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[598] His heart was gladdened as (the heart) of growing corn (is gladdened) with the dew upon the ears. Most edd. read “ἐέρση”: MSS. are no authority on such a point, though T at least has “ἐέρσηι”, which Heyne suggested and Lange has defended at length. The nom. gives no good sense; it is absurd to say that Menelaos' heart ‘was comforted like the dew’; it is obviously the dew which comforts the corn, not vice versa. Various attempts have been made to explain the nom.; e.g. Fäsi would supply “γίγνεται” to “ἐέρση” and understand the clause “καὶ οὔτω τὸ λήϊον ἰαίνεται”. Heyne thinks “ἰάνθη” means ‘became warm’ or ‘melted,’ ‘as the dew on the corn becomes warm or melts.’ This will not do, because though the heart of Menelaos may be said to become warm, and perhaps even the dew to melt (evaporate), yet Menelaos' heart does not evaporate nor the dew become warm; so that the comparison fails. Besides “ἰαίνω” does not mean melt, but only warm; melting is only implied, not expressed, in Od. 12.175 “ἰαίνετο κηρός”. Ap. Rhod., however, seems to have read “ἐέρση”, and imitates the simile, while avoiding this difficulty by applying it to a case where the heart does melt: (iii. 1019) “ἰαίνετο δὲ φρένας εἴσω, τηκομένη οἷόν τε περὶ ῥοδέηισιν ἐέρση τήκεται ἠώιοισιν ἰαινομένη φαέεσσιν” . Aischylos gives the idea of the passage almost exactly in Ag. 1391-92 “χαίρουσαν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ διοσδότωι γάνει σπορητὸς κάλυκος ἐν λοχεύμασιν”.

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

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hide References (3 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (3):
    • Aeschylus, Agamemnon, 1391
    • Homer, Odyssey, 12.175
    • Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 3.1019
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