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[563] βιότοιο μεγ́ηρας, grudging Adamas (or it, the spear personified) the life of Antilochos. Though the expression is ambiguous, this gives a better sense than the alternative ‘grudging to Adamas (the preservation of) his life.’ The gen. comes under the class of those which go with verbs of anger, etc., H. G. § 151. c; lit. ‘being jealous about his life,’ and may be compared with the common construction “φθονεῖν τινί τινος”, as Od. 6.68 “οὔ τοι ἡμιόνων φθονέω”, and Attic examples which will be found in Lexx.; and so Aisch. Prom. 626 “ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι δωρήματος”. For other constr. of “μεγαίρω” see 23.865. κυανοχαῖτα, an epithet of Poseidon only, except in 20.224 of Boreas in the form of a horse. In the vagueness of Homeric colourwords it may mean only dark-haired; but blue-haired is appropriate to a god of the blue sea, and Triton on a wellknown archaic pediment in Athens has a beard painted bright blue.

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

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