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[*] 547. When a simile has been introduced by the subjunctive with ὡς or ὡς ὅτε, it may be continued by verbs in the present indicative, which seem to be independent of the original construction. Even the aorist indicative may be used to add vividness to the description. E.g. Ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε τίς τ᾽ ἐλέφαντα γυνὴ φοίνικι μιήνῃ Μῃονὶς ἠὲ Κάειρα, παρήιον ἔμμεναι ἵππῳ: κεῖται δ᾽ ἐν θαλάμῳ, πολέες τέ μιν ἠρήσαντο ἱππῆες φορέειν: βασιλῆι δὲ κεῖται ἄγαλμα: τοῖοί τοι, Μενέλαε, μιάνθην αἵματι μηροί. Il. iv. 141. Ὡς δ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ὑψηλῆς κορυφῆς ὄρεος μεγάλοιο κινήσῃ πυκινὴν νεφέλην στεροπηγερέτα Ζεύς: ἐκ τ᾽ ἔφανεν πᾶσαι σκοπιαὶ καὶ πρώονες ἄκροι καὶ νάπαι, οὐρανόθεν δ᾽ ὑπερράγη ἄσπετος αἰθήρ: ὣς Δαναοὶ νηῶν μὲν ἀπωσάμενοι δήιον πῦρ τυτθὸν ἀνέπνευσαν πολέμου δ᾽ οὐ γίγνετ᾽ ἐρωή. Il. xvi. 296. Ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε καπνὸς ἰὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὑρὺν ἵκηται ἄστεος αἰθομένοιο, θεῶν δέ ἑ μῆνις ἀνῆκεν, πᾶσι δ᾽ ἔθηκε πόνον, πολλοῖσι δὲ κήδἐ ἐφῆκεν, ὣς Ἀχιλεὺς Τρώεσσι πόνον καὶ κήδἐ ἔθηκεν. Il. xxi. 522.
Macmillan. London, Melbourne, Toronto. 1889. reprint edition:. St. Martin's Press. New York. 1965.
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