previous next

[400] ἦμος δ᾽. What letter is elided here? After the formula “τοίγαρ . . ἀγορεύσω”, the next line invariably follows without any connecting particle; nor can we say that any change or contrast is here introduced by “ἦμος δ᾽”. On these grounds Nitzsch regards “δ᾽” as = “δή”, and not “δέ”, comparing “σχέτλιε, καὶ δ᾽ αὖ τοι” Od.12. 116, and “πῇ δ᾽ οὕτως” Il.10. 385; but such phrases as “τίπτε δέ τοι” point equally the other way. Cp. sup. 312; Od.2. 363; Il.15. 244.ἦμος δ᾽ occurs eight times in the Iliad, and twenty-nine in the Odyssey. Only twice is it used without elision, and both times with “δέ” and not “δή”, Il.11. 86; Od.12. 312.It seems simpler here to accept the common combination, which had evidently passed into an epic formula; nor indeed does “δέ” seem less appropriate for the commencement of a story than “ἔπειτα”, see on sup. 354. Fäsi quotes Hesiod, Opp. et D. 414 “ἦμος δὴ λήγει μένος ὁξέος ἠελίοιο” ; but here a Bodl. MS. reads “ἦμος δέ”. Eustath. suggests that “ἦμόσδε” and “τῆμόσδε” had become single words like “ἐνθάδε. ἦμος” is always found elsewhere with the indicative, except in later Greek (as Lycophr. 1268; Hippoc. 599. 40), and it is possible to retain the MSS. reading, “ἀμφιβεβήκει”, if we regard it as equivalent to a gnomic aorist (cp. “ἦμος δ᾽ . . ὁπλίσσατο” Il.11. 86); or treat it as the present tense from a new form in “ω”, as “κεκλήγοντας” implies “κεκλήγω”. Cp. “γεγωνέμεν” Il.8. 223, “ἐγέγωνεν” Il.14. 469, which forms suggest a present “γεγώνω” from “γέγωνα”. Bekker (see critical note) reads, with one MS., “ἀμφιβεβήκῃ”, which La Roche suggests may have been one of the Aristarchean readings; the analogy of “ὅτε” used with subjunctive, and the general sense, seem to weigh in favour of “ἀμφιβεβήκῃ. ἀμφιβαίνειν”, which signifies, in the most general way, ‘to come into the neighbourhood of,’ takes various special meanings, as e. g. ‘to defend;’ cp. “ἀμφίβασις”, and see Il.1. 37, 451; Il.5. 623; Od.9. 198.

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.

hide References (12 total)
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: