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The plural κάθησθε as well as the dual ἴτον (§ 3) refers to the two θεοπρόποι, whereas the singular φεῦγε applies to the people they represent. The style and words as in other oracles are derived from the old Epic, e.g. λιπὼν φεῦγ̓, Hesiod, fr. 144 οἶκον ἀποπρολιπὼν φεῦγ̓ Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο, but here λιπών goes with δώματα. For ἔσχατα γαίης cf. Hesiod, Theog. 732. The god counsels a general migration, perhaps to South Italy (cf. viii. 62. 2), such as Bias had recommended to the Ionians (i. 170 n.; cf. i. 164-8).

τροχοειδέος. The old wall was nearly circular like a wheel, and even after the extension of the city by Themistocles the term κύκλος is still applied to the wall (i. 98. 5).

ἄκρα κάρηνα: cf. Il. ii. 117πολίων κατέλυσε κάρηνα”.

μένει ἔμπεδον: cf. Il. xvii. 434; v. 527.

πόδες νέατοι: imitating Il. ii. 824πόδα νείατον Ἴδης”= ‘the feet beneath’.

μέσσης agrees with πόλιος, as below μιν = τὴν πόλιν.

ἄζηλα = ἄδηλα. As the form is strange, and elsewhere unknown, Lobeck and others correct to ἀίδηλα, but the oracle-maker may have coined a form on the analogy of ἀρίζηλος. Hesiod, Ἕργα 6 ῥεῖα δ᾽ ἀρίζηλον μινύθει καὶ ἄδηλον ἀέξει.

Cf. Aesch. Pers. 83 f. (of Xerxes) πολύχειρ καὶ πολυναύτας Σύριόν θ̓ ἅρμα διώκων, | ἐπάγει δουρικλύτοις ἄνδρασι τοξοδάμνον Ἄρη ‘Syrian’ = Assyrian (cf. ch. 63) here stands for Asiatic in general, the Assyrians having been, like the Persians, masters of Asia. Very probably the Persian chariot (ch. 40, 41) was modelled on the Assyrian.

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