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[443] ἴδε πῶμα, ‘look to the lid.’ In a similar sense “εὖ δέ τις ἅρματος ἀμφὶς ἰδὼν πολέμοιο μεδέσθω” Il.2. 384; and, as an exact parallel, Theocr. 15. 2 “ὅρη δίφρον, Εὐνόα, αὐτᾷ”. Cp. Cic. ad Cic. Att.5. 1‘antecesserat Statius, ut prandium nobis videret.’

δεσμόν. The famous knot of Gordius, which Alexander cut with his sword, is always spoken of by Plutarch as “δεσμός” (Vit. Alex. 18). Düntzer quotes Herodot. 3. 123, referring to the securing of “λάρνακες” with a knot (“καταδήσας”). The fastening of a wine-jar seems to have been by means of a string (“κρήδεμνον” Od.3. 392).

αὐτός is emphatic in the line: Arete leaves him to do the tying for himself.

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

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hide References (4 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (4):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 5.1
    • Homer, Iliad, 2.384
    • Homer, Odyssey, 3.392
    • Plutarch, Alexander, 18
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