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[128] ναὶ δ̀η ταῦτά γε, yea, as thou sayest. “ταῦτα” as usual refers to the person addressed; it is used as a sort of exclamation without any strict construction. This was probably a familiar phrase, virtually equivalent to ‘yes,’ and only strengthened by “ναὶ δή”. In this use it is found in Attic comedy; e.g. Aristoph. Pax 276, Aristoph. Vesp. 142 “ταῦτ᾽ ὦ δεσπότα” . ‘yes, sir!’ Aristoph. Eq. 111 “ΔΗΜ. τοὺς χρησμοὺς ταχὺ κλέψας ἔνεγκε . . ΝΙΚ. ταῦτ” . Aristoph. Ach. 815 “ταῦτα δή” . Aristoph. Vesp. 1008 “ταῦτά νυν” , ‘very well.’ The full and formal phrase would be “ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα, τέκος, κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες”, but the mother can use the contractions of every-day life. ἐτ́ητυμον is an adv., verily it is not ill to save etc. — Various other readings and punctuations have been adopted, and the line has given much trouble. Ahrens writes ἐτ́ητυμα, thy words are true, supposing the alteration to the sing. to arise from the desire to avoid the legitimate hiatus. Whether the change would be likely at such serious cost to the intelligibility of the words is, however, very doubtful. Cobet reads τοῦτο. with some MS. support, but this looks like an emendation made in order to simplify the construction. Nikanor at all events read the passage as in the text, and mentions no variant. He says we may either put a stop after “ἐτήτυμον”, and assume an ellipse of “ἐστίν”, regarding “ἐτήτυμον” as an adverb, “ταῦτα ἀληθῶς ἐστίν”: or we may join “ἐτήτυμον κακόν”, these things are no real ill (?): or again omitting the stop we may take “ἐτήτυμον” as adv., these things are verily not an ill matter. Of these the first is just possible; “ἐτήτυμον” is commonly used as an adv., 1.558, 13.111, Od. 4.157, and in the common Odyssean phrase “τοῦτ᾽ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον” (seven times). For an adv. used as a predicate with ellipse of “ἐστί” cf. on A 416. But the constr. is still very harsh. The third alternative is better; but the best resource, if the explanation first given be not accepted, is to regard “ἐτήτυμον” not as an adv., but as a substantival neuter, just as 2.204 “οὐκ ἀγαθὸν πολυκοιρανίη”, and cf. 14.125 “τὰ δὲ μέλλετ᾽ ἀκουέμεν, εἰ ἐτεόν περ. ἐτεόν” and “ἐτήτυμον” both mean ‘the truth.’ (See Kühner Gram. ii. 53, with the quotations from Plato there given, Parm. 160A “ταῦτα δὲ ἀδύνατον ἐφάνη”, Soph. 252E “τά γε δύο ἀδύνατον εὑρέθη”.)

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

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hide References (12 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (12):
    • Aristophanes, Knights, 111
    • Aristophanes, Peace, 276
    • Aristophanes, Wasps, 1008
    • Aristophanes, Wasps, 142
    • Homer, Iliad, 13.111
    • Homer, Iliad, 14.125
    • Homer, Iliad, 1.558
    • Homer, Iliad, 2.204
    • Homer, Odyssey, 4.157
    • Plato, Sophist, 252
    • Plato, Parmenides, 160a
    • Aristophanes, Acharnians, 815
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