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[870] 870-71. The ancient variants given above testify to the doubts which this couplet has raised. As it stands it can only mean that Meriones ‘plucked the bow from Teukros' hand; but he had been long holding an arrow while he (Teukros) was aiming’; i.e. both competitors use the same bow, as all ‘put’ with the same “σόλος”. So Did., “ὁ μέντοι Ἀρίσταρχος διὰ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων ἐπειγόμενον βούλεται τὸν Μηριόνην ἐκσπάσαι τῆς τοῦ Τεύκρου χειρὸς τὸ τόξον: καὶ γὰρ κοινὸν τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων αὐτὸ εἶναι ὥσπερ τὸν δίσκον”. But the idea seems absurd, the change of subject in “ἴθυνεν” is very harsh, and “ὡς” does not mean while. The last difficulty might be met by reading “ἕως” with synizesis, and Voss' “ὡς ἰθύνοι” to a certain extent makes things easier (cf. “ὄφρ᾽ ἰθύνοι”, that he might steer, Od. 5.255); the absurdity of the general situation is met by nothing short of the Massaliot reading.

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

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