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[214] ἁλός is the ‘quasi-partitive’ gen. usual where anything taken from a larger mass is employed; so 2.415 “πρῆσαι πυρός”, 5.6 “λελουμένος Ὠκεανοῖο”. H. G. § 151 e. θείοιο, perhaps because it was used on account of its purifying quality, to render sacrifices fit for the gods. No such usage is mentioned in Homer (salt is indeed only mentioned again in Od. 11.123, Od. 17.455, Od. 23.270), but it is familiar to us from Jewish ritual and the Roman mola salsa. κρατευτάων, ‘dogs,’ rests on each side of the fire on which to lay the ends of the spits. Pollux quotes the word also from Eupolis (in the same sense? “μολυβδίνους κρατευτάς”) and adds the form “κρατευτήριον”. It is also applied in inscriptions to the stone substructure of a temple. The der. is obscure. ἐπαείρας seems to imply that the meat was salted only after being put on the fire. This seems curious and leads van L. to adopt Ar.'s “ἀπαείρας”, taking it to mean that when the meat is partly done Patroklos removes it from the fire, salts it, and puts it on again. That is curious too. For the gen. with “ἐπαείρας” compare 7.426 “ἀμαξάων ἐπάειραν”.

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

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