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magna . . . occupat. Siebelis merely repeats the explanation of the Delphin editor, magna pars pedum a digitis fuit occupata, and King accordingly translates, ‘his feet were claws.’ The meaning seems to be the reverse of this, the toes being invaded by the foot. Ovid is describing the metamorphosis of the human foot to the webbed foot of a bird; as in II. 375 (quoted on 499), digitos ligat iunctura rubentis. [Almost all my MSS. read pedis. I think this is right: ‘a large amount of what is foot takes possession of the toes,’ i.e. instead of divided toes a solid web-foot is formed. The singular has its place and special meaning. R.E. ] This use of the singular is illustrated by the meaning of arbor etc. noticed on 523. The reading pedis and this explanation are accepted by Ehwald.
Charles Simmons. Metamorphoseon XIII. xiv. The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Books XIII. and XIV. Edited, with introduction, analysis, and notes by Charles Simmons. New York. Macmillan. 1899.
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