[425] ὅθι οἱ θάλαμος … αὐλῆς. It seems better to describe “αὐλῆς” as local genitive rather than as a partitive genitive after “ὅθι”. In Il.11. 358“ὅθι οἱ καταείσατο γαίης” render, ‘where his spear had lighted on the ground,’ after its flight through the air; so that we find no real instance in Homer of “ὅθι” followed by a genitive, though such a construction would not be impossible on the analogy of “ἄλλοθι γαίης” Od.2. 131, “που αὐτοῦ ἀγρῶν [̣] 4. 639, πῃ πολίων” Il.3. 400.But with “αὐλῆς” as a local genitive we may compare “ἦ οὐκ Ἄργεος ἦεν”; Od.3. 251, “οἵη νῦν οὐκ ἔστι γυνὴ κατ᾽ Ἀχαιίδα γαῖαν”
“οὔτε Πύλου” Od.21. 107, “ἐσχάτης ὁρῶ πυρᾶς νεώρη βόστρυχον τετμημένον” Soph. El.900.If we place the chamber of Telemachus at the corner of the “αἴθουσα”, which was probably only separated from the “πρόδομος” by a trelliswork, we shall satisfy the description of its position in the “αὐλή” and shall also account for its being “περισκέπτῳ ἐνὶ χώρῳ”, for in this position it might have a view in two or even more directions. Cp. Hom. Od.14. 5, of the visit of Odysseus to Eumaeos—“τὸν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐνὶ προδόμῳ εὗρ᾽ ἥμενον, ἔνθα οἱ αὐλὴ” “ὑψηλὴ δέδμητο, περισκέπτῳ ἐνὶ χώρῳ”, “καλή τε μεγάλη τε, περίδρομος”, which last word serves as explanation of “περισκέπτῳ ἐνὶ χώρῳ”, sc. ‘with a clear view round it;’ not necessarily of places on an eminence. Cp. Od.10. 211, 253, where the expression is used of Circe's house. A similar phrase for ‘clear ground’ is found in Od.5. 476“ἐν περιφαινομένῳ”, which certainly is not used of high ground, as it is described as being “σχεδὸν ὕδατος”. Compare “ἐν καθαρῷ” Il.8. 491.Döderlein's interpretation (Hom. Gloss. 2353） ‘well-sheltered,’ as if “σκεπτός”=“σκεπαστός”, seems refuted by the passage quoted above, Od.14. 6, although on other grounds it appears equally impossible.
