[694]
[695] Φυλάκην: this and the following four cities lay on the eastern coast of Phthiotis.
Πύρασον: named from the wheat (“πυρός”) which abounded in the region. ἀνθεμόεντα: see on v. 503.[696] Δήμητρος τέμενος: consecrated field of Demeter; in appos. with “Πύρασον”, cf. vs. 506, 592. This afterwards gave to Pyrasus the name “Δημήτριον. — τέμενος”: lit. a piece of land set apart (“τέμνω”) for a divinity or a royal domain. Its use corresponds in some respects with that of templum.
μητέρα μήλων: Mt. Ida is called “μητὴρ θηρῶν, Θ” 47.[697] ἀγχίαλον: this epith. would fit the other cities also.
λεχεποίην: grass-bedded, grassy.[698] Πρωτεσίλαος: the first to fall in the war; the name is significant, cf. v. 702. High honors were paid to him at Elaeus in the Thracian Chersonese, down to the time of the Persian wars; Hdt. ix. 116. His ship was the centre of the fiercest conflict when Hector forced his way to the ships of the Greeks, 15.704 ff., II 285, and it was half consumed by fire before Patroclus appeared with the Myr<*>, and repulsed the Trojans.
ἡγεμόνευεν: was the leader.[699] “ἔχεν κάτα κτλ”.: held down, covered; cf. “κάτεχεν φυσίζοος” (life-giving) “αἶα Γ” 243. He was in the realm and power of the dark earth. cf. “ἦ μιν ἐρύξει” (hold him back) | “γῆ φυσίζοος, ἥ τε κατὰ κρατερόν περ ἐρύκει Φ” 62 f.
μέλαινα: see on 3.103.[700] ἀμφιδρυφής: women tore their faces in mourning, cf. “ἀμφίδρυφοι παρειαί Λ” 393.
Φυλακῇ: dat. of place.[701] ἡμιτελής: half-finished. He left home for the war before he could complete his house. He had hardly begun life for himself when he was killed. cf. “τὴν οἰκίαν ἐκτελέσαι μοι πρότερον ἐπίτρεψον ἡμιτελὴς γὰρ ὁ δόμος καταλέλειπται” Lucian Catapl. 8.
Δάρδανος ἄνηρ: a Dardanian warrior, as II 807. Acc. to the later amplified form of the story, this was Hector; but Homer does not call any Trojan “Δάρδανος”, though the Dardanians were included among the “Τρῶες”.[703] “οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδὲ κτλ”.: as v. 726. The repetition of the neg. gives it great weight. The first neg. belongs to the whole sem.; the second is to be const. closely with “οἱ”, — neque vero ne hi quidem. — “πόθεόν γε μέν [μήν]”: lit. they missed him indeed, equiv. to “καὶ ποθοῦντές περ ἀρχόν”. The word before γε μέν is made prominent and always forms an adversative asyndeton (see § 2 m). The Eng. idiom introduces such a clause by yet, but.
ἀρχόν: i.e. their former leader.[704] σφέας: monosyllabic, see § 7 a.
Ποδάρκης: leader of the Phthians, N 693, 698, since the cities named vs. 695 ff. were in Phthiotis.[705] Φυ_λακίδαο: with “υ_”, but “Φυ^λάκῃ” v. 700; cf. “Πρι_αμίδης” v. 817 with “Πρ?́<*>αμον Γ” 146; see § 41 g.
[706] αὐτοκασίγνητος: own brother, as 3.238. The tragic poets use also “αὐτάδελφος, αὐτανέψιος, αὐτόπαις”.
707 = “τ 184. — πρότερος”: cf. “προγενέστερος” v. 555, “γενεῇ πρότερος Ο” 182.[708] Only another form of v. 703.
οὐδέ τι: but in nothing. 711-715. The kingdom of Eumelus.[711] f. “Φεράς, Βοίβην κτλ”.: cities on the peninsula of Magnesia and in the southeastern part of Pelasgiotis.
παραί: for the locative ending, cf. “ὑπαί” v. 824, 3.217; see § 37 d. Βοιβηίδα λίμνην: mentioned also by Pindar Pyth. iii. 34, Hdt. vii. 129; cf. “Βοιβίαν λίμναν” Eur. Alc. 590.[712] Βοίβην: on the southeastern outlet of the lake to which it gives its name.
Ἰαωλκόν: famed as the chief seat of the Thessalian Minyae (see on v. 511), the capital of King Pelias, and the native city of Jason, the leader of the Argonautic expedition.[714] Εὔμηλος: in the Iliad, only 23.288 ff., as a skilful charioteer. Acc. to Od. 4.797 f., his wife was Iphthime, a sister of Odysseus's faithful wife Penelope.
ὑπ̓ Ἀδμήτῳ: const. with “τέκε”, cf. vs. 728, 742, 820. — For the repetition of the name, cf. vs. 636, 655, 691.[715] Ἄλκηστις: she became proverbial for her devotion to her husband, which led her to die for him. This death is the theme of the Alcestis of Euripides.
Πελίαο: the unjust king of Iolcos who drove from home his own brother Neleus (see on v. 591), and his half-brother Aeson, and sent Aeson's son Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece. — “θυγατρῶν κτλ”.: cf. 3.124. 716-728. The forces of Philoctetes.[716] These places are on the coast of Magnesia.
[718] τῶν δέ: anteced. of “οἳ δέ” v. 716. When the rel. clause precedes, the apod. often has “δέ”, as here.
τόξων ἐὺ εἰδώς: as v. 720 and freq. “οἶδα” am skilled in is followed by the gen.; cf. “μάχης ἐὺ εἰδότε πάσης” v. 823, “πολέμων ἐὺ εἰδώς Δ 310, κύνε εἰδότε θήρης” K 360.[719] ἐρέται: the warriors were the oarsmen. cf. “αὐτερέται δὲ ὅτι ἦσαν” “καὶ μάχιμοι πάντες, ἐν ταῖς Φιλοκτήτου ναυδὶ δεδήλωκε” (sc. “Ὅμηρος”).<*> “τοξότας γὰρ πάντας πεποίηκε τοὺς προσκώπους” Thuc. i. 10.
[720] ἐμβέβασαν: had embarked; see on v. 509. The prep. is repeated in “ἐν ἑκάστῃ”.
ἶφι μάχεσθαι: inf. of result, so as to (so that they could) fight etc. See on 1.8. 721 = Od. 5.13. The last hemistich as “ε 395, ο” 232.[722] Λήμνῳ: the Achaeans landed at Lemnos on their voyage to Troy and received hospitality from King Euneüs, 8.230 ff.; they sent slaves thither for sale, and received wine thence, cf. 7.467 ff., 21.40 ff., 24.753. — The repetition of the prep. gives to “ἐν Λήμνῳ” somewhat more independence from “ἐν νήσῳ”.
[723] ὀλοόφρονος ὔδρου: const. with “ἕλκεϊ”, ablatival gen., from the cruel water-snake; see on v. 396. The wound not only disabled Philoctetes but rendered his presence odious to his com<*>des.
<*>“<*>χα δὲ κτλ”.: the Catalogue contains several such references to events which do not fall within the time of the action of the Iliad, cf. vs. 690 ff., 699 ff. — A prophet declared that Troy could be taken only with the help of the arrows of Heracles that Philoctetes had in his possession. Acc. to Sophocles in his tragedy Philoctetes, the hero was brought from Lemnos to Troy by Odysseus and Neoptolemus (son of Achilles). No other allusion to this story is found in the Homeric poems. Philoctetes reached home in safety at the close of the war, Od. 3.190.[725] Ἀργεῖοι παρὰ νηυσί: parenthetical, in a kind of appos. with the subj. of “ἔμελλον. — Φιλοκτήταο”: const. with “μνήσεσθαι”.
726 = v. 703.[727] Μέδων: is mentioned N 693, as in command of the Phthians, with Podarces (v. 704). He was killed by Aeneas, O 332 ff.
Ὀιλῆος: father of the lesser Ajax, v. 527.[728] ῥά: points back to the preceding verse, cf. vs. 650, 742.
729-733. Forces of the Asclepiads.[729] “Τρίκκην κτλ”.: cities in Western Thessaly, in Hestiaeotis. At Tricca was one of the oldest sanctuaries of Asclepius, and the home of the king.
κλωμακόεσσαν: rocky; it lay on the steep slopes of Mt. Pindus.[730] Οἰχαλίην: see on v. 596.
[731] Ἀσκληπι_οῦ: better written as “Ἀσκληπιόο”, see on v. 518.
[732] Ποδαλείριος: mentioned elsewhere only “Λ 833. — Μαχάων”: heals the wound of Menelaus, 4.200 ff. He was wounded by Paris, 11.505 ff.
734-737. Forces of Eurypylus.