ἄνδρα, subject to μανθάνειν, as O. T. 314 “ἄνδρα δ᾽ ὠφελεῖν κ.τ.λ.”: for the place of τό, cp. 723, Tr. 65 “σὲ... ι τὸ μὴ πυθέσθαι” instead of “τὸ σὲ μὴ πυθέσθαι.” κεἰ … ᾖ: see O. T. 198 n. τείνειν, absol., here, like “τείνειν τόξον” or “τείνειν πόδα”, ‘to strain the cord too tight,’—to be overrigid in maintaining one's own views. This poet. use should be distinguished from the ordinary intrans. use of “τείνω”, like tendere, ‘to have a direction,’ or ‘take one's way’ ( Xen. Anab. 4.3.21 “ἔτεινον ἄνω πρὸς τὸ ὄρος”). παρὰ ῥείθρ.: for ā before initial “ῥ”, cp. O. T. 847 (“ἐμὲ ῥέπον”), O. C. 900 “ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος.” χειμάρροις, here a neut. adj., as Eur. Tro. 449 “ὕδατι χειμάρρῳ”: usu. “ὁ χειμάρρους” (sc. “ποταμός”). Tozer, Geo. Gr. p. 84: ‘The numerous torrents (“χειμάῤῥοι”) are the natural result of the configuration of the country, for the steep limestone mountains have but little of a spongy surface to act as a reservoir for the rain... It is especially at the time of the autumn rains that the greatest floods take place, and the sudden swelling and violent rush of the stream has furnished Homer with some of his finest similes.’ (Il. 4.452 ff., 16, 384 ff.: imitated by 2. 305 ff., 12. 523.)—Antiphanes (c. 380 B.C.) parodies these verses (fr. incert. 10: Athen. 22 F).
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