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[99] ὑποστάς, Schol. “ὑποσχόμενος”, ‘having given his promise.’ For “ἔπος” joined with “ἔργον” see on Od. 2.272.

ἢ ἔπος ἠέ τι ἔργον. Cp. Od.4. 163“ὄφρα οἱ ἤ τι ἔπος ὑποθήσεαι ἠέ τι ἔργον”. See note on Od. 2.272, where one explanation suggested for the kindred expression “ἔργον τε ἔπος τε”, was to take it as a true hendiadys, signifying the ‘word-foreshadowed act.’ We may regard this parallel disjunctive expression as identical in meaning with it. For as it would not be Greek to write “ἔργον τε ἔπος τέ τι”, the hendiadys is more strikingly brought out by the use of “ἤ, ἠέ”, than if the phrase had run “ἔργον καὶ ἔπος τι”, where the use of the conjunction would have implied that the things were separate in themselves and only joined in the suggestion.

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

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