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[413] ἐπί, ‘that the sun set not upon us,’ a pregnant expression which is virtually an anticipation of the “ἐπί” immediately following, and may be compared with Eph. iv. 26 “ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῶι παροργισμῶι ὑμῶν”. See also 8.487 “Τρωσὶν μέν ῥ᾽ ἀέκουσιν ἔδυ φάος”. Some have, without necessity, conj. “ἔτ᾽” or “γ᾽” in place of “ἐπ᾽”: La R. thinks that the word was inserted when it was forgotten that “πρίν” was originally long by nature (Cretan “πρείν”, Brugm. Gr. ii. p. 406). For μή with infin. expressing a prayer see H. G. § 361. “μή” appears fundamentally to express the idea ‘away with the thought that,’ ‘let us not suppose that,’ and may thus be properly used with the infin. without the need of supplying any ellipse of “δός” or the like. Cf. 3.285, 7.179, Od. 17.354, where the infin. expressing the mere thought indicates, by the form of interjectional utterance, a strong wish; and also the use of the infin. as an imper. The idiom is common in later Gk., e.g. Aisch. Sept. 253 “ὦ θεοὶ πολῖται, μή με δουλείας τυχεῖν”, and other instances in M. and T. § 785. (It is virtually a case of the use of “μή” without a finite verb, such as we find in 1.295 and “ὅτε μή” = ‘except’; see Lange EI p. 162 (468), where the key to the question is given.)

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

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