[279]
[280] 280 = 3.355.
αἰχμή is the ‘point’ of the spear.[283] τῷ δ᾽ ἔπι, ‘and over him.’
ἔπι is thus accented by Cauer § 166), in spite of the fact that “δ᾽”（“έ”) intervenes. μακρόν, cognate accusative. κενεῶνα, accusative of specification.— διαμπερές, adverb, really neuter of “διαμπερής”, ‘quite through’ (“διά” + “ἀν”（“ά”) + root “περ” of “πείρω”, ‘pierce’).[286] οὐ ταρβήσας, ‘undismayed’; the time is coincident with that of “προσέφη” § 186).
[287] ἤμβροτες = Attic “ἥμαρτες.”
μέν, ‘surely,’ = Attic “μήν”.[288] πρὶν ... πρὶν ἤ = Attic “πρόσθεν ... πρίν” (without “ἤ”), Latin priusquam.
ἕτερον, ‘one of you twain.’[289] αἵματος, ‘with blood,’ partitive genitive.
ταλαύρινον § 63.2), ‘enduring the oxhide shield,’ i. e. ‘stout in battle.’[291] ῥῖνα (nominative “ῥίς”), § 179.—The subject of ἐπέρησεν is “βέλος” understood.
[292] ἀπό, with τάμε, § 163: ‘the unyielding bronze cut his tongue off at the root.’
[293] ἐξεσύθη: this aorist (cf. “ἐκ-σεύω”) does not occur elsewhere in Homer; it has the support of the Alexandrian scholar Zenodotus; Aristarchus, on the other hand, favored “ἐξελύθη”, the reading of some MSS. The latter form, difficult in itself, has been ingeniously interpreted as an ancient mistake for “ἐξ-έλυθε” or (with “ν” movable) “ἐξ-έλυθεν”, the unaugmented form of “ἐξ-ήλυθεν”, Attic “ἐξ-ῆλθεν”, which gives excellent sense.
νείατον, ‘lowest part of.’[295] παμφανάοντα, see note on B 458.
[296] ψυχή τε μένος τε, ‘both breath of life and strength.’
As Diomedes, when he hurled his javelin, was afoot, and Pandarus was in his chariot, it has long been discussed how the spear could have inflicted a vertical wound from above. If one is not satisfied with the explanation that Athene guided the weapon (l. 290), he may suppose that Pandarus was bending forward to dodge the missile when caught by the spear-point (scholium).[297] ἀπόρουσε, understand ‘from his chariot.’
[299] ἀμφὶ ... βαῖνε, compare the metaphorical use of the same words in A 37.—For accent of ὥς, § 123.5.
ἀλκί, metaplastic dative from nominative “ἀλκή”.[300] οἱ, dative of advantage.
[301] τοῦ refers to the slain Pandarus; in construction like “πατρός”, A 534.
[302]
σμερδαλέα, note long ultima; § § 38; 61, 5. Vergil evidently had in mind this passage, with M 445 ff. and 21.403 ff., when he wrote Aen. XII, 896-901 (Turnus is the subject):
“Nec plura effatus saxum circumspicit ingens,
saxum antiquum ingens, campo quod forte iacebat,
limes agro positus, litem ut discerneret arvis.
Vix illud lecti his sex cervice subirent,
qualia nunc hominum producit corpora tellus:
ille manu raptum trepida torquebat in hostem, etc.
”
An antique stone he saw; the common bound
Of neighbouring fields, and barrier of the ground:
So vast, that tweleve strong men of modern days
Th' enormous weight from earth could hardly raise.
He heav'd it at a lift; and, poised on high.
Ran, staggering on, against his enemy.
”
[304] ῥέα, short form of “ῥεῖα” § 29), Attic “ῥᾳδίως”.
[305] τῷ, ‘with this’; like the Attic idiom, “βάλλειν λίθοις”, ‘to throw stones.’ ‘This he threw at Aeneas's hip, where the thigh plays in the hipjoint—“the cup” men call it.’ For “τε” of l. 305 see § 123.3.
[306] τε marks the general statement.
[307] πρὸς δ᾽ (έ), ‘and besides.’
[308] ὦσε δ᾽ ἄπο = Attic “ἀπῶσε” (“ἀπ-ωθέω”) “δέ.”
ῥινόν, ‘skin.’ Distinguish from “ῥῖνα” (l. 291).[309] ἔστη, ‘he held himself upright,’ although he fell on his knee; he did not faint.
[310] γαίης, ‘on the earth,’ genitive of place.
[311] κεν ... ἀπόλοιτο = Attic “ἀπώλετο ἄν”. see § 207.
[315] ‘And she spread the fold of her shining white robe in front, for his protection.’
οἱ is dative of advantage.