[14] The line, though undoubtedly difficult, is not of necessity corrupt. “λεπτουργές” is certainly sound, and “πνοιῇ ἀνέμων” may be taken (with Matthiae) as depending in sense on “λάμπεται”, “the fair fine-spun garment on his body shines in the wind.” To “ὑπὸ δ᾽ ἄρσενες ἵπποι” we may supply “λάμπονται” or merely “εἰσίν”, cf. Orac.ed. Hendess 54. 4 “Τυνδαρίδας δ᾽ ἐποπιζόμενοι Μενέλαν τε καὶ ἄλλους”
“ἀθάνατους ἥρωας οἳ ἐν Λακεδαίμονι δίῃ”, rather than assume a lacuna after this line, with Hermann. Valckenär's emendation (see crit. n.) is too far removed from the MSS.15, 16, Here a lacuna seems necessary owing to the sense and to the mood of “πέμπῃσι”, which must be subjunctive; Gemoll objects that the body of the hymn should have 16 lines only, to match xxxii. But the correspondence between the two hymns is in any case imperfect, as the concluding verses are unequal in number. Although 16 is a favourite number (suggesting four quatrains; cf. hymns xxviii, xxx, xxxii), the hymn to the Dioscuri (xxxiii) has 17 verses. The lacuna can only be avoided by the assumption that “ἔνθ᾽ ἄῤ” is corrupt, as well as “στήσας”, which is inconsistent with “πέμπῃσι” in the present context. If a line has fallen out the sense may be, “then, having stopped his golden car and horses (he rests at the topmost point of heaven, until he again) sends them wondrously through heaven to ocean.” “στήσας” would refer to the sun's apparent halt at mid-day, before he begins his descent; cf. Shelley (Hymn of Apollo) “I stand at noon upon the peak of Heaven.” The description of the sun's brightness is most appropriate, if noon is meant; cf. the parallel hymn, where Selene is brightest as she comes to the full (xxxii. 11 f.).
