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ἴλη, band, troop, from rt. “ϝελ, εἴλω”, to press: cp. “ὅμ-ιλο-ς” (Curt. Etym. § 660). The Ionic form is “εἴλη” ( Her. 1. 73 etc.). Its poetical use is as free as that of Lat. manus (e.g., Pind. N. 5. 38εὔφρονες ἶλαι”): but it had also a technical military sense, Xen. An. 1. 2. 16κατ᾽ ἴλας καὶ κατὰ τάξεις” (‘troops’ of cavalry and ‘companies’ of infantry).— τὸν ὑπασπίδιον κόσμον, the armour ‘under the shield,’ i.e. the body-armour, as the “θώραξ” and the “κνημῖδες”. Ajax had directed that all his armour except his shield should be buried with him (577). “ὑπασπίδιος” occurs only here and in [Eur. ] Rhes. 740 “τὸν ὑπασπίδιον κοῖτον”.


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  • Commentary references from this page (3):
    • Herodotus, Histories, 1.73
    • Pindar, Nemean, 5
    • Xenophon, Anabasis, 1.2.16
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