λίμνην, ‘the mere,’ used of the sea (here, of the ocean stream) near its shore. Besides the meanings of ‘a lake,’ and of ‘an overflow of water’ ( Il.21. 317, where the word is further described by “τὸ δὲ πᾶν πλῆθ᾽ ὕδατος ἐκχυμένοιο” ibid. 300), “λίμνη” has also in Homer the meaning of ‘bay’ or ‘strait;’ Il.13. 32“ἐστὶ δέ τι σπέος εὐρὺ βαθείης βένθεσι λίμνης”
“μεσσηγὺς Τενέδοιο καὶ Ἴμβρου παιπαλοέσσης”, Il.24. 78“μεσσηγὺς δὲ Σάμου τε καὶ Ἴμβρου παιπαλοέσσης”“ἔνθορε μείλανι πόντῳ: ἐπεστονάχησε δὲ λίμνη . . εὗρε δ᾽ ἐνὶ σπῆι γλαφυρῷ Θέτιν”. Eurip. Hec.446 has “οἶδμα λίμνας” as a synonym for the sea; and similarly Simonides, Frag. 44. 2. In Aesch. Prom. Sol. Frag., 178 Dind., we read “χαλκοκέραυνόν τε παρ᾽ Ὠκεανῷ”
“λίμναν παντοτρόφον Αἰθιόπων”,
“ἵν᾽ ὁ παντόπτας Ἥλιος ἀεὶ”
“χρῶτ᾽ ἀθάνατον κάματόν θ᾽ ἵππων”
“θερμαῖς ὕδατος”
“μαλακοῦ προχοαῖς ἀναπαύει”, which may well be compared with the present passage. The general meaning of the word, which is more or less appropriate to all passages in which it occurs, is that of ‘water which washes a shore.’ Etymologically it is connected with “λείβω, λειμών”. The farther margin of the ocean-stream is here meant, beyond which the sun sets (cp. Od.24. 11“πὰρ δ᾽ ἴσαν Ὠκεανοῖο ῥοὰς καὶ Λευκάδα πέτρην”
“ἠδὲ παρ᾽ Ἠελίοιο πύλας καὶ δῆμον ὀνείρων”
“ἤισαν”), and beside which he rises, cp. Od.23. 243“Ἠῶ δ᾽ αὖτε”
“ῥύσατ᾽ ἐπ᾽ Ὠκεανῷ χρυσόθρονον οὐδ᾽ ἔα ἵππους”
“ζεύγνυσθ᾽ ὠκύποδας”. See also Il.7. 422“ἐξ ἀκαλαρρείταο βαθυρρόου Ὠκεανοῖο”
“οὐρανὸν εἰσανιών”. Nitzsch refutes the supposition of Voss, that the Caspian is meant, observing that not only is that sea never mentioned by Homer, but that even the eastern part of the Euxine is unknown to him.
