[75] τὸ μέν. This is sometimes described as agreeing with “νέφος” implied in νεφέλη. In Il.11. 237, 238 we read, “ἀργύρῳ ἀντομένη μόλιβος ὣς ἐτράπετ᾽ αἰχμή”,
“καὶ τό γε χειρὶ λαβὼν εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων”“ἕλκ᾽ ἐπὶ οἷ”, where however “τό γε” may refer back from the part “αἰχμή” to the whole “ἔγχος” mentioned ibid. 233. Similarly in Il.21. 164-168 “καὶ ῤ̔ ἑτέρῳ μὲν δουρὶ σάκος βάλεν . . τῷ” “δ᾽ ἑτέρῳ” (“δουρί”） “πῆχυν . . βάλε . . ἡ δ᾽ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ”
“γαίῃ ἐνεστήρικτο λιλαιομένη χροὸς ἆσαι”, where again “ἡ” suggests “αἰχμή” included in “δουρί”. Not unlike is Soph. Phil.755 foll. N. “δεινόν γε τοὐπίσαγμα τοῦ νοσήματος. Φ. δεινὸν γὰρ οὐδὲ ῥητόν: ἀλλ̓ οἴκτειρέ με”. N. “τί δῆτα δράσω; Φ. μή με ταρβήσας προδῷς:”
“ἥκει γὰρ αὕτη διὰ χρόνου πλάνοις ἴσως”
“ὡς ἐξεπλήσθη”, where “αὕτη” plainly refers to the generic word “νόσος” in the speaker's mind. Löwe quotes appositely Thuc.2. 47“ἡ νόσος πρῶτον ἤρξατο γενέσθαι τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις, λεγόμενον μὲν καὶ πρότερον πολλαχόσε ἐγκατασκῆψαι”. But we can introduce no such principle of interpretation here, for “νέφος” is not wider nor more generic than “νεφέλη”. It will be better to take τό as a somewhat vague neuter, having a general reference to the whole sentence “νεφέλη δέ μιν ἀμφιβέβηκε”, and this is the interpretation of See Schol. H. “αρισταρξη. Ἀρίσταρχος οὐ λέγει πρὸς τὸ νέφος τὴν ἀπότασιν εἶναι, ἀλλά φησιν ὅτι τοῦτο οὐδέποτε λήγει, τὸ κεκαλύφθαι τὸν σκόπελον τῷ νέφει”. But cp. Hom. Od.9. 358Hom. Od., 359, where “οἶνος” is followed by “τόδε”, and see note on Od. 11.207.
ἐρωεῖ. This is from a root “ῥυ” or “σρυ”, cp. Skt. sro-t-as, ‘river.’ The stem “ῥω” stands to “ῥυ” in the same relation as stem “πλω” to root “πλυ”. There is an apparent contradiction in the meanings of “ἐρωή” and “ἐρωέω”. For example “αἷμα . . ἐρωήσει”, ‘blood will stream,’ Il.1. 303, “ἐρωῆσαι πολέμοιο”, ‘to retire from war,’ Il.13. 776; similarly “βελέων ἐρωή”, ‘the rush of darts,’ Il.4. 542“πολέμου ἐρωή”, ‘cessation from war,’ Il.16. 302.Buttm. Lexil. s. v. reconciles the contradiction by pointing out that a further point in the process of ‘streaming’ or ‘flowing,’ is ‘flowing away,’ and so ‘ceasing;’ as in the present passage, ‘the cloud-covering never streams off it,’ i.e. never leaves it. Döderlein derives the meaning of cessation from the idea of power ‘dispersed,’ and so brought to an end. As an illustration of this we find in Plato “ῥεῖν” used as parallel to “κινεῖσθαι” (Theaet. 182 C), and with “ἀπολλύεσθαι” (Phaed. 87 D). Analogies may be found in the usages of the Latin ‘ruere,’ ‘fluere,’ ‘fluxus.’
