previous next

[660] The purely intensive force of the perfect πεπληγέμεν is obvious here (as with “βέβληκα”, see 13.60). ἀνασχομένω is doubtless a technical phrase, ‘squaring up,’ denoting the lifting of the body and arms into the correct attitude. So 686 “ἀνασχομένω χερσί”, and in the other Homeric boxing-match Od. 18.95 “ἀνασχομένω” (but the act. “χεῖρας ἀνέσχον”, 89, and “χεῖρας ἀνασχόμενοι”, 100, are not in the technical sense). See note on 3.362, and Od. 14.425. The scholiasts explain the mention of Apollo as god of boxing by his victory over Phorbas, king of the Phlegyai, who beset the road to Delphi, and, elated by success, challenged the gods. (See Hymn. Ap. 211.) Such a legend, however, has a post-Homeric stamp; it is more probable that the god is called upon to vouchsafe endurance in virtue of his power as “κουροτρόφος”, giver of manly strength. Cf. Od. 19.86 “ἤδη παῖς τοῖος Ἀπόλλωνός γε ἕκητι, Τηλέμαχος”. So also Hes. Theog. 347 “αἳ κατὰ γαῖαν ἄνδρας κουρίζουσι σὺν Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι καὶ ποταμοῖς”. In this capacity he was later a patron of the gymnasium. The dedication of boxing to Polydeukes — who even in so late a passage as Od. 11.300 ff. is not yet a god, but only a favoured mortal — is altogether later.

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

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.

hide References (6 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (6):
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: