος”. Such a death is besought from Artemis by Penelope, Od.20. 61.Those who died by such a visitation did not look like an ordinary corpse, but, as Patroclus is described, “ἐρσήεις καὶ πρόσφατος” Il.24. 757.It does not however follow that the visitation was one of mercy, for Artemis kills Ariadne in righteous anger ( Od.11. 324); and Orion for jealousy, Hom. Od.5. 124, if the passage be genuine. It has been impugned as violating the apparent rule that only women are so visited by Artemis, and only men by Apollo. So too the daughter of Arybas is slain, Hom. Od.15. 477; and the mother of Andromache, Hom. Il.6. 428.The inhabitants in “Συρίη νῆσος” ( Hom. Od.15. 411) are spared all diseases, and are slain by the shafts of Apollo and Artemis, when old age comes upon them. Rhexenor too is killed by the same god, Hom. Od.7. 64.Possibly a mistaken view of ἀγανὰ βέλη suggested the words to Pope, ‘favour'd man by touch ethereal slain.’ Essay on Man, Ep. 3. 68 (where see Mr. Pattison's note, ed. Clarendon Press, 1869). Is it not possible that we have in this expression a poetical way of describing the sudden effect of sunstroke? A similar fatal influence has also been ascribed to the rays of the moon. Cp. Psalm 121. 6.

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

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