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[403] The other instances in Homer of double names in the language of men and gods are 2.813 “τὴν ἦ τοι ἄνδρες Βατίειαν κικλήσκουσιν, ἀθάνατοι δέ τε σῆμα πολυσκάρθμοιο Μυρίνης,” 14.290 “ὄρνιθι, ἥν τ᾽ ἐν ὄρεσσι χαλκίδα κικλήσκουσι θεοί, ἄνδρες δὲ κύμινδιν,” 20.74 “ὃν Ξάνθον καλέουσι θεοί, ἄνδρες δὲ Σκάμανδρον”. Cf. Od. 10.305 “μῶλυ δέ μιν καλέουσι θεοί” , Od. 12.61 “Πλαγκτὰς δή τοι τάς γε θεοὶ μάκαρες καλέουσιν”. The natural supposition would be that the ‘divine’ words are archaic survivals, perhaps from an older race. It is sometimes said that the divine name has usually a clearer meaning than the human, and that the Greeks therefore regarded their own tongue as divine, and others as the languages of mere men. But this is only the case with the “χαλκίς” and “κύμινδις”, and possibly “Ξάνθος” and “Σκάμανδρος”, which, however, look like different renderings of the same foreign word. “μῶλυ” is not a Greek form, nor is the theory borne out by isolated instances elsewhere, e.g. Laert. Diog.i. 119 “ἔλεγεν” (“ὁ Φερεκύδης”) “ὅτι οἱ θεοὶ τὴν τράπεζαν θυωρὸν καλοῦσιν”. Again the Pelasgian Hermes was called “Ἴμβρος”: compare with this the statement of Byzant.Steph., “Ἑρμοῦ, ὃν Ἴμβρον λέγουσι μάκαρες”. Both “Βριάρεως” and “Αἰγαίων” may be equally referred to Greek roots (“βρι” of “βριαρός, βριθύς”, and “αἰγίς”, cf. “Αἰγαῖον πέλαγος”). The father of Briareus was, according to the legend, Poseidon, who himself was sometimes called “Αἰγαίων” or “Αἰγαῖος”. — The legend is one of a number referring to revolts against the Olympian gods, as of the Titans, Prometheus, etc. αὖτε, again: as Poseidon, in union with the other gods, was stronger than Zeus, so his son again was stronger than he. To avoid the synizesis in “Βριάρεων” van L. suggests “Βριάρην”, the gen. of which, “Βριάρηο”, is quoted from Ibykos.

The Iliad, edited, with apparatus criticus, prolegomena, notes, and appendices. Walter Leaf. London. Macmillan. 1900.

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