Iliad 10 and the Poetics of Ambush: A Multitext Edition with Essays and Commentary

  Dué, Casey, and Mary Ebbott. 2010. Iliad 10 and the Poetics of Ambush: A Multitext Edition with Essays and Commentary. Hellenic Studies Series 39. Washington, DC: Center for Hellenic Studies. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Due_Ebbott.Iliad_10_and_the_Poetics_of_Ambush.2010.


Venetus A (Marcianus Graecus Z. 454 [= 822])

Marcianus Gr. Z. 454 (= 822) is the earliest extant, complete manuscript of the Iliad, and it is the one on which modern printed texts are primarily based. (The few medieval manuscripts that predate it contain commentary and paraphrases or portions of the poem, but not a complete text.) It was hand copied and assembled by Byzantine Greek scribes in the tenth century CE, but it is known as the “Venetus A” because it has been housed at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice since the sixteenth century. The nearly two hundred manuscripts of the Iliad that succeed it are remarkable for the relative uniformity of their texts, and in this respect they differ considerably from the ancient witnesses, which show a great deal more variation. But, although they do not vary in substantial ways from one another, it is important to understand that the medieval manuscripts of Homeric epic do not descend from a single exemplar, nor is there a medieval vulgate for the Iliad or Odyssey, as is sometimes stated or (more often) assumed without justification. It is clear that a substantial number of texts survived the transition from papyrus scrolls to parchment codices and that there were therefore multiple channels of transmission. What is not entirely understood is why the versions that survived resemble each other so closely. It has been postulated that the editorial activities of the scholars associated with the library at Alexandria played a role in the standardization of the Homeric text. But this theory does not entirely account for the continued multiformity of the text in the medieval period.

The Venetus A is invaluable to us for much more than its text of the Iliad, however. This manuscript contains not only the texts of the poem but also excerpts from the scholarly commentaries of these same Alexandrian scholars, which are copied into its margins and between {193|194} lines of the text itself. These writings, known as scholia, contain notes on the text that explain points of grammar, usage, definition of words, interpretation, and disputes about the authenticity of verses and the correct text. The material contained in these marginal notes derives from scholarly works that predate the manuscript’s construction by a thousand years or more, and at times preserves variations known at that time which survive in no other witness. The commentary on the text below is confined primarily to the readings of the main text of the Venetus A and reports of alternate readings in the scholia, but see the general commentary for more on the interpretive questions addressed in the scholia or raised by the variations we have noted below. We have made particular note of the places where the text of the Venetus A either agrees or disagrees with an ancient papyrus witness, verses that were controversial in antiquity, and places where the medieval manuscript tradition is divided between a number of readings. (For more on the features and history of this remarkable manuscript, see Dué 2009a.)

To see an image of the manuscript, click here.

1 Ἄλλοι μὲν παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν

2 εὗδον παννύχιοι. μαλακῷ δεδμημένοι ὕπνῳ·

3 ἀλλ’ οὐκ Ἀτρείδην Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιμένα λαῶν

4 ὕπνος ἔχε γλυκερὸς. πολλὰ φρεσὶν ὁρμαίνοντα·

5 ὡς δ’ ὅτ ἂν ἀστράπτῃ πόσις Ἥρης ἠϋκόμοιο.

6 τεύχων ἠ πολὺν ὄμβρον. ἀθέσφατον. ἠὲ χάλαζαν.

7 ἢ νιφετὸν. ὅτε πέρ τε χιὼν ἐπάλυνεν ἀρούρᾱς.

8 ἠέ πόθι πτολέμοιο μέγα στόμα πευκεδανοῖο.

9 ὡς πυκὶν’ ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀνεστενάχιζ’ Ἀγαμέμνων

10 νειόθεν ἐκ κραδίης. τρομέοντο δέ οἱ φρένες ἐντός

11 ἤτοι ὅτ’ ἐς πεδίον τὸ Τρωϊκὸν ἀθρήσειεν.

12 θαύμαζεν πυρὰ πολλὰ. τὰ καίετο Ϊλιόθι πρὸ.

13 αὐλῶν. συρίγγων τ’ ἐνοπὴν. ὅμαδόν τ’ ἀνθρώπων·

14 αὐτὰρ ὅτ’ ἐς νῆάς τε ἴ̈δοι καὶ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν·

15 πολλὰς ἐκ κεφαλῆς προθελύμνους ἕλκετο χαίτᾱς

16 ὑψόθ’ ἐόντι Διῒ· μέγα δ’ ἔστενε κυδάλιμον κῆρ·

17 ἧδε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή·

18 Νέστορ’ ἐπὶ πρῶτον Νηλήϊον ἐλθέμεν ἀνδρῶν.

19 εἴ τινά οἱ σὺν μῆτιν ἀμύμονα τεκτήναιτο.

20 ἥ τις ἀλεξίκακος πᾶσιν Δαναοῖσι γένοιτο·

21 ὀρθωθεὶς δ’ ἔνδυνε περι στήθεσσι χιτῶνα·

22 ποσσὶ δ’ ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδῑλα·

23 ἀμφι δ’ ἔπειτα δαφοινὸν ἑέσσατο δέρμα λέοντος

24 αἴθωνος, μεγάλοιο. ποδηνεκὲς. εἵλετο δ’ ἔγχος· {194|195}

25 ὡς δ’ αύτως Μενέλᾱον ἔχε τρόμος. οὐδὲ γὰρ αὖτῷ

26 ὕπνος ἐπὶ βλεφάροισιν ἐφίζανε. μή τι πάθοιεν

27 Ἀργεῖοι. τοὶ δή ἑθεν εἵνεκα, [πουλὺν] ἐφ’ ὑγρὴν

28 ἤλυθον, ἐς Τροίην. πόλεμον θρασὺν ὁρμαίνοντες·

29 παρδαλέῃ μὲν πρῶτα μετάφρενον εὐρὺ κάλυψε

30 ποικίλῃ· αὐτὰρ ἐπὶ στεφάνην κεφαλῇφιν ἀείρᾱς

31 θήκατο χαλκείην. δόρυ δ’ εἵλετο χειρὶ παχείῃ·

32 βῆ δ’ ΐμεν, ἀνστήσων, ὃν, ἀδελφεὸν. ὃς μέγα πάντων

33 Ἀργείων ἤνασσε, θεὸς δ’ ὡς τίετο δήμῳ·

34 τὸν δ’ εὗρ’ ἀμφ’ ὤμοισι τιθήμενον έντεα καλὰ

35 νηῒ παρα πρύμνῃ· τῷ δ’ ἀσπάσιος γένετ’ ἐλθών·

36 τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς, Μενέλαος·

37 τίφθ’ οὕτως ἠθεῖε κορύσσεαι· ἦ τιν’ ἑταίρων

38 ὀτρύνεις Τρώεσσιν ἐπίσκοπον· ἀλλὰ μάλ’ αἰνῶς

39 δείδω. μὴ οὔ τίς τοι ὑπόσχηται τόδε ἔργον.

40 ἄνδρας δυσμενέας σκοπιαζέμεν οἶος ἐπελθὼν

41 νύκτα δι’ ἀμβροσίην· μάλα τις θρασυκάρδιος έσται

42 Τὸν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων·

43 χρεὼ βουλῆς ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ διοτρεφὲς ὦ Μενέλᾱε

44 κερδαλέης, ἥ τίς κεν ἐρύσσεται ἠδὲ σαώσει

45 Ἀργείους καὶ νῆας. ἐπεὶ Διὸς ἐτράπετο φρήν·

46 Ἑκτορέοις άρα μᾶλλον ἐπὶ φρένα θῆχ’ ἱ̈εροῖσιν·

47 οὐ γάρ πω ἰ̈δόμην. οὐδ’ ἔκλυον αὐδήσαντος.

48 ἄνδρ’ ἕνα, τοσσάδε μέρμερ’ ἐπ’ ἤματι μητίσασθαι.

49 ὅσσ’ Ἕκτωρ ἔρρεξε Διῒ φίλος υἷας Ἀχαιῶν.

50 αύτως. οὔτε θεᾶς υἱὸς φίλος. οὔτε θεοῖο·

51 ἔργα δ’ ἔρεξ’· ὅσα φημὶ μελησέμεν, Ἀργείοισι

52 δηθά τε καὶ δολιχὸν. τόσα γὰρ κακὰ μήσατ’ Ἀχαιούς·

53 ἀλλ’ ἴ̈θι νῦν Αἴαντα καὶ Ἰ̈δομενῆα κάλεσσον

54 ῥίμφα θέων ἐπὶ νῆας. ἐγὼ δ’ ἐπι Νέστορα δῖον

55 εἶμι· καὶ ὀτρυνέω ἀνστήμεναι· αἴ κ επίθηται

56 ἐλθεῖν ἐς φυλάκων ἱ̈ερὸν τέλος. ἠδ’ ἐπιτεῖλαι·

57 κείνου γάρ κε μάλιστα πιθοίατο. τοῖο γὰρ υἱὸς

58 σημαίνει φυλάκεσσι· καὶ Ἰ̈δομενῆος ὀπάων

59 Μηριόνης. τοῖσιν γὰρ ἐπετράπομέν γε μάλιστα·

60 τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος·

61 πῶς γάρ μοι μύθῳ ἐπιτέλλεαι ἠδὲ κελεύεις·

62 αὖθι μένω μετα τοῖσι. δεδεγμένος εἰς ό κεν ἔλθῃς.

63 ἠὲ θέω μετά σ’ αὖτις. ἐπὴν, εὖ, τοῖς, ἐπιτείλω·

64 τὸν δ’ αῦτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

65 αὖθι μένειν. μή πως ἀβροτάξομεν ἀλλήλοισϊν {195|196}

66 ἐρχομένω· πολλαὶ γὰρ ἀνὰ στρατόν εἰσι κέλευθοι·

67 φθέγγεο δ’ ᾗ κεν ΐῃσθα· καὶ ἐγρήγορθαι ἄνωχθι.

68 πατρόθεν ἐκ γενεῆς ὀνομάζων ἄνδρα ἕκαστον·

69 πάντας κυδαίνων· μηδὲ μεγαλίζεο θυμῷ.

70 ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοί περ πονεώμεθα· ὧδέ που ἄμμι

71 Ζεὺς ἐπι γεινομένοισιν, ἵ̈ει κακότητα βαρεῖαν·

72 ὣς εἰπὼν. ἀπέπεμπεν ἀδελφεὸν. εὖ, ἐπιτείλας·

73 αὐτὰρ ὁ βῆ ρ’ ϊέναι μετα Νέστορα ποιμένα λαῶν·

74 τὸν δ’ εὗρεν παρά τε κλισίῃ καὶ νηῒ μελαίνῃ

75 εὐνῇ, ἐνι μαλακῇ. παρὰ δ’ έντεα ποικίλ’ ἔκειτο.

76 ἀσπὶς. καὶ δύο δοῦρε, φαεινή τε τρυφάλεια·

77 πὰρ δὲ ζωστὴρ κεῖτο παναίολος. ᾧ ῥ’ ὁ γεραιὸς

78 ζώννυθ’, ὁτ’ ἐς πόλεμον φθισήνορα θωρήσσοιτο

79 λαὸν ἄγων· ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν ἐπέτρεπε γήραϊ λυγρῷ·

80 ὀρθωθεὶς δ’ ὰρ ἐπ’ ἀγκῶνος. κεφαλὴν ἐπαείρας,

81 Ἀτρείδην προσέειπε. καὶ ἐξερεείνετο μύθῳ·

82 τίς δ’ οὗτος κατὰ νῆας ἀνα στρατὸν ἔρχεαι οἶος

83 νύκτα δι’ ὀρφναίην. ὅτε θ’ εὕδουσι βροτοὶ ἄλλοι.

84 ἠέ τιν’ οὐρήων διζήμενος. ἤ τιν’ ἑταίρων·

85 φθέγγεο· μὴδ’ ἀκέων ἐπ’ ὲμ’ ἔρχεο· τίπτε δέ σε χρεώ·

86 τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων:

87 ὦ Νέστορ. Νηληάδη· μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν,

88 γνώσεαι Ἀτρείδην Ἀγαμέμνονα· τὸν περὶ πάντων

89 Ζεὺς ἐνέεικε πόνοισι διαμπερὲς. εἰς ὅ κ’ ἀϋτμὴ

90 ἐν στήθεσσι μένῃ· καί μοι φίλα γούνατ’ ὀρώρῃ·

91 πλάζομαι ὧδ’· ἐπεὶ οὔ μοι ἐπ’ όμμασι νήδυμος ὕπνος

92 ἱ̈ζάνει· ἀλλὰ μέλει πόλεμος. καὶ κήδε’ Ἀχαιῶν.

93 αἰνῶς γὰρ Δαναῶν πέρὶδείδια. οὐδέ μοι ῆτορ

94 ἔμπεδον. ἀλλ’ ἀλαλ⟨ύ⟩κτημαι· κραδίη δέ μοι ἔξω

95 στηθέων ἐκθρῴσκει· τρομέει δ’ ὑπο φαίδιμα γυῖα·

96 ἀλλ`’ εἴ τι. δραίνεις. ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ σέ γ’ ὕπνος ἱ̈κά̄νει.

97 δεῦρ’ εἰς τοὺς φύλακας καταβήομεν. ὄφρα ἴ̈δωμεν

98 μὴ τοὶ μὲν καμάτω ἁδηκότες ἠδὲ καὶ ὕπνῳ.

99 κοιμήσωνται· ἀτὰρ φυλακῆς ἐπι πάγχυ λάθωνται.

100 δυσμενέες δ’ ἄνδρες σχεδὸν εἵαται· οὐδέ τι ἴ̈δμεν

101 μή πως καὶ δια νύκτα μενοινήσωσι μάχεσθαι·

102 Τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

103 Ἀτρείδη κύδιστε. ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον·

104 οὔ θην Ἕκτορι πάντα νοήματα μητίετα Ζεὺς

105 ἐκτελέει. ὅσα πού νῠν ἐέλδεται· ἀλλά μιν οἴω

106 κήδεσι μοχθήσσειν καὶ πλείοσιν. εἴ κεν Ἀχιλλεὺς {196|197}

107 ἐκ χόλου ἀργαλέοιο μεταστρέψῃ φίλον ῆτορ·

108 σοὶ δὲ μάλ’ έψομ’ ἐγὼ. ποτι δ’ αῦ καὶ ἐγείρομεν ἄλλους·

109 ἠμὲν Τυδείδην δουρὶ κλυτὸν. ἠδ’ Ὀδυσῆα.

110 ἠδ’ Αἴαντα τάχὺν. καὶ Φυλέος ἄλκιμον υἱόν·

111 ἂλλ’ εἴ τις καὶ τοῦσδε μετοιχόμενος καλέσειεν.

112 ἀντίθεόν τ’ Αἴαντα. καὶ Ἰ̈δομενῆα ἄνακτα·

113 τῶν γὰρ νῆες ἔασιν ἑκαστάτῳ. οὐδὲ μάλ’ ἐγγύς·

114 ἀλλὰ φίλον περ ἐόντα καὶ αἰδοῖον Μενέλᾱον

115 νεικέσω· εἴ πέρ μοι νεμεσήσεαι. οὐδ’ ἐπικεύσω.

116 ὡς εὕδει· σοὶ δ’ οἴω ἐπέτρεψεν πονέεσθαι·

117 νῦν ὄφελεν κατὰ πάντας ἀριστῆας πονέεσθαι

118 λισσόμενος. χρειὼ γὰρ ϊκάνεται οὐκέτ’ ἀνεκτός.

119 Τὸν δ’ αῦτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

120 ὦ γέρον· ἄλλοτε μέν σε καὶ αἰτιάασθαι ἄνωγα·

121 πολλάκι γὰρ μεθίει τε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλει πονέεσθαι.

122 οὔτ’ ὄκνῳ εἴκων, οὔτ’ ἀφραδίῃσι, νόοιο·

123 ἀλλ`’ ἐμέ τ’ εἰσορόων· καὶ ἐμὴν ποτιδέγμενος ὁρμήν·

124 νῦν δ’ ἐμέο πρότερος μάλ’ ἐπέγρετο· καί μοι ἐπέστη·

125 τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ προέηκα καλήμεναι οὓς, σὺ, μεταλλᾷς·

126 ἀλλ`’ ΐομεν· κείνους δὲ κιχησόμεθα προ πυλάων

127 ἐν φυλάκεσσ’. ἵνα γάρ σφιν ἐπέφραδον ἠγερέεσθαι·

128 Τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ·

129 οὕτως, οὔ τίς, οἱ νεμεσήσεται οὐδ’ ἀπιθήσει

130 Ἀργείων. ὅτε κέν τιν’ ἐποτρύνῃ καὶ ἀνώγῃ·

131 Ὡς εἰπὼν. ἔνδυνε περὶ στήθεσσι χιτῶνα·

132 ποσσὶ δ’ ὑπο λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο κᾱλὰ πέδιλα·

133 ἀμφι δ’ άρα χλαῖναν περονήσατο φοινικόεσσαν.

134 διπλῆν. ἐκταδίην. οὔλη δ’ ἐπενήνοθε λάχνη·

135 εἵλετο δ’ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος· ἀκαχμένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ.

136 βῆ δ’ ἰ̈έναι κατὰ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων·

137 πρῶτον ἔπειτ’ Ὀδυσῆα. Διῒ μῆτιν ἀτάλαντον

138 ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνέγειρε Γερήνιος ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ

139 φθεγξάμενος· τὸν δ’ αἶψα περὶ φρένας ἤλυθ’ ἰ̈ωή.

140 ἐκ δ’ ῆλθε κλισίης. καί σφεας πρὸς μῦθον έειπε·

141 τίφθ’ οὕτως ἐπὶ νῆας ἀνὰ στρατὸν οἶοι ἀλᾶσθε

142 νύκτα δι αμβροσίην. ὅ τι δὴ χρειὼ τόσον ἴ̈̄κει·

143 Τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

144 διογενὲς. Λαερτιάδη. πολυμήχαν’ Ὀδυσσεῦ.

145 μὴ νεμέσα· τοῖον γὰρ ἄχος βεβίηκεν Ἀχαιούς·

146 ἂλλ’ ἕπευ, ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλον ἐγείρομεν ὅν τ’ ἐπέοικε

147 βουλὰς· βουλεύειν ἢ φευγέμεν ἠὲ μάχεσθαι· {197|198}

148 Ὡς φάθ’. ὁ δὲ κλισίην δε κιὼν πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεὺς.

149 ποικίλον ἀμφ’ ὤμοισι σάκος θέτο· βῆ δὲ μετ’ αὐτούς.

150 βὰν δ’ ἐπὶ Τυδείδην Διομήδεα. τὸν δ’ ἐκίχανον

151 ἐκτὸς ἀπὸ κλισίης σὺν τεύχεσιν· ἀμφὶ δ’ ἑταῖροι

152 εὗδον· ὑπὸ κρασὶν δ’ έχον ἀσπίδας· ἔγχεα δέ σφιν

153 ὄρθ`’ ἐπὶ σαυρωτῆρος ἐλήλατο· τῆλε δὲ χαλκὸς

154 λάμφ’· ὥς τε στεροπὴ πατρὸς Διὸς· αὐτὰρ ὅ γ’ ἥρως

155 εὗδ’. ὑπο δ’ έστρωτο ῥινὸν βοὸς ἀγραύλοιο·

156 αὐτὰρ ὑπο κράτεσφι τάπης τετάνυστο φαεινός·

157 τὸν παρστὰς ἀνέγειρε Γερήνιος ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ.

158 λὰξ ποδὶ κινήσᾱς ὤτρυνέ τε· νείκεσέ τ’ ἄντην·

159 ὄρσεο Τυδέος υἱέ. τί πάννυχον ὕπνον ἀωτεῖς·

160 οὐκ ἀΐεις. ὡς Τρῶες ἐπὶ θρωσμῷ πεδίοιο

161 εἴαται· ἄγχι νεῶν· ὀλίγος δ’ έτι χῶρος ἐρύκει·

162 ὡς φάθ’. ὁ δ’ ἐξ ὕπνοιο μάλα κραιπνῶς ἀνόρουσε·

163 καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδᾱ·

164 σχέτλιός ἐσσι γεραιὲ. σὺ μὲν πόνου οὔ ποτε λήγεις·

165 οὔ νῠ καὶ ἄλλοι ἔασι, νεώτεροι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν.

166 οἵ κεν ἔπειτα ἕκαστον ἐγείρειαν βασιλήων

167 πάντῃ ἐποιχόμενοι· σὺ δ’ ἀμήχανός ἐσσι γεραιέ·

168 τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε Γερήνιος ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ·

169 ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα φίλος κατα μοῖραν ἔειπες.

170 εἰσὶν μέν μοι παῖδες ἀμύμονες. εἰσὶ δὲ λαοὶ

171 καὶ πολέες. τῶν κέν τις ἐποιχόμενος καλέσειεν.

172 ἀλλὰ μάλα μεγάλη χρειὼ βεβίηκεν Ἀχαιούς·

173 νῦν γὰρ δὴ πάντεσσιν ἐπὶ. ξῠροῦ ἵ̈σταται ἀκμῆς

174 ἢ μάλα λυγρὸς ὄλεθρος Ἀχαιοῖς. ἠὲ βιῶναι·

175 ἂλλ’ ἴ̈θι νῦν· Αἴαντα ταχὺν καὶ Φυλέος υἱὸν

176 ἄνστησον· σὺ γάρ ἐσσι, νεώτερος. εἴ μ`’ ἐλεαίρεις·

177 ὡς φάθ’. ὁ δ’ ἀμφ’ ὤμοισιν, εέσσατο δέρμα λέοντος

178 αἴθωνος, μεγάλοιο, ποδηνεκὲς, εἵλετο δ’ ἔγχος·

179 βῆ δ’ ϊέναι· τοὺς δ’ ἔνθεν ἀναστήσᾱς ἄγεν ἥρως·

180 οἱ δ’ ὅτε δὴ φυλάκεσσιν ἐν ἀγρομένοισιν ἔμιχθεν.

181 οὐδε μὲν εὕδοντας φυλάκων ἡγήτορας εὗρον.

182 ἂλλ’ ἐγρηγορτὶ σὺν τεύχεσιν εἵατο πάντες·

183 ὡς δὲ κύνες περι μῆλα δυσωρήσωνται ἐν αὐλῇ·

184 θηρὸς ἀκούσαντες κρατερόφρονος. ὅς τε καθ’ ὕλην

185 ἔρχηται δι’ ὄρεσφι. πολὺς δ’ ὀρυμαγδὸς ἐπ αυτῷ

186 ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ κυνῶν, ἀπο τέ σφισιν ὕπνος ὄλωλεν.

187 ὡς τῶν νήδυμος ὕπνος ἀπο βλεφάροιϊν ὀλώλει

188 νύκτα φυλασσομένοισι κακὴν· πεδίον δὲ γὰρ αἰεὶ {198|199}

189 τετράφαθ’. ὁππότ’ ἐπὶ Τρώων ἀΐοιεν ἰ̈όντων·

190 τοὺς δ’ ὁ γέρων γήθησεν ἰ̈δὼν. θάρσυνέ τε μύθῳ·

192 οὕτω νῦν φίλα τέκνα φυλάσσετε· μηδέ τιν’ ὕπνος

193 αἱρείτω· μὴ χάρμα γενώμεθα δυσμενέεσσιν·

194 ὡς εἰπὼν. τάφροιο διέσσυτο. τοὶ δ’ ἅμ’ ἕποντο

195 Ἀργείων βασιλῆες. ὅσοι κεκλήατο βουλήν·

196 τοῖς δ’ ἅμα Μηριόνης καὶ Νέστορος ἀγλαὸς υἱὸς

197 ἤϊσαν· αὐτοὶ γὰρ κάλεον συμμητιάασθαι·

198 τάφρον δ’ ἐκδιαβάντες ὀρυκτὴν. ἑδριόωντο

199 ἐν καθαρῷ· ὅθι δὴ, νεκύων διεφαίνετο χῶρος

200 πιπτόντων· ὅθεν αὖτις ἀπετράπετ’ όβριμος Ἕκτωρ

201 ὀλλὺς, Ἀργείους, ὅτε δὴ περι νὺξ ἐκάλυψεν·

202 ἔνθα καθεζόμενοι. ἔπε’ ἀλλήλοισι πίφαυσκον·

203 τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε Γερήνιος ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ·

204 ὦ φίλοι. οὐκ ὰν δή τις ἀνὴρ πεπίθοιθ’ἑῷ αὐτοῦ

205 θυμῷ τολμήεντι· μετα Τρῶας μεγαθύμους

206 ἐλθεῖν· εἴ τινά που δηΐων ἕλοι ἐσχατόωντα·

207 ἤ τινά που καὶ φῆμιν ἐνι Τρώεσσι πύθοιτο.

208 ἄσσά τε μητιόωσι μετὰ σφίσιν, ἢ μεμάασιν

209 αὖθι μένειν παρα νηυσὶν ἀπόπροθεν. ἠὲ πόλιν δὲ

210 ὰψ, ἀναχωρήσουσιν. ἐπεὶ δαμάσαντό γ’ Ἀχαιούς·

211 ταῦτά κε [πάντα] πύθοιτο καὶ ὰψ, εἰς ἡμέας ἔλθοι

212 ἀσκηθὴς, μέγα κέν οἱ ὑπουράνιον κλέος εἴη

213 πάντας ἐπ ἀνθρώπους· καί οἱ δόσις ἔσσεται ἐσθλή·

214 ὅσσοι γὰρ νήεσσιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι.

215 τῶν πάντων οἱ ἕκαστος ὄϊν δώσουσι. μέλαιναν.

216 θῆλυν. ὑπόρρηνον. τῇ μὲν κτέρας οὐδὲν ὁμοῖον·

217 αἰεὶ δ’ ἐν δαίτῃσι καὶ εἰλαπίνῃσι παρέσται·

218 Ὡς ἔφαθ’. οἱ δ’ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ·

219 τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

220 Νέστωρ. ἒμ’ ὀτρύνει κραδίη καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ

221 ἀνδρῶν δυσμενέων δῦναι στρατὸν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα

222 Τρώων. ἂλλ’ εἴ τις μοι [ἀνὴρ] ἅμ’ ἕποιτο καὶ ἄλλος.

223 μᾶλλον θαλπωρὴ. καὶ θαρσαλεώτερον ἔστι

224 σύν τε δύ’ ἐρχομένω· καί τε πρὸ, ὃ. τοῦ ἐνόησεν

225 ὅππως κέρδος έῃ· μοῦνος δ’ εἴ πέρ τε νοήσῃ.

226 ἀλλά τέ οἱ βράσσων τε νόος. λεπτὴ δέ τε μῆτις·

227 ὡς ἔφαθ’. οἱ δ’ ἔθελον Διομήδεϊ πολλοὶ ἕπεσθαι·

228 ἠθελέτην Αἴαντε δύω θεράποντες Ἄρηος·

229 ἤθελε Μηριόνης· μάλα δ’ ἤθελε, Νέστορος υἱός·

230 ἤθελε δ’ Ἀτρείδης δουρὶκλυτὸς Μενέλαος· {199|200}

231 ἤθελε δ’ ὁ τλήμων Ὀδυσεὺς καταδῦναι ὅμιλον

232 Τρώων, αἰεὶ γάρ οἱ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θυμὸς ἐτόλμα.

233 τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

234 Τυδείδη Διόμηδες. ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ·

235 τὸν μεν δὴ ἕταρόν γ’ αἱρήσεαι ὅν κ’ ἐθέλῃσθα,

236 φαινομένων τὸν ἄριστον. ἐπεὶ μεμάασί γε πολλοί·

237 μὴδὲ σύ γ’ αἰδόμενος σῇσι φρεσὶ. τὸν μὲν ἀρείω

238 καλλείπειν· σὺ δὲ χείρον’ ὀπάσσεαι αἰδοῖ εἴκων·

239 ἐς γενεὴν ὁρόων. μηδ`’ εἰ βασιλεύτερός ἐστιν·

240 ὡς ἔφατ’· ἔδδεισεν δὲ περὶ ξανθῷ Μενελά̄ῳ·

241 τοῖς δ’ αὖτις μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

242 εἰ μὲν δὴ ἕταρόν γε κελεύετέ μ’ αὐτὸν ἑλέσθαι.

243 πῶς ἂν ἔπειτ’ Ὀδυσῆος ἐγὼ θείοιο λαθοίμην.

244 οὗ περὶ μὲν πρόφρων κραδίη· καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ

245 ἐν πάντεσσι πόνοισι· φιλεῖ δέ ἑ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη·

246 τούτου γ’ εσπομένοιο, καὶ ἐκ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο

247 ἄμφω, νοστήσαιμεν, ἐπεὶ περίοιδε νοῆσαι·

248 Τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

249 Τυδείδη· μήτ ἄρ με, μάλ’ αἴνεε μήτε τί, νείκει·

250 εἰδόσι γάρ τοι ταῦτα μετ’ Ἀργείοις ἀγορεύεις·

251 ἂλλ’ ἴ̈ομεν; μάλα γὰρ νὺξ ἄνεται· ἐγγύθι δ’ ἠώς·

252 ἄστρα δὲ δὴ προβέβηκε· παρωίχηκεν δὲ πλέω νὺξ·

253 τῶν δύο μοιράων. τριτάτη δ έτι μοῖρα λέλειπται·

254 ὡς εἰπόνθ’ ὅπλοισιν ἐνὶ δεινοῖσιν ἐδύτην·

255 Τυδείδῃ μὲν δῶκε μενεπτόλεμος Θρασυμήδης·

256 φάσγανον ἄμφηκες. τὸ δ’ ἑὸν παρὰ νηῒ λέλειπτο.

257 καὶ σάκος. ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κυνέην κεφαλῇφιν ἔθηκε

258 ταυρείην. ἄφαλόν τε καὶ ἄλλοφον· ἥ τε καταῖτυξ

259 κέκληται. ῥύεται δὲ κάρη θαλερῶν αἰζηῶν·

260 Μηριόνης δ’ Ὀδυσῆϊ δίδου βιὸν. ἠδε φαρέτρην.

261 καὶ ξίφος. ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κυνέην κεφαλῇφιν ἔθηκε

262 ῥινοῦ [ποιητήν]· πολέσιν δ’ ἔντοσθεν ϊμᾶσιν

263 ἐντέτατο στερεῶς. ἔκτοσθε δὲ λευκοὶ ὀδόντες

264 ἀργιόδοντος ὑὸς θαμέες ἔχον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα

265 εὖ καὶ ἐπισταμένως. μέσση δ’ ἐνὶ πῖλος ἀρήρει·

266 τήν ῥά ποτ’ ἐξ Ἑλεῶνος. Ἀμύντορος Ὀρμενίδᾱο

267 ἐξέλετ’ Αὐτόλυκος. πυκινὸν δόμον ἀντιτορήσᾱς·

268 Σκάνδειαν δ’ ἄρα δῶκε Κυθηρίῳ Ἀμφιδάμαντι·

269 Ἀμφιδάμας δὲ Μόλῳ δῶκε ξεινήϊον εἶναι·

270 αὐτὰρ ὃ Μηριόνῃ δῶκεν ᾧ παιδὶ φορῆναι·

271 δὴ τότ’ Ὀδυσσῆος πύκασεν κάρη ἀμφιτεθεῖσα· {200|201}

272 τὼ δ’ ἐπεὶ οὖν ὅπλοισιν ἐνὶ δεινοῖσιν ἐδύτην.

273 βάν ῥ’ ἰ̈έναι· λιπέτην δὲ κατ’ αὐτόθι πάντας ἀρίστους·

274 τοῖσι δὲ δεξιὸν ῆκεν ἐρῳδιὸν ἐγγὺς ὁδοῖο

275 Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη. τοὶ δ` οὐκ ἴ̈δον ὀφθαλμοῖσι

276 νύκτα δι’ ὀρφναίην. ἀλλὰ κλάγξαντος ἄκουσαν·

277 χαῖρε δὲ τῷ ὄρνιθ’ Ὀδυσεύς, ἠρᾶτο δ’ Ἀθήνῃ·

278 κλῦθί μευ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος, ἥ τέ μοι αἰεὶ

279 ἐν πάντεσσι πόνοισι παρίστασαι. οὐδέ σε λήθω

280 κινύμενος· νῦν αὖτε μάλιστά με φῖλαι Ἀθήνη·

281 δὸς δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ νῆας. ἐϋκλεῖᾰς ἐφικέσθαι

282 ῥέξαντας μέγα ἔργον. ὅ κεν Τρώεσσι μελήσει·

283 δεύτερος αὖτ’ ἠρᾶτο βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

284 κέκλυθι νῦν καὶ ἐμεῖο Διὸς τέκος Ἀτρυτώνη·

285 σπεῖό μοι. ὡς ὅτε πατρὶ ἅμ’ ἕσπεο Τυδέϊ δίῳ

286 ἐς Θήβας. ὅτε τε πρὸ Ἀχαιῶν ἄγγελος ῄει·

287 τοὺς δ’ ὰρ ἐπ’ Ἀσωπῷ λίπε χαλκοχίτωνας Ἀχαιοὺς

288 αὐτὰρ ὃ μειλίχιον μῦθον φέρε Καδμείοισι

289 κεῖσ’. ἀτὰρ ἂψ ἀπιὼν μάλα μέρμερα μήσατο ἔργα·

290 σὺν σοὶ δῖα θεὰ· ὅτε, οἱ, πρόφρασσα παρέστης·

291 ὡς νῦν μοι ἐθέλουσα παρίστασο. καί με φύλασσε·

292 σοὶ δ’ αὖ ἐγὼ ῥέξω βοῦν ῆνῐν, εὐρυμέτωπον.

293 ἀδμήτην. ἣν οὔ πω ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἤγαγεν ἀνήρ·

294 τήν τοι ἐγὼ ῥέξω. χρυσὸν κέρασιν περιχεύας·

295 ὡς ἔφαν εὐχόμενοι. τῶν δ’ ἔκλυε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη·

296 οἱ δ’ ἐπεὶ ἠρήσαντο Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο·

297 βάν ῥ’ ΐμεν ὥς τε λέοντε δύω διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν.

298 ἀμ φόνον. ἀν νέκυας. διά τ’ ἔντεα καὶ μέλαν αἷμα·

299 οὐδε μὲν οὐδὲ Τρῶας ἀγήνορας εἴασεν Ἕκτωρ

300 εὕδειν, ἀλλ`’ ἄμυδις κικλῄσκετο πάντας ἀρίστους·

301 ὅσσοι ἔσαν Τρώων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες·

302 τοὺς ὅ γε συγκαλέσας. πυκινὴν ἠρτύνετο βουλήν·

303 τίς κέν μοι τόδε ἔργον ὑποσχόμενος τελέσειεν

304 δώρῳ ἐπὶ μεγάλῳ· μισθὸς δέ οἱ άρκιος ἔσται·

305 δώσω γὰρ δίφρόν τε, δύω τ’ ἐριαύχενας ἵ̈ππους

306 οἵ κεν ἀριστεύωσι θοῇς ἐπι νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.

307 ὅς τίς κεν τλαίῃ· οἵ τ’ αὐτῷ κῦδος ἄροιτο.

308 νηῶν ὠκυπόρων σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν. ἔκ τε πυθέσθαι

309 ἠὲ, φυλάσσονται νῆες θοαὶ ὡς τὸ πάρος περ.

310 ἢ, ἤδη χείρεσσιν ὑφ’ ἡμετέρῃσι δαμέντες

311 φύξιν βουλεύουσι μετα σφίσιν. οὐδ’ ἐθέλουσι

312 νύκτα φυλασσέμεναι· καμάτῳ αδηκότες αἰνῷ· {201|202}

313 ὡς ἔφαθ’, οἱ δ’ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.

314 ἦν δέ τις ἐν Τρώεσσι Δόλων. Εὐμήδεος υἱὸς

315 κήρυκος θείοιο. πολύχρυσος. πολύχαλκος·

316 ὃς δή τοι εἶδος μὲν ἔην κακὸς. ἀλλὰ ποδώκης·

317 ἀυτὰρ ὃ μοῦνος ἔην μετα πέντε κασιγνήτῃσιν·

318 ὅς ῥα τότε Τρωσίν τε καὶ Ἕκτορι μῦθον ἔειπεν·

319 ἕκτορ’. ἒμ’ ὀτρύνει κραδίη καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ

320 νηῶν ὠκυπόρων σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν. ἔκ τε πυθέσθαι·

321 ἀλλ`’ ἄγε μοι τὸ σκῆπτρον ἀνάσχεο· καί μοι ὄμοσσον

322 ἠ μὲν τοὺς ἵ̈ππους τὲ καὶ ἅρματα ποικίλα χαλκῷ

323 δωσεμέν. οἳ φορέουσιν ἀμύμονα πηλείωνα·

324 σοὶ δ’ ἐγὼ οὐχ ἅλιος σκοπὸς ἔσσομαι· οὐδ’ ἀπo δόξης·

325 τόφρα γὰρ ἐς στρατὸν εἶμι διαμπερὲς. ὄφρ’ ἂν ΐκωμαι

326 νῆ’ Ἀγαμεμνονέην. ὅθι που μέλλουσιν ἄριστοι

327 βουλὰς βουλεύειν. ἢ φευγέμεν ἠὲ μάχεσθαι·

328 ὡς φάθ’. ὁ δ’ ἐν χερσὶ σκῆπτρον λάβε. [καὶ] οἱ ὄμοσσεν·

329 ἴ̈στω νῦν Ζεὺς ἀυτὸς ἐρίγδουπος πόσις Ἥρης·

330 μὴ μὲν τοῖς ἵ̈πποισιν ἀνὴρ ἐποχήσεται ἄλλος

331 Τρώων· ἀλλὰ σὲ φημὶ διαμπερὲς ἀγλαϊεῖσθαι·

332 ὡς φάτο· καί ῥ’ ἐπίορκον ἐπώμοσε, τὸ̀`ν δ’ ὀρόθυνεν·

333 ἀυτίκα δ’ ἀμφ” ὤμοισιν ἐβάλλετο καμπύλα τόξα·

334 ἕσσατο δ’ ἔκτοσθεν ῥινὸν πολιοῖο λύκοιο·

335 κρατὶ δ’ ἐπὶ, κτιδέην κυνέην· ἕλε δ’ ὀξὺν ἄκοντα·

336 βῆ δ’ ϊέναι ἐπὶ νῆας ἀπο στρατοῦ· οὐδ` ἀρ ἔμελλεν

337 ἐλθὼν ἐκ νηῶν ὰψ, Ἕκτορι μῦθον ἀποίσειν·

338 ἂλλ’ ὅτε δή ρ’ ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν κάλλιφ’ ὅμιλον.

339 βῆ ῥ’ ἀν ὁδὸν μεμαὼς· τὸν δὲ φράσατο προσϊόντα

340 διογενὴς Ὀδυσεὺς. Διομήδεα δὲ προσέειπεν·

341 οὗτός τοι Διόμηδες ἀπὸ στρατοῦ ἔρχεται ἀνὴρ·

342 οὐκ οἶδ’· ει νήεσσιν ἐπίσκοπος ἡμετέρῃσιν.

343 ἤ τινα συλήσων νεκύων κατατεθνειώτων·

344 ἂλλ’ ἐῶμέν μιν πρῶτα παρ’ ὲξελθεῖν πεδίοιο

345 τυτθὸν· ἔπειτα δέ κ’ ἀυτὸν ἐπαΐξαντες ἕλοιμεν

346 καρπαλίμως. εἰ δ’ ἄμμε παραφθαίῃσι πόδεσσιν.

347 ἀιεί μιν ποτὶ νῆας ἀπὸ στρατόφιν προτιειλεῖν

348 ἔγχεϊ ἐπαΐσσων. μή πως προτὶ ἄστυ ἀλύξῃ·

349 ὡς ἄρα φωνήσαντε. πὰρ’ ὲξ ὁδοῦ ἐν νεκύεσσι

350 κλινθήτην· ὁ δ’ ὰρ ὦκα παρέδραμεν ἀφραδίῃσιν·

351 ἂλλ’ ὅτε δή ῥ ἀπέην ὅσσόν τ’ ἐπὶ οῦρα πέλονται

352 ἡμιόνων αἳ γάρ τε βοῶν προφερέστεραί εἰσιν

353 ἑλκέμεναι, νειοῖο βαθείης πηκτὸν ἄροτρον. {202|203}

354 τὼ μὲν ἐπεδραμέτην· ὁ δ’ ὰρ έστη δοῦπον ἀκούσας.

355 ἔλπετο γὰρ κατὰ θυμὸν. ἀποστρέψοντας ἑταίρους

356 ἐκ Τρώων ϊέναι. πάλιν. Ἕκτορος ὀτρύναντος·

357 ἂλλ’ ὅτε δή ῥ’ ἄπεσαν δουρηνεκὲς. ἢ καὶ ἔλασσον.

358 γνῶ ῥ’ ἄνδρας δηΐους. λαιψηρὰ δὲ γούνατ’ ἐνώμα

359 φευγέμεναι. τοὶ δ’ αῖψα διώκειν ὡρμήθησαν·

360 ὡς δ’ ὅτε καρχαρόδοντε δύω κύνε εἰδότε θήρης·

361 ἢ κεμάδ’· ἠὲ λαγωὸν ἐπείγετον ἐμμενὲς αἰεὶ

362 χῶρον ἀν ὑλήενθ’. ὁ δέ τε προθέῃσι μεμηκώς·

363 ὡς τὸν Τυδείδης. ἠδ`’ ὁ πτολίπορθος Ὀδυσσεὺς

364 λᾱοῦ ἀποτμήξαντε διώκετον ἐμμενὲς αἰεί·

365 ἂλλ’ ὅτε δὴ τάχ’ ἔμελλε μιγήσεσθαι φυλάκεσσι

366 φεύγων ἐς νῆας. τότε δὴ μένος ἔμβαλ’ Ἀθήνη

367 Τυδείδῃ. ἵ̈να μή τις Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων

368 φθαίῃ ἐπευξάμενος βαλέειν. ὁ δὲ δεύτερος ἔλθῃ·

369 δουρὶ δ’ ἐπαΐσσων προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

370 ἠὲ μέν’. ἠέ σε δουρὶ κιχήσομαι, οὐδέ σε φημὶ

371 δηρὸν ἐμῆς ἀπο χειρὸς ἀλύξειν αἰπὺν όλεθρον·

372 ῆ ῥα· καὶ ἔγχος ἀφῆκεν. ἑκὼν δ’ ἡμάρτανε φωτός·

373 δεξιτερὸν δ’ ὑπὲρ ὦμον. ἐΰξου δουρὸς ἀκωκὴ

374 ἐν γαίῃ ἐπάγη· ὁ δ’ ὰρ ἔστη. τάρβησέν τε

375 βαμβαίνων. ἄραβος δὲ διὰ στόμα γίγνετ’ ὀδόντων·

376 χλωρὸς ὑπαὶ δείους. τὼ δ’ ἀσθμαίνοντε κιχήτην·

377 χειρῶν δ’ ἁψάσθην· ὁ δὲ δακρύσας ἔπος [ηύδα]·

378 ζωγρεῖτ’, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐμὲ λύσομαι. ἔστι γὰρ ἔνδον

379 χαλκός τε, χρυσός τε, πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος·

380 τῶν κ’ ὔμμιν χαρίσαιτο πατὴρ ἀπερείσι’ ἄποινα·

381 εἴ κεν ἐμὲ ζωὸν πεπύθοιτ’ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν·

382 τὸν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

383 θάρσει· μηδέ τι τοι θάνατος καταθύμιος ἔστω·

384 ἂλλ’ άγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ. καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον·

385 πῇ δ’ οὕτως ἐπὶ νῆας ἀπὸ στρατοῦ ἔρχεαι οἶος

386 νύκτα δι’ ὀρφναίην· ὅτε θ’ εὕδουσι βροτοὶ ἄλλοι

387 ἤ τινα συλήσων νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων·

388 ἤ σ’ Ἕκτωρ προέηκε διασκοπιᾶσθαι ἕκαστα

389 νῆας ἔπι γλαφυρὰς. ἤ σ’ αὐτὸν θυμὸς ἀνῆκε·

390 τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα Δόλων. ὑπο δ’ έτρεμε γυῖα·

391 πολλῇσίν μ’ ἄτῃσι παρεκ νόον ἤγαγεν Ἕκτωρ·

392 ὅς μοι Πηλείωνος ἀγαυοῦ μώνυχας ἵ̈ππους

393 δωσέμεναι κατένευσε καὶ ἅρματα ποικίλα χαλκῷ·

394 ἠνώγει δέ μ’ ϊόντα θοὴν δια νύκτα μέλαιναν {203|204}

395 ἀνδρῶν δυσμενέων σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν. έκ τε πυθέσθαι.

396 ἠὲ φυλάσσονται νῆες θοαὶ ὡς τὸ πάρος περ

397 ἢ ἤδη χείρεσσιν ὑφ’ ἡμετέρῃσι δαμέντες

398 φύξιν βουλεύοιτε μετὰ σφίσιν· οὐδ’ ἐθέλοιτε

399 νύκτα φυλασσέμεναι. καμάτῳ ἁδηκότες αἰνῷ·

400 τὸν δ’ ἒπιμειδήσᾱς προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς.

401 ῆ ρά νύ τοι μεγάλων δώρων ἐπεμαίετο θυμὸς

402 ἵ̈ππων Αἰακί´δαο δαί̈φρονος· οἱ δ`’ ἀλεγεινοὶ

403 ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι δαμήμεναι· ἠδ’ ὀχέεσθαι

404 ἄλλω γ’. ἢ Ἀχιλῆϊ. τὸν ἀθανάτη τέκε μήτηρ·

405 ἂλλ’ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον·

406 ποῦ νῦν, δεῦρο κιὼν. λίπες Ἕκτορα ποιμένα λαῶν·

407 ποῦ δέ οί ἔντεα κεῖται ἀρήϊα. ποῦ δέ οἱ ἵ̈πποι.

408 πῶς δαὶ, τῶν ἄλλων Τρώων φυλακαί τε καὶ εὐναὶ.

409 ἄσσά τε μητιόωσι μετὰ σφίσιν. ἢ μεμάᾱσιν

410 αὖθι μένειν παρὰ νηυσὶν. ἀπόπροθεν. ἠὲ πόλιν δὲ

411 ὰψ ἀναχωρήσουσιν. ἐπεὶ δαμάσαντό γ’ Ἀχαιούς·

412 Τὸν δ’ αῦτε προσέειπε Δόλων Εὐμήδεος υἱός·

413 τοὶ γὰρ ἐγώ τοι ταῦτα μάλ’ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω·

414 Ἕκτωρ μὲν μετὰ τοῖσιν ὅσοι βουληφόροι εἰσὶν·

415 βουλὰς βουλεύει θείου παρὰ σήματι Ί̈λου

416 νόσφιν ἀπο φλοίσβου· φυλακὰς δ’, ἃ`ς εἴρεαι ἥρως.

417 οὔ τις κεκριμένη ῥύεται στρατὸν. οὐδὲ φυλάσσει·

418 ὅσσαι γὰρ Τρώων πυρὸς ἐσχάραι· οἷσιν ἀνάγκη.

419 οἷ δ’ ἐγρηγόρθασι· φυλασσέμεναί τε κέλονται

420 ἀλλήλοις· ἀτὰρ αὖτε πολύκλητοί τ’ ἐπίκουροι

421 εὕδουσιν. Τρωσὶν γὰρ ἐπιτραπέουσι φυλάσσειν.

422 οὐ γάρ σφιν παῖδες σχεδὸν εἵαται. οὐδε γυναῖκες·

423 Τὸν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

424 πῶς γὰρ δὴ Τρώεσσι μεμιγμένοι ἵ̈πποδάμοισιν

425 εὕδουσ’, ἦ ἀπάνευθε. δίειπέ μοι. ὄφρα δαείω·

426 Τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα Δόλων Εὐμήδεος υἱός·

427 τοι γὰρ ἐγώ τοι ταῦτα μάλ’ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω·

428 πρὸς μὲν ἁλὸς. Κᾶρες καὶ Παίονες ἀγκυλότοξοι.

429 καὶ Λέλεγες. καὶ Καύκωνες. [δῖοί] τε Πελασγοί·

430 πρὸς Θύμβρης δ’ ἔλαχον Λύκιοι· Μυσοί τ’ ἀγέρωχοι.

431 καὶ Φρύγες ἱ̈ππόδαμοι· καὶ Μῄονες ἱ̈πποκορυσταί·

432 ἀλλὰ τί η ἐ⟩μὲ ταῦτα διεξερέεσθε ἕκαστα.

433 εἰ γὰρ δὴ μέματον Τρώων καταδῦναι ὅμιλον.

434 Θρήϊκες οἷδ’ ἀπάνευθε, νεήλυδες ἔσχατοι ἄλλων.

435 ἐν δέ σφιν Ῥῆσος βασιλεὺς. παῖς Ἠϊονῆος· {204|205}

436 τοῦ δὴ καλλίστους ἵ̈ππους ἴ̈δον. ἠδὲ μεγίστους·

437 λευκότεροι χιόνος. θείειν δ’ ἀνέμοισιν ὁμοῖοι·

438 ἅρμα δέ οἱ χρυσῷ τὲ καὶ ἀργύρῳ εὖ ἤσκηται·

439 τεύχεα δὲ. χρύσεια. πελώρια· θαῦμα ἰ̈δέσθαι

440 ἤλυθ’ ἔχων. τὰ μὲν οὔ τι κατὰθνητοῖσιν ἔοικεν

441 ἄνδρεσσιν φορέειν. ἂλλ’ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν·

442 ἂλλ’ ἐμὲ μὲν νῦν νηυσὶ πελάσσετον ὠκυπόροισιν·

443 ἠέ με δήσαντες λίπετ’ αὐτόθι νηλέϊ δεσμῷ.

444 ὄφρά κεν ἔλθητον. καὶ πειρηθῆτον ἐμεῖο·

445 ἤ ῥα κατ’ αῖσαν ἔειπον ἐν ὑμῖν. ἠὲ καὶ οὐκί·

446 τὸν δ’ ὰρ ὑπόδρα ἰ̈δὼν προσέφη· κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

447 μὴ δή μοι φύξίν γε Δόλων ἐμβάλλεο θυμῷ

448 ἐσθλά περ ἀγγείλας. ἐπεὶ ΐκεο χεῖρας ἐς ἁμάς

449 εἰ μὲν γάρ κέ σε νῦν ἀπολύσομεν. ἠὲ μεθῶμεν.

450 ἦ´ τε καὶ ὕστερον εῖσθα θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.

451 ἠὲ διοπτεύσων. ἢ ἐναντίβιον πολεμίξων·

452 εἰ δέ κ’ ἐμῇ´ς ὑπο· χερσὶ δαμεὶς. ἀπο θυμὸν ὀλέσσῃς·

453 οὐκέτ’ ἔπειτα σὺ πῆμά ποτ’ ἔσσεαι Ἀργείοισιν·

454 ῆ· καὶ ὁ μέν μιν ἔμελλε γενείου χειρὶ παχείῃ

455 ἁψάμενος. λίσσεσθαι. ὁ δ’ αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε

456 φασγάνῳ ἀΐξας. ἀπο δ’ άμφω κέρσε τένοντε·

457 φθεγγομένου δ’ ἄρα τοῦ γε κάρη κονίῃσιν ἐμίχθη·

458 τοῦ δ’ ἀπὸ μὲν κτιδέην κυνέην κεφαλῆφιν ἕλοντο·

459 καὶ λυκέην· καὶ τόξα παλίντονα. καὶ δόρυ μακρόν·

460 καὶ τά γ’ Ἀθηναίῃ ληΐτιδι δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

461 ὑψόσ’ ἀνέσχεθε χειρὶ. καὶ εὐχόμενος. ἔπος ηύδᾱ·

462 χαῖρε θεὰ τοῖσδεσσι· σὲ γὰρ πρώτην ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ

463 πάντων ἀθανάτων ἐπιβωσόμεθ’· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὖτις

464 πέ´μψον ἐπὶ Θρῃκῶν ἀνδρῶν ἵππους τε καὶ εὐνάς:

465 ὡς [ὰρ’] ἐφώνησεν· καὶ ἀπο ἕθεν ὑψόσ’ ἀείρας.

466 θῆκεν ἀνὰ μυρίκην. δέελον δ’ ἐπι σήμα τ’ ἔθηκε

467 συμμάρψας δόνακας· μυρίκης τ’ ἐριθηλέας ὄζους.

468 μὴ λάθοι αὖτις ἰ̈όντε θοὴν διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν·

469 τὼ δὲ βάτην προτέρω διά τ’ έντεα καὶ μέλαν αἷμα·

470 αῖψα δ’ ἐπι Θρῃκῶν ἀνδρῶν τέλος ΐξον ἰ̈όντες·

471 οἱ δ’ εὗδον, καμάτῳ ἁδηκότες· έντεα δέ σφιν

472 καλὰ παρ’ αὐτοῖσι χθονὶ κέκλιτο. εὖ κατὰ κόσμον.

473 τριστοιχεί· παρὰ δέ σφιν ἑκάστῳ· δίζυγες ἵπποι·

474 Ῥῆσος δ’ ἐν μέσῳ εὗδε· πὰρ’ αὐτῷ δ’ ὠκέες ἵπποι·

475 ἐξ επιδιφριάδος πυμάτης ϊμᾶσι δέδεντο·

476 τὸν δ’ Ὀδυσεὺς προπάροιθεν ἰ̈δὼν. Διομήδει δεῖξεν· {205|206}

477 οὗτός τοι Διόμηδες ἀνήρ. οὗτοι δέ τοι ἵ̈πποι.

478 οὓς, νῶϊν. πίφραυσκε Δόλων· ὃν ἐπέφνομεν ἡμεῖς·

479 ἀλλ’ άγε δὴ πρόφερε κρατερὸν μένος· οὐδέ τι σε χρὴ

480 ἑστάμεναι μέλεον σὺν τεύχεσιν· ἀλλὰ λύ’ ἵ̈ππους·

481 ἠὲ σύ γ’ ἄνδρας ἔναιρε. μελήσουσιν δ’ εμοὶ ἵπποι·

482 ὡς [φάτο]· τῷ δ’ ἔμπνευσε μένος γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

483 κτεῖνε δ’ ἐπιστροφάδην· τῶν δὲ στόνος ὄρνυτ’ ἀεικὴς

484 ἄορι θεινομένων. ἐρυθαίνετο δ’ αἵματι γαῖα·

485 ὡς δὲ λέων μήλοισιν ἀσημάντοισιν ἐπελθὼν,

486 αἴγεσιν ἢ ὀΐεσσι κακὰ φρονέων ἐνορούσῃ·

487 ὡς μὲν Θρήϊκας ἄνδρας ἐπῴχετο Τυδέος υἱὸς

488 ὄφρα δυώδεκ’ ἔπεφνεν· ἀτὰρ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεὺς

489 ὅν τινα Τυδείδης ἄορι πλήξειε παραστὰς.

490 τὸν δ’ Ὀδυσεὺς μετόπισθε. λαβὼν ποδὸς. ἐξερύσασκε.

491 τὰ φρονέων κατὰ θυμὸν. ὅπως καλλίτριχες ἵ̈πποι

492 ῥεῖα διέλθοιεν· μὴδὲ τρομεοίατο θυμῷ

493 νεκροῖς ἀμβαίνοντες. ἀήθεσσον γὰρ ἔτ’ αὐτῶν·

494 ἂλλ’ ὅτε δὴ βασιλῆα κιχήσατο Τυδέος υἱὸς·

495 τὸν τρισκαιδέκατον· μελιηδέα θυμὸν ἀπηύρα

496 ἀσθμαίνοντα. κακὸν γὰρ ὄναρ κεφαλῇφιν ἐπέστη

497 τὴν νύκτ’ Οἰνείδᾱο πάϊς διὰ μῆτιν Ἀθήνης·

498 τόφρα δ’ ὰρ ὁ τλήμων Ὀδυσεὺς λύε μώνυχας ἵ̈ππους·

499 σὺν δ’ ῄειρεν ϊμᾶσι· καὶ ἐξήλαυνεν ὁμίλου

500 τόξῳ ἐπιπλήσσων· ἐπεὶ οὐ μάστιγα φαεινὴν

501 ποικίλου ἐκ δίφροιο νοήσατο χερσὶν ἑλέσθαι·

502 ῥοίζησεν δ’ άρα, πιφραύσκων Διομήδεϊ δίῳ·

503 αὐτὰρ ὁ μερμήριξε μένων ὅ τι κύντατον έρδοι·

504 ἢ ὅ γε δίφρον ἑλὼν, ὅθι ποικίλα τεύχε’ έκειτο·

505 ῥυμοῦ ἐξερύοι· ἦ ἐκφέροι ὑψόσ’ ἀείρᾱς·

506 ἢ έτι τῶν πλεόνων Θρῃκῶν ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο·

507 ἕως ὃ ταῦθ’ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα, τόφρα δ’ Ἀθήνη

508 ἐγγύθεν ἱ̈σταμένη προσέφη Διομήδεα δῖον·

509 νόστου δὴ μνῆσαι μεγαθύμου Τυδέος υἱὲ

510 νῆας επι γλαφυρὰς, μὴ καὶ πεφοβημένος ἔλθῃς

511 μή που τις καὶ Τρῶας ἐγείρῃσιν θεὸς ἄλλος·

512 ὡς φάθ’, ὁ δὲ ξυνέηκε θεᾶς ὄπα φωνησάσης·

513 καρπαλίμως δ’ ἵππων ἐπεβήσετο· κόψε δ’ Ὀδυσσεὺς.

514 τόξῳ. τοὶ δ’ ἐπέτοντο θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.

515 οὐδ’ ἀλαο⟨σ⟩σκοπιὴν εἶχ’ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων

516 ὡς ἴ̈δ’ Ἀθηναίην μετὰ Τυδέος υἱὸν ἕπουσαν.

517 τῇ κοτέων, Τρώων κατεδύσετο πουλὺν ὅμιλον· {206|207}

518 ὦρσεν δὲ Θρῃκῶν βουληφόρον Ἱ̈πποκόωντα·

519 Ῥήσου ἀνεψιὸν ἐσθλόν· ὁ δ’ ἐξ ύπνου ἀνορούσας.

520 ὡς ἴ̈δε χῶρον ἐρῆμον. ὅθ’ έστασαν ὠκέες ἵπποι.

521 ἄνδράς τ’, ἀσπαίροντας ἐν ἀργαλέῃσι φονῇσιν.

522 ᾤμωξέν τ’ ὰρ ἔπειτα φίλον τ’ ὀνόμηνεν ἑταῖρον·

523 Τρώων δὲ κλαγγή τε καὶ ἄσπετος ὦρτο κυδοιμὸς

524 θυνόντων ἄμυδις. θηεῦντο δὲ μέρμερα ἔργα·

525 ὅσσ’ ἄνδρες ῥέξαντες, ἔβαν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας·

526 οἱ δ`’ ὅτε δή ῥ’ ΐκανον, ὅθι σκοπὸν Ἕκτορος ἔκταν.

527 ἔνθ’. Ὀδυσεὺς μὲν ἔρυξε Διῒ φίλος, ὠκέας ἵ̈ππους.

528 Τυδείδης δὲ χαμᾶζε θορὼν, ἔναρα βροτόεντα

529 ἐν χείρεσσ’ Ὀδυσῆϊ τίθει· ἐπεβήσετο δ’ ἵ̈ππων·

530 μάστιξεν δ’ ἵ̈ππους, τὼ δ’ οὐκ ἄκοντε πετέσθην·

532  Νέστωρ δὲ πρῶτος κτύπον ἄϊε. φώνησέν τε·

533 ὦ φίλοι· Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες·

534 ψεύσομαι. ἢ έτυμόν τοι ἐρέω, κέλεται δέ με θυμός·

535 ἵ̈ππων μ’ ὠκυπόδων ἀμφὶ κτύπος οὔατα βάλλει·

536 αἲ γὰρ δὴ Ὀδυσεύς τε καὶ ὁ κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

537 ὧδ’ ἄφαρ ἐκ Τρώων ἐλασαίατο μώνυχας ἵ̈ππους·

538 ἂλλ’ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατα φρένα μή τι πάθωσιν

539 Ἀργείων οἱ ἄριστοι ὑπο Τρώων ὀρυμαγδοῦ·

540 οὔ πω πᾶν εἴρητο ἔπος. ὅτ’ ἂρ ἤλυθον αὐτοί·

541 καί ῥ’ οἱ μὲν κατέβησαν ἐπὶ χθόνα, τοὶ δὲ χαρέντες

542 δεξιῇ ἠσπάζοντο· ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισι·

543 πρῶτος δ’ ἐξερέεινε Γερήνιος ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ·

544 εἰπ’ άγε μ’ ὦ πολύαιν’ Ὀδυσεῦ. μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν.

545 ὅππως τοῦσδ’ ἵ̈ππους λάβετον. καταδύντες ὅμιλον

546 Τρώων. ἤ τί⟨ς⟩ σφωε, πόρεν θεὸς ἀντιβολήσας·

547 αἰνῶς ἀκτίνεσσιν ἐοικότες ἠελίοιο·

548 αἰεὶ μὲν Τρώεσσ’ ἐπιμίσγομαι, οὐδε τί φημὶ

549 μιμνάζειν παρα νηυσὶ. γέρων περ ἐὼν πολεμιστὴς.

550 ἂλλ’ οὔ πω τοίους ἵππους ἴ̈δον οὐδ’ ἐνόησα·

551 ἀλλά τιν’ ὔμμ’ ὀίω δόμεναι θεὸν ἀντιάσαντα·

552 ἀμφοτέρω [γὰρ] σφῶϊ φιλεῖ, νεφεληγερέτα Ζεὺς.

553 κούρη τ’ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

554 τὸν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

555 ὦ Νέστορ, Νηληάδη μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν.

556 ῥεῖα θεός γ’ ἐθέλων καὶ ἀμείνονας ἠέ περ οἵδε

557 ἵ̈ππους δωρήσαιτ’. ἐπεὶ ῆ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσιν·

558 ἵπποι δ’ οἵδε γεραιὲ, νεήλυδες. οὓς ἐρεείνεις,

559 Θρηΐκιοι· τὸν δέ σφιν ἄνακτ’· ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης {207|208}

560 ἔκτανε, πὰρ δ’ ἑτάρους δυοκαίδεκα πάντας ἀρίστους·

561 τὸν τρισκαιδέκατον σκοπὸν εἵλομεν ἐγγύθι νηῶν·

562 τόν ῥα διοπτῆρα στρατοῦ ἔμμεναι ἡμετέροιο.

563 Ἕκτωρ τὲ προέηκε. καὶ ἄλλοι Τρῶες ἀγαυοί·

564 ὡς εἰπὼν. τάφροιο διήλασε μώνυχας ἵ̈ππους

565 καγχαλόων; ἅμα δ’ ἄλλοι ΐσαν χαίροντες Ἀχαιοί·

566 οἱ δ`’ ὅτε Τυδείδεω κλισίην εὔτυκτον ἵ̈κοντο.

567 ἵ̈ππους μὲν κατέδησαν ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱ̈μᾶσι

568 φάτνῃ ἐφ’ ἱ̈ππείῃ ὅθι περ Διομήδεος ἵ̈πποι

569 έστασαν ὠκύποδες. μελιηδέα πυρὸν ἔδοντες·

570 νηῒ δ’ ἐνι πρυμνῇ έναρα βροτόεντα Δόλωνος

571 θῆκ’ Ὀδυσεὺς. ὄφρ’ ϊρὸν ἑτοιμασσαίατ’ Ἀθήνη·

572 αὐτοὶ δ’ ϊδρῶ πολλὸν  ἀπ⟨ο⟩νίζοντο θαλάσσῃ

573 ἐσβάντες. κνήμᾱς τε. ἰ̈δὲ λόφον. ἀμφί τε μηρούς·

574 αὐτὰρ ἐπεί σφιν κῦμα θαλάσσης, ἱδρῶ πολλὸν

575 νίψεν ἀπο χρωτὸς. καὶ ἀνέψυχθεν φίλον ῆτορ.

576 ἔς ῥ’ ἀσαμίνθους βάντες ἐϋξέστας. λούσαντο·

577 τὼ δὲ λοεσσαμένω· καὶ ἀλειψαμένω λίπ’ ἐλαίῳ.

578 δείπνῳ ἐφιζανέτην· ἀπὸ δὲ κρητῆρος Ἀθήνῃ

579 πλείου ἀφυσσόμενοι. λεῖβον μελιηδέα οἶνον ⁑

Commentary

10.10 τρομέοντο Zenodotus, the first head of the library at Alexandria and a well known Homer scholar, knew of the reading φοβέοντο here, according to the scholia that survive in manuscripts A and T (or “Townley,” Burney 86 in the British Museum). The scholia in T seem, however, to derive from a source different from those of A, and so it is notable that both manuscripts mention this multiform. For more on the Alexandrian editors of Homer, see on 10.51–52 in the general commentary in Part Three.

10.46 ἐπὶ φρένα θῆχ’ ἱεροῖσιν The scholia in A report that “in some of the commentaries” (ἔν τισι τῶν ὑπομνημάτων) the alternate reading ἐπὶ φρένας εἶχ’ ἱεροῖσιν could be found. A first/second-century CE papyrus (288 = Pack3 853) agrees with the manuscripts.

10.51–52 These lines were athetized by Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus, two great heads of the library in Ptolemaic Alexandria (second century BCE). The athetesis of these lines is discussed in more detail ad loc. in the general commentary in Part Three. {208|209}

10.53 Αἴαντα Evidence from the Venetus A scholia indicates that Aristarchus may have known a reading Αἴαντε instead of Αἴαντα (which is the reading of papyrus 288 and most manuscripts). See the general commentary in Part Three on this line.

10.54 ἐπὶ νῆας A and most manuscripts have this reading, but the A scholia record that Aristarchus read παρὰ. In 10.141, A again reads ἐπὶ νῆας, where most manuscripts have κατὰ (the A scholia at 141 record κατὰ as an alternate reading). In 10.336, A reads ἐπὶ νῆας where other manuscripts and the scribes of A themselves are divided between ποτὶ and προτὶ (see on p425 and on A 10.336 below). All manuscripts read ἐπὶ νῆας at 10.281.

10.65 ἀβροτάξομεν There are three different spellings of this verb (found only here in our Homeric texts) in the textual tradition: ἀβροτάζομεν, ἀβροτάξομεν, and ἀμβροτάξομεν. See the general commentary ad loc. for the possible significance of the variation.

10.84 ἠέ τιν’ οὐρήων διζήμενος, ἤ τιν’ ἑταίρων This verse was athetized by Aristarchus. The scholion in A explaining the athetesis objects to οὐρήων. It explains that what is meant here is ‘one of the guards’ and that the word οὖρον, accented like κοῦρον, means ‘a guard’, but οὐρέα means ‘mule’ (implied is that the genitive plural is from the latter). A further reason for athetesis is that “the question is inopportune.” Although a word meaning ‘guards’ rather than ‘mules’ would seem to make more immediate sense here, it is interesting that none of our surviving witnesses appears to have anything other than οὐρήων, and even for Aristarchus or the scholiast, there does not seem to be a witness that he can cite that has the word he thinks it should be.

10.98 ἁδηκότες A and several of the oldest manuscripts have the rough breathing, but the majority have a smooth breathing here. A number of manuscripts report the reading ἀδδηκότες, which lengthens the first syllable (where length is required for meter).

10.141 ἐπὶ νῆας See above on 10.54.

10.142 ἀμβροσίην In A, ὀρφναίην is written in the margin next to νύκτα δι᾽ ἀμβροσίην at this line (see Figure 1), and a thirteenth-century manuscript (Vaticanus Graecus 26, or V1) prints ὀρφναίην here instead of ἀμβροσίην. On the significance of the two adjectives and the variation we find here, see the general commentary in Part Three on 10.41. {209|211}

10.159 ὄρσεο The manuscripts are divided between this reading and ἔγρεο. The scholia indicate that Aristarchus knew both readings. See the general commentary ad loc. for the significance of the variation and the attribution to Aristarchus.

10.168 τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε In the margin of A the equally formulaic τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα (= 10.143) is recorded as an alternate reading.

10.169 φίλος In the margin of A at this line the alternate reading τέκος (cf. Iliad 23.626) is recorded along with φίλος. One of these two readings seems to be attributed to Aristophanes of Byzantium, but it is not entirely clear which.

10.180 ἔμιχθεν In the margin of A next to this line, a scholiast notes that at least one other manuscript has γένοντο here, and we find this reading in a number of manuscripts, including B, C, V1, and V16. We may compare Iliad 9.669, which has a similar construction: οἳ δ’ ὅτε δὴ κλισίῃσιν ἐν Ἀτρεΐδαο γένοντο. γένοντο is yet another example of an alternate reading that, while lacking a majority of manuscript support, could very well be an authentic reflex of the formulaic system in which the Iliad was composed.

10.185 ὀρυμαγδὸς There is a general disagreement about the spelling of this word in the manuscript tradition. Many manuscripts spell the word ὀρυγμαδός, which in this line would be unmetrical. It would also be unmetrical in the most commonly found formula using this word, πολὺς δ’ ὀρυμαγδὸς ὀρώρει, which fills the line from the weak caesura in the third foot to the end (Iliad 2.810, 4.449, 8.59, 8.63, and Odyssey 24.70). The Venetus A consistently spells the word ὀρυμαγδὸς except, interestingly, within the “replacement pages” (those nineteen sheets that replaced lost pages of the original): at Iliad 17.424, 17.461, and 17.741 the different and later hand that wrote these lines spells the word ὀρυγμαδός. Here at 10.185 in the Venetus A there is a smudge on the parchment that looks like it may be an erasure of a letter between ὀρυ and μαγδὸς, as if the scribe were hesitating between the two spellings. (A high-resolution image of this spot can be seen at http://www.homermultitext.org.)

10.191 The verse conventionally referred to as 191 (according to the edition of Wolf 1804)― καί σφεας φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα―is not present in the main text of manuscripts A, D, E4, T, or Ge. It is recorded in the margin of D and included in the main text of most other manuscripts. The verse is a common formula for speech introduction {211|212} and therefore largely duplicates the purpose of 10.190. In Iliad 4.337 and 4.369 we find the same formula used in similar contexts, and in both cases some manuscripts and papyri lack the verse. West 1998 brackets the line in each of these cases. Yet the existence of these three examples suggests that the combination of this line with another speech introduction was, at some phase in the tradition, possible. After Iliad 9.224, several manuscripts add a version of this verse (καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα, designated 9.224a). Although the main text of A does not include 9.224a, the A scholia comment explicitly that Aristarchus did not add this verse here, a comment which suggests the verse was known in antiquity. As Dué 2001 has shown, verses that seem repetitive and/or are particularly common were frequently athetized or omitted in Alexandrian editions, which favored shorter texts in keeping with the poetics of the day. (See also the general commentary in Part Three on 10.51–52.) The weak manuscript support for this formulaic verse may well be a reflex of the Alexandrian editorial tradition rather than evidence for interpolation.

10.203 τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε In the margin of A next to this line a scholiast notes that at least one other manuscript has τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετεέιπε here, a common formula for speech introduction (see e.g. Iliad 2.336 and 10.219).

10.221 ἐόντων The manuscripts are divided between ἐόντων and ἐόντα. A reads ἐόντων, but the alternate reading is also recorded just above the line. See Figure 2.

10.240 According to the scholia in A, this verse was omitted altogether in the text of Zenodotus (that is to say, it was not present in his text). It was present in the texts of Aristarchus, but he athetized it. See the general commentary ad loc. for more on this disputed line.

10.253 Like 10.240, this verse was omitted by the text of Zenodotus, while present but athetized in the texts of Aristarchus and Aristophanes of Byzantium. The textual controversy is alluded to in the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes (3.1340–1341): ἦμος δὲ τρίτατον λάχος ἤματος ἀνομένοιο/λείπεται ἐξ ἠοῦς. As Antonios Rengakos has shown, Alexandrian poets like Callimachus and Apollonius of Rhodes displayed their learnedness by alluding to the variant readings of Homer known to them and to the textual problems encountered in the work done by the Alexandrian scholars on the text of Homer. On this very specialized form of allusion, see Rengakos 1993. {212|214}

10.281 ἐπὶ νῆας See above on 10.54.

10.291 παρίστασο καί με φύλασσε The scholia in A record that Zenodotus had instead παρίσταο καὶ πόρε κῦδος. The scholia here and in the margins also note that Aristarchus and others also spell παρίστασο without the sigma, but only Zenodotus is credited with the change in phrasing following that. με φύλασσε and πόρε κῦδος represent two different interests, both of which are part of the poetics of ambush. με φύλασσε indicates the danger involved, and even the need for teamwork, while πόρε κῦδος relates a desire for the radiant glory to be won by such success. Either phrase, then, is possible and appropriate from the standpoint of these poetics as well as the meter and the necessities of performance. Hainsworth asserts that καὶ πόρε κῦδος “is not a Homeric expression” (1993:184). The expression as such does not appear in our texts other than in the scholia, but both πόρε (Iliad 4.219, 16.143, 19.390; Odyssey 12.302) and κῦδος (Iliad 3.373, 4.145, 18.165) appear in these positions in the line in our texts, so the expression is within the realm of possibility, and we must keep in mind how limited our “database” for Homeric language is.

10.306 οἵ κεν ἀριστεύωσι θοῇς ἐπὶ νηυσίν Ἀχαιῶν The scholia in the A manuscript record three different readings by the three major Alexandrian Homeric scholars, which in turn all differ from this main text. The scholia say that Zenodotus read αὐτοὺς οἳ φορέουσι ἀμύμονα Πηλείωνα; Aristophanes read something slightly different, καλοὺς οἳ φορέουσι ἀμύμονα Πηλείωνα; and Aristarchus read οἵ κεν ἄριστοι ἔωσι θοῇς ἐπί νηυσίν Ἀχαιῶν. See the general commentary ad loc. for a more detailed interpretation of how each of these variations might operate within a performance tradition before a traditional audience.

10.318 μῦθον ἔειπεν This is the reading of A, but Allen lists twelve medieval manuscripts that instead read εἶπε παραστὰς (and one more that has that reading in the margin). εἶπε παραστὰς is a formula seen elsewhere in speech introductions in this same metrical position (see e.g. Iliad 6.75, 12.60, 12.210, 13.725, 23.155, 23.617), and so we must recognize that either would have been possible in performance and that performance variation is likely the source of this multiform. Such multiformity in our manuscript tradition, moreover, should caution us against making any sort of interpretation about why one formula or the other is used or drawing too fine a distinction among them. That is, whether or not we want to argue that in one performance the {214|215} emphasis on the public, performative nature of μῦθος was significant, or in another there was significance in making Dolon stand, or stand next to Hektor, we must recognize that either was possible. Privileging one reading at the expense of the other (as one must in a conventionally edited edition) can distort the nature of this oral, traditional poetry and the way it does create meaning with its traditional language.

10.323 ἀμύμονα Πηλείωνα A tiny interior scholion in the A manuscript states: γράφεται καὶ ποδώκεα καὶ ἀμύμονα. That is, a version of this line was known to the scholiast where the epithet is “swift-footed” rather than “faultless.” (Compare Iliad 8.474, 13.113, 16.281, 18.261, 18.267, 20.27, 20.45, 22.193, 23.35, and 23.793 for the formula ποδώκεα Πηλεΐωνα.) Because in either case the use of the epithet is what Parry has called “ornamental” (meaning that it is not directly called for by the context), Achilles could be called either here. And indeed, there are several other manuscripts that, according to Allen, transmit the epithet ποδώκεα on this line.

10.332 καί ῥ᾽ ἐπίορκον ἐπώμοσε See the general commentary on this line for how interpretation may have shaped different textual versions of the line.

10.336 ἐπὶ νῆας A reads this (cf. 10.54 and 10.141) where other manuscripts are divided between ποτὶ and προτὶ (see on p425). ποτὶ is recorded as a variant in the margin of A at this line, while the correcting hand has written προτὶ in the far left margin of the page). See Figure 3.

10.338 ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δή ῥ᾽ ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν κάλλιφ᾽ ὅμιλον According to Allen, a few manuscripts read instead ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δή ῥ᾽ ἕκτορα καὶ ἀνδρῶν κάλλιφ᾽ ὅμιλον, which introduces some metrical problems but makes perfect sense in the context, especially considering Odysseus’ pointed question later about where Dolon left Hektor (10.406). Also on this line, the scholia in the Venetus A note that it is marked with a diplē “because now ‘ὅμιλον’ means the number and gathering of the Trojans. In the Iliad ‘ὅμιλον’ more narrowly names battle, and in the Odyssey it names a gathering” (ὅτι νῦν μὲν ὅμιλον τὸ πλῆθος καὶ ἄθροισμα τῶν Τρώων λέγει. ἐν μὲν οὖν τῇ Ἰλιάδι πυκνότερον τὴν μάχην ὅμιλον καλεῖ, ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ δὲ τὸ ἄθροισμα). In this comment we may be seeing an early concern about the “Odyssean” language in this book. See the essay in this volume, “The Poetics of Ambush” for explanations of the common language between Iliad 10 and the Odyssey. {215|217}

10.349–350 In A and all other manuscripts we find these lines, which describe Diomedes and Odysseus as speaking in the dual, even though only Odysseus actually speaks in our text. The scholia to A and T note however that in the text of Aristophanes of Byzantium and in others (ἐν μέντοι τῇ Ἀριστοφάνους καὶ ἄλλαις ἑτέρως ἐφέρετο) the text was as follows, including one plus verse:

349 ὣς ἔφατ’, οὐδ’ ἀπίθησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης.
349a ἐλθόντες δ’ ἑκάτερθε παρὲξ ὁδοῦ ἐν νεκύεσσι
350 κλινθήτην

As we discussed above for the plus verse on p609 (see 10.432–434 there), these plus verses can be evidence for the composition-in-performance technique of expansion and thus should be regarded as a true performance multiform. In this case, moreover, the expansion is entirely plausible, since the “expanded” language here is demonstrably formulaic. For this version on 10.349, ὣς ἔφατ’, οὐδ’ ἀπίθησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης, compare Iliad 2.166, 2.441, 4.68, 5.719, 5.767, 7.43, 8.112, 8.381, 11.195, 12.364, 14.277, 15.78, 15.168, 16.458, 17.246, 17.491, 17.656, 23.895, 24.120, 24.339 and Odyssey 5.43 and 22.492 for the same basic formula, with a wide variety of epithet + name formulas filling out the end of the line. Such expanded or compressed versions illustrate the flexibility of the traditional, formulaic language in performance, and either recorded version is equally appropriate.

10.362 μεμηκώς According to Allen, eleven manuscripts have μεμυκώς instead of μεμηκώς. μυκάομαι is a low, groaning sound―it is used for the sounds of cows lowing or bulls bellowing (Iliad 18.580, 21.237 in a simile for the sound the Skamandros river makes when ejecting the dead from his waters; Odyssey 10.413, 12.395), gates groaning open (Iliad 5.749 = 8.393, Iliad 12.460), and a shield resounding when hit (Iliad 20.260). μηκάομαι seems to be higher pitched, since it is used for the sound of sheep bleating (Iliad 4.435, Odyssey 9.439). It is used for the sound of various animals when wounded (Iliad 16.469, the horse Pedasos = Odyssey 10.163, the stag Odysseus kills = Odyssey 19.454, the boar Odysseus kills after it has wounded him) and of Irus when injured by Odysseus (Odyssey 18.98). Since both are used for animals being injured in an attack (in Iliad 18.580, the bull is bellowing as lions attack him), either may seem appropriate here, although we may expect the fawn or hare to have the higher pitched sound. This is a case where either choice may seem equally traditional and possible in the line, but the difference may also be a genuine copying mistake. {217|218} In these cases, we have to recognize both possibilities and acknowledge the limitations of the evidence for concluding one way or the other.

10.372 ἦ ῥα καὶ ἔγχος ἀφῆκεν, ἑκὼν δ’ ἡμάρτανε φωτός· The lemma of the A scholion on this line appears to confirm that Aristarchus read ἀφῆκεν here, as do p46, p425, other unpublished papyri (1173 and 1174 in West’s 1998 edition), and all manuscripts.

10.373 δεξιτερὸν δ’ ὑπὲρ ὦμον ἐΰξου δουρὸς ἀκωκὴ p46, p425, and A read this, but most manuscripts have ἐϋξόου, which is unmetrical. The adjective ἐΰξοος is used in many other places in the Iliad and Odyssey, but it is almost always in the accusative. As here, the accusative version of the formula occupies the space before the bucolic diaresis (cf. Iliad 2.390, 4.105, 11.629, 13.594, 13.706 and Odyssey 4.590, 5.237, 8.215, 19.586, 21.92, 21.281, 21.286, 21.326, 21.336, 22.71). There is one other place where we find the form ἐϋξόου, and that is at Odyssey 1.128: δουροδόκης ἔντοσθεν ἐϋξόου, ἔνθα περ ἄλλα. There, epic correction allows the –ου to scan short. Thus in 10.373 we may have an instance where the switch of a common formula to another case has resulted in an unmetrical verse, but one that may have felt natural to singers. The phrase ἐΰξου δουρὸς ἀκωκὴ is analogous to φαεινοῦ δουρὸς ἀκωκή (likewise in final position at Iliad 11.253 and Odyssey 19.453) and we also find δουρὸς ἀκωκή/ῃ in this position at Iliad 16.323, 20.260, and 23.821. Finally, the metrically equivalent phrase δουρὸς ἐρωή/ήν occurs in Iliad 15.358, 21.25, and 23.529. As we can see from these examples, the choice between ἐΰξου and ἐϋξόου for a singer would have been intricately connected with the traditional phraseology of this particular verse, and no doubt the choice would have been made unconsciously but differently by different singers, depending on their training and experience with the formulaic diction.

10.376 χλωρὸς ὑπαὶ δείους· τὼ δ’ ἀσθμαίνοντε κιχήτην Most manuscripts read ὑπαὶ δείους (as do p46, p425, and most manuscripts, including A), but there are a number of recorded variations, including ὑπ’ αἰδους (D) and δδειους (T). See also the general commentary ad loc. for the traditional significance of this phrase and its relationship to the theme of ambush.

10.385 πῇ ποῦ δ’ The text of papyrus 46 read πῇ δ’ before it was corrected to τίφθ’. (See ad loc. on p46 and p425.) Another recorded variation (recorded as a variant in manuscript C) is ποῖ. {218|219}

10.397–399 These lines were athetized by Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus, according to the A scholia. They are present in fragmentary form p46 and p425. When Dolon relates to his interrogators what Hektor commanded him to do during his spying mission, it is perfectly good oral style for him to use the same formulaic language used in the original command (compare these lines to 10.310–312). We will see again this same phenomenon on 10.409–411, where Odysseus repeats the information Nestor asked them to gather on their spying mission; these lines were also athetized. In this case, the Alexandrian scholars seemed to have an additional objection, which is that Dolon actually changes the person of the verbs in 10.398, as shown in the A text. That is, at 10.311, Hektor says he wants to know what they are planning among themselves and whether they are willing to keep the night watch, and in the A text, Dolon says to Diomedes and Odysseus that Hektor wants him to find out what you are planning and if you are willing to keep the night watch. But the pronoun σφίσιν remains in the line, causing a grammatical disagreement. One telling historical sidelight in these scholia is that there seems to be no direct information about Aristarchus’ own motivations for athetizing: the scholiast says that in the tetralogy of Nemesion he found a statement saying that it is not possible to find in the commentaries of Aristarchus the reason for placing the obelos (the critical sign indicating athetesis) next to these lines. Such comments reveal the long history of scholarly attention to the text and commentary, and that our information about these aspects of the transmission is incomplete, to say the least. See also Chantraine 1937:63–64.

10.409–411 Each of these lines, which are also found at 10.208–210, have an obelos, indicating athetesis, and an asterisk beside them in A. The scholia there tell us that they have been so marked because “they have been unnecessarily transferred here from the speech of Nestor” (ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Νέστορος λόγων μετενηνεγμένοι εἰσὶν οὐ δεόντως). The Alexandrian scholars, including Aristarchus, tended to athetize repeated lines and any verses that seemed unnecessary or repetitive, a practice that reflects the poetic sensibilities of the Alexandrian period. See the general commentary on 10.51–52.

10.413 καταλέξω Reported here and in 10.427, p425 and some manuscripts (D, T, V16) is ἀγορεύσω, which West chooses in this line for his edition. (West prints καταλέξω, however, at 10.427.) The A scholia at 10.413 tell us that καταλέξω was the reading of Aristarchus, but that {219|220} others had ἀγορεύσω. (There is no corresponding scholion at 10.427 in the A manuscript.) For the distinction between the two verbs, see above on p425 at 10.413.

10.427 καταλέξω See above on p609 at 10.427, p425 at 10.413, and A at 10.413. Manuscripts D, Ge, and T read ἀγορεύσω here (and p425 records it in superscript).

10.463 ἐπιβωσόμεθ᾽ This verb is the reading of the text of the Venetus A manuscript, and it is glossed by an interlinear scholia as “We will call on you for help.” The interior scholia include a note that Aristarchus knew ἐπιδωσόμεθα instead, so that it would mean, according to the scholia, “we will honor with gifts.” ἐπιδωσόμεθα is the verb in the text of the Venetus B manuscript, as well as several others. See also Chantraine 1937:64.

10.478 πίφραυσκε This is the spelling in A, but most other manuscripts read πίφαυσκε. At 10.502, A and p425 appear to read πιφραύσκων, but there also appears to be a cancellation mark over the rho in A. At 10.202, A reads πίφαυσκον.

10.502 πιφραύσκων See also above on A 10.478. Here the rho of πιφραύσκων appears to have a cancellation mark above it, which brings A into accord with most manuscripts. p425 appears to read πιφραύσκων.

10.531 The line known as 10.531, which is found in the Laurentianus (D) and several later manuscripts and is written in the margins of E3 and T, is not present in the Venetus A. (So also B, Ge, and a majority of the oldest manuscripts do not have this line.) See the general commentary ad loc. for more on how to interpret the presence or absence of this verse within the context of Iliad 10.

10.534 ψεύσομαι, ἢ ἔτυμόν τοι ἐρέω; κέλεται δέ με θυμός According to the scholia in the T manuscript, this line was not present in Zenodotus’ text. The omission may be because of its similarity to the line found at Odyssey 4.140 and the feeling that it belonged there and not here. See the general commentary on this line to understand such repetition from the viewpoint of oral poetics. A includes the particle τοι, which modern editions such as Allen and West omit. The meter requires some exceptions either way: with the particle perhaps there would be synizesis in the final two syllables of ἐρέω to make it work. {220|221}

10.539 ὀρυμαγδοῦ See above on 10.185 for more on the spelling variations of this word in different manuscripts.

10.570 πρύμνῃ This is the way A, and all other manuscripts according to Allen, spell this word on this line. But modern editions such as Allen and West instead spell it πρυμνῇ, shifting the accent and thereby making it the adjective rather than the noun. In his edition West credits Bekker with this emendation. But the switch to the adjective seems unnecessary, since we have other cases in which the noun is used in conjunction with νῆυς in the same case (e.g. Iliad 7.383: νηῒ πάρα πρύμνῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος “beside the stern of Agamemnon’s ship” or, similarly, 10.35 above: νηῒ πάρα πρύμνῃ). To ignore the accentuation in the manuscript and make the change to the adjective is the modern editorial convention not only here but also at e.g. Iliad 11.600, 13.333, and 15.348. {221|}