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[97] 97-100. “ἀθετοῦνται στίχοι τέσσαρες, διότι κατὰ διασκευὴν” (interpolation) “ἐμφαίνουσι γεγράφθαι ὑπό τινος τῶν νομιζόντων ἐρᾶν τὸν Ἀχιλλέα τοῦ Πατρόκλου: τοιοῦτοι γὰρ οἱ λόγοι, ‘πάντες ἀπόλοιντο πλὴν ἡμῶν,’ καὶ ὁ Ἀχιλλεὺς οὐ τοιοῦτος, συμπαθὴς δέ”, “ αν.καλῶς οὖν φησὶν Ἀρίσταρχος Ζηνόδοτον ὑπωπτευκέναι ὡς εἶεν παρεντεθέντες οἱ στίχοι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρσενικοὺς ἔρωτας λεγόντων εἶναι παρ᾽ Ὁμήρωι καὶ ὑπονοούντων παιο̂ικὰ εἶναι Ἀχιλλέα Πατρόκλου”, Schol. T. Modern critics generally reject the lines, but on less morbid grounds; the main crux being 1. 99. The text gives the only satisfactory constr., “ἐκδῦμεν” being taken as opt. with “ι” lost after “υ” as in “δαίνυτο” 24.665 and other cases in H. G. § 83. 1. The ordinary reading “νῶϊν δ᾽ ἐκδύμεν” (infin.) assumes an impossible omission of “εἴη”. The lengthening in arsi of the “ι” of “ῶϊ” is analogous to the very frequent lengthening of -“ι” of the dative — whether the vowel was originally long by nature we cannot say (see H. G. § 373). Those who think the metrical license violent may prefer Axt's “νὼ δ᾽ ἐκδύημεν”, though the short form “νώ” is found at most twice (5.219 q.v., Od. 15.475?). Zen. may have understood the line in the same way, for he regarded “νῶϊν” as a legitimate form of the nom. (La R. H. T. p. 319). Taken in this way the wish seems clear enough and not too extravagant for Achilles' passion; all the Greeks have wronged him, let them all perish. This passage may be vaguely alluded to in Pind. O. ix. 76 ff. “ἐξ οὗ Θέτιος γόνος οὐλίωι νιν” (“Πάτροκλον”) “ἐν Ἄρει παραγορεῖτο μή ποτε σφετέρας ἄτερθε ταξιοῦσθαι δαμασιμβρότου αἰχμᾶς”.

The Iliad, edited, with apparatus criticus, prolegomena, notes, and appendices. Walter Leaf. London. Macmillan. 1900.

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