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[36] ὡς εἰνόημα. It would be incomprehensible that a simile involving so much self-reflection should first appear in the compressed form in which our passage exhibits it. Accordingly we find it set forth in full in Il.15. 80ὡς δ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἂν ἀίξῃ νόος ἀνέρος, ὅς τ᾽ ἐπὶ πολλὴν

γαῖαν ἐληλουθὼς φρεσὶ πευκαλίμῃσι νοήσῃ:
ἔνθ᾽ ἤην ἔνθα: μενοινήῃσι δὲ πολλὰ”,
ὣς κραιπνῶς μεμαυῖα διέπτατο πότνια Ἥρη”. Cp. h. Hom. Apoll. 186ἔνθεν δὲ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἀπὸ χθονὸς, ὥς τε νόημα
εἶσι”, ib. 448νόημ᾽ ὣς ἆλτο πέτεσθαι”. The simile occurs in a somewhat altered form in h. Hom. Merc. 43 foll.ὡς δ᾽ ὁπότ᾽ ὠκὺ νόημα διὰ στέρνοιο περήσει
ἀνέρος, ὅν τε θαμειαὶ ἐπιστρωφῶσι μέριμναι”,
ὅτε δινηθῶσιν ἀπ᾽ ὀφθαλμῶν ἀμαρυγαὶ”,
ὣς ἅμ᾽ ἔπος τε καὶ ἔργον ἐμήδετο κύδιμος Ἑρμῆς”. Ameis quotes as parallel passages Cic. Tusc.1. 19‘Nihil est animo velocius; nulla est celeritas quae possit cum animi celeritate contendere;’ also Gratius, Cyneg. 204; Theogn. 985; and the expression of Thales, ap. Laert. Diog.1. 35τάχιστος νοῦς: διὰ παντὸς γὰρ τρέχει”. For the use of “ὡς εἰ” without any verb, see Hom. Od.19. 39Hom. Od., 211, etc.

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hide References (7 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (7):
    • Homer, Iliad, 15.80
    • Homer, Odyssey, 19.211
    • Homer, Odyssey, 19.39
    • Homeric Hymns, Hymn 3 to Apollo, 186
    • Homeric Hymns, Hymn 3 to Apollo, 448
    • Homeric Hymns, Hymn 4 to Hermes, 43
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.19
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