[53] χὥταν, 'when the Kids are in the western sky and the south wind chases the waves, and Orion stands upon the seas.'
ἐφ᾽ ἑσπερίοις ἐρίφοις. ἐπί is used here of simultaneous time, or circumstances; cf. Ap. Rhod. i. 329: “ ἰλλομένοις ἐπὶ λαίφεσιν, ἠδὲ καὶ ἱστῷκεκλιμένῳ, μάλα πάντες ἐπισχερὼ ἑδριόωντο
” (while the sails were furling)--an equivalent of gen. absol.; cf. Id. i. 514 ὀρθοῖσιν ἐπ᾽ οὔασιν ἠρεμέοντες κηληθμῷ ('arrectis auribus'): Id. i. 1013 ἐπὶ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο. In Attic ἐπί so used signifies succession, 'after.' ἐπὶ χιόνι πεσούσῃ, Herodot. ii. 22; ἐπ᾽ ἀσφάκτοις μήλοις, Eur. Ion 228. The Kids--a cluster of stars in Auriga--are low down in the north-west sky (altit. 30°) one hour before sunrise on Nov. 28. Orion is at the same time just touching the horizon, so that he may be said to stand on the sea. Theocritus here speaks of the 'cosmical' setting. Cf. Aratus, 308 τῆμος (at end of November) δύεται ἠῶθι πρὸ ἀθρόος ᾿Ωρίων. ἑσπερίοις Aratus, 1065 καὶ ἑσπερἱων προπάροιθεν Πληϊάδων i. e. early autumn). Cf. further, Theocr. xxiv. 10; Hesiod, ῎Εργ. 619.