κεῖνος γὰρ: here “γὰρ” merely prefaces the narrative ( O. T. 277 n.). ἄκρας νυκτός, as the context shows, means here, ‘at dead of night.’ The only other instance of “ἄκρος” so used (natural though the use is) seems to be
(‘depth of winter’). Elsewhere “ἄκρα νύξ” means either (1) the beginning of night, nightfall, as in Aratus 775 “ἄκρῃ νυκτί”: or (2) the verge between night and dawn, as ib. 308 “ἀκρόθι νυκτός”. In Theophrastus De Sign. Pluv. 1. § 2 (p. 389 ed. Wimmer) the “ἀκρόνυχοι ἀνατολαί” of stars are their risings “ὅταν ἅμα δυομένῳ ἀνατέλλῃ” (“τὰ ἄστρα”), i.e. soon after sunset, at nightfall. The sense of “ἀκρέσπερος” varies like that of “ἄκρα νύξ”. In Hippocr. Epidem. 7. 653 “ἀκρέσπερος φρίκη” is a chill at the approach of evening (as Galen Exeg. p. 418 explains); while in Nicander Ther. 25 “ἀκρέσπερος” is explained by the schol. as=‘at the close of evening,’ ‘at nightfall.’ The latter is the sense of “ἄκρᾳ σὺν ἑσπέρᾳ” in Pindar P. 11. 10. [In H. A. 9. 34, p. 619 b 21, the words “ἄχρις ἑσπερίου” have been conjecturally changed to “τὴν ἀρχέσπερον”, from Athen. p. 353 B; or to “τὴν ἀκρέσπερον”: the sense required is ‘at nightfall.’]“τυρὸς δ᾽ οὐ λείπει μ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἐν θέρει οὔτ᾽ ἐν ὀπώρῃ
οὐ χειμῶνος ἄκρω
”
