[86] τοῖχοι. The description of the “δόμος” does not begin till v. 95; here we have the walls of the “αὐλή”, for θριγκός seems to refer to the finishing of open-air walls. Cp. Od.14. 5-10, and 17. 266 “ἐπήσκηται δέ οἱ αὐλὴ”
“τοίχῳ καὶ θριγκοῖσι, θύραι δ᾽ εὐερκέες εἰσίν”. So Eurip. Hel.430“ἰδὼν δὲ δῶμα περιφερὲς θριγκοῖς τόδε”“πύλας τε σεμνάς . . προσῆλθον”. Accordingly μυχός here is only the inner end of the “αὐλή”, though elsewhere applied to “δόμος, θάλαμος, κλισίη, ἄντρον”, and to places, as “μυχῷ Ἄργεος”.
ἐληλέδατ᾽, see crit. note. This form has the preponderance of MS. authority, and is quoted again by Schol. H. Q. on Od. 13.4. Ameis thinks it may have been the reading of Aristarchus. See Curt. Gk. Etym. 575 ‘Bekker has adopted this form (sc. “ἐληλέδατο”) on good authority, (see Dindorf's Schol.) instead of the vulg. “ἐληλάδατο”. Buttm. (Ausf. Gr. 1. 426) prefers the less well established form “ἐληλέ-ατο”, standing to a stem “ἐλα-” in the same relation in which “πεπτέ-ατο” does to root “πτα. ἐληλέδατο” on the other hand points back to a stem “ἐλα”j-, from which would come a present “ἐλάω”, as illustrated by the forms “ἠλάσθην, ἐλαστός”. For analogous forms compare “ἐρράδαται” Od.20. 354, “ἀγωνίδαται” Hdt.9. 26, “κεχωρίδαται” ib. 1. 140, “ἐσκευάδαται 4. 58, ἀκηχέδατο” Il.17. 637.ἐλαύνειν here expresses the continuous line of the wall, as in “ἐλαύνειν ὄγμον” Il.11. 68.If the reading ἐρηρέδατο (“ἐρείδω”) be adopted we shall have to notice an anomalous “ε” for “ι”, as in “δει-δέχ-αται” from “δείκνυμι” and “ἀκ-ηχέδ-αται” from “ἀκαχίζω”.
