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[506] χείῤ (“χειρί”) ὀρέγεσθαι, lit. to reach with the hand, i.e. to lift my hand to the mouth of him that slew my sons in order to touch his chin as a suppliant (1.500). For the constr. cf. 23.99 “ὠρέξατο χερσὶ φίληισιν”. It is more usual to read “χεῖῤ”, i.e. “χεῖρα” or “χεῖρε” (Sch. T', and take “ὀρέγεσθαι” as though = “ὀρέγειν”, a use of which there seems to be no other instance. Again, as it has not been explicitly said that Priam has touched Achilles' chin, whereas he has kissed his hands (478), some would understand to move to my mouth the hand of him that slew my sons. This gives undoubtedly a better sense, but is quite inconsistent with the use of “ὀρέγεσθαι. χεῖρας ὀρέξαι”, given by Eust., is what we should expect.

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

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