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[276] “τὸ μὲν πάλιν ἐς τοὐπίσω τὸ δὲ αὖτις χρονικὸν ἐξ ὑστέρου”, Schol. Aristarchos A. repeatedly insisted that “πάλιν” in H. never means ‘a second time,’ but always ‘back again,’ in the local sense; but it requires some forcing to make the present passage consistent with the theory (e.g. ‘his heart will not bring him back to the assembly’). There is no doubt that the temporal grew out of the local sense, through the idea of ‘going back again’ to a former state of things; and it is better to recognise in such phrases as this instances of the transitional use than to attempt to force an arbitrary rule on Homer. So Od. 16.456 “πάλιν ποίησε γέροντα. ἀγήνωρ” may be ironical, as it is generally a word of praise; but as applied to Achilles in 9.699, to Laomedon 21.443, and perhaps to the suitors in the Odyssey, it may have conveyed a shade of blame. So schol., “αὐθαδὴς ὑβριστὴς καὶ θρασύς”.

The Iliad, edited, with apparatus criticus, prolegomena, notes, and appendices. Walter Leaf. London. Macmillan. 1900.

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