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[323] 323-24. This couplet contains several difficulties. The sense of τανύσηι is clear from 17.375 “τανύοντο δὲ μώνυχες ἵπποι, 475 ἐν ῥυτῆρσι τάνυσθεν”: we see that, as horses at full speed stretch themselves, so the driver who causes them to do so is said to stretch them, just as in modern racing speech. But the relation of “ὅππως” is far from clear. Monro takes ου<*>δέ ε<*> λ́ηθει as parenthetical, forming a clause by itself as in 1.561, 10.279 (24.563?). Then we must take “ὅππως” as = “ὡς”, ‘just as he has pulled them straight.’ To this there are serious objections. In the first place “ἀλλά” (325) is in opposition to the negative in “οὐδέ”, which therefore covers the intervening clause; 325 becomes meaningless when “οὐδέ ε<*> λήθει” is taken out of the sentence. Again, the instances of “ὅπως” with subj., not in the indirect constr., are very rare; the only instances seem to be “ὅπως ἐθέληισι” (of Zeus) howsoe'er he will, Od. 1.349, Od. 6.189 (cf. “ὅππως κεν ἐθέληισιν” 20.243). This would require us to translate ‘however he has stretched them at first’ — i.e. ‘however badly he starts, he drives well afterwards,’ which is hardly the sense required. If “ὅππως” is to be joined in this way to “στρέφει”, we should at least read “τάνυσεν”, cf. “ἔρξον ὅπως ἐθέλεις”. But in any case this use of “ὅππως” is very rare, and the gain from assuming it is not enough to induce us to give up the ordinary explanation, according to which it introduces as usual an indirect question after “οὐδέ ἑ λήθει” (which virtually = “φράζεται”): he is not forgetful how to stretch his horses at the first; i.e. he does not leave it to them to ‘make their own pace,’ but from the very start controls them (“ἔχει ἀσφαλέως”). “οὐδέ σε λήθω” thus takes up and continues the sentence in 649, and perhaps 24.563. For “λήθω” followed by a rel. clause cf. 17.626, and Od. 13.92 “λελασμένος ὅσσα πεπόνθει”. — Heyne would reject 324 as a gloss to give a complement to “λήθει”.

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

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