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[707] ὦλκα recurs in Od. 18.375 (again with hiatus) and in the late Epic imitative poets. It is evidently another form of “αὖλαξ” (Pindar, Attic and Ionic), “ὦλαξ” (Dor.), “ἄλοξ” (Attic Trag.); cf. “ὁμώλακες” Ap. Rhod.ii. 396, “ἰῶλκα” (“ϝῶλκα”?) and “ὄλοκες” in Hesych.; all, with “ὁλκός” and sulcus, from root suelq -, “ϝελκ”- (Darbishire Rell. Phil. p. 49). Fick writes “ϝόλκα” here (P. Knight “κατ᾽ αϝολκα”); the retention of “ϝ” before “ο” is, however, very rare (H. G. § 393). The second half of the line is very obscure. Perhaps the best suggestion is Monro's, that τέμει is the pres. of “ἔτετμε”, and means it (the plough) reaches; though the omission of the subject “ἄροτρον” is very harsh. In this case the verb is probably distinct from “τέμνειν. τέλξον,” the headland or edge of the field where the plough turns (18.544, 547), is not ‘cut’ by it. Various emendations have been proposed; Barnes “τάμον”, Jortin “ταμόντε δέ”, I. H. Voss “ταμέσθ᾽ ἐπὶ τ. ἀρ.”, Brandreth “ταμέσθαι τ. ἀρ.” The most generally accepted is van Herwerden's “ταμεῖν ἐπὶ τ. ἀρ.” This is strongly supported by Ap. Rhod.iii. 412 “τὴν （<*>ειὸν） αἶψα ταμὼν ἐπὶ τέλσον ἀρότρωι” . But it is hard to see how so simple a phrase can have been corrupted. The unmetrical (and un-Epic) “τέμνει” of most MSS. is evidently a witness to the ambiguity of “τέμει”. But it is impossible to feel confident that the right solution has been found.

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

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hide References (4 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (4):
    • Homer, Iliad, 18.544
    • Homer, Odyssey, 18.375
    • Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 2.396
    • Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 3.412
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