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[326] “οὐ .. καλά”: see H. G. § 136 and compare 8.400 “οὐ καλὰ συνοισόμεθα πτόλεμόνδε”. The mention of the “χόλος” has caused critics great trouble, as Paris' absence from battle would seem to be sufficiently accounted for by his defeat at the hands of Menelaos. It has been supposed that Hector speaks ironically, in suggesting that Paris has some cause of offence against the Trojans; but Paris himself seems to take the remark seriously (335), and the irony is too veiled for the Epic style. There is a possible alternative, to take “χόλον” as meaning ‘the anger of the Trojans against you,’ such as is exemplified in 3.56, 454, of which we should suppose Paris to be conscious. This suits the answer of Paris in 335 better, as “νέμεσις” is commonly used of the indignation shewn by others; e.g. Od. 2.136 “νέμεσις δέ μοι ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἔσσεται,” Od. 22.40 “ἀνθρώπων νέμεσις”, cf. 13.122 “ἐν φρεσὶ θέσθε ἕκαστος αἰδῶ καὶ νέμεσιν”. On the other hand, it leaves τόνδε without its proper deictic force; this must imply that some particular manifestation of Trojan resentment was immediately present to Hector and Paris. In fact, as Erhardt says, the colloquy must have been originally composed for a form of the story in which 7.345-79 or some similar scene preceded instead of following it (see Introd.).

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

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