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[367] For the journey of Herakles to Hades to bring up Kerberos (who is not named in H.), see Od. 11.623, 5.397. He is first mentioned by name, as “πεντηκοντακέφαλος”, in Hesiod Theog. 311.πυλάρταο, ‘warder of the gate’ of the prisonhouse of the dead. On εἰς with the gen. see an interesting discussion by Meister Gr. Dial. ii. 298-301. He objects to the usual explanation by the ellipse of “δῶμα” that it does not account for Od. 4.581 “εἰς Αἰγύπτοιο διϊπετέος ποταμοῖο στῆσα νέας” , or Od. 2.55 “ἐς ἡμετέρου” , Od. 17.534, Hymn. Merc. 370, and suggests that the gen. is that of the point aimed at (H. G. § 151). With this “εἰς” could originally be used just as well as “ἐπί”. In the case of “εἰς”, however, the use with the acc. prevailed when the primitive adverbial sense grew into the purely prepositional, so that a survival like “εἰς Ἀΐδαο” was felt as “εἰς Ἀΐδαο δῶμα”, and hence gave rise to other phrases such as “εἰν Ἀΐδαο. προὔπεμψεν”, sc. Eurystheus.

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

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hide References (7 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (7):
    • Hesiod, Theogony, 311
    • Homer, Iliad, 5.397
    • Homer, Odyssey, 11.623
    • Homer, Odyssey, 17.534
    • Homer, Odyssey, 2.55
    • Homer, Odyssey, 4.581
    • Homeric Hymns, Hymn 4 to Hermes, 370
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