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[602] It seems that Phoinix does not take Achilles' threat to return seriously; he is justified in 650. ἐπὶ δώρων seems to be a sort of temporal use, in the time of gifts, i.e. while they may still be had; cf. 2.797 “ἐπ᾽ εἰρήνης,” 5.637 “ἐπὶ προτέρων ἀνθρώπων”. This comes to nearly the same as Ar.'s interpretation of “ἐπί” as = “μετά” (cf. Od. 1.278 “ὅσσα ἔοικε φίλης ἐπὶ παιδὸς ἕπεσθαι”). It gives a better connexion with the story of Meleagros than the vulg. “ἐπὶ δώροις”, on condition, in consideration, of the gifts, and the latter as the more familiar use is perhaps more likely to be the corruption. In so late a passage little weight can be given to the form “-οις” for “-οισι”, and of course it is possible that “δώροις” was altered to “δώρων” when the story of Meleagros was added.

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

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