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[171] καί μιν continues the relatival construction “ὃς εἵνεκ᾽ . . ἀέθλους”, on the model of Od.2. 225“ὅς ῤ̔ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος ἦεν ἑταῖρος”,

“καί οἱ . . ἐπέτρεπεν θἶκον”, Od.7. 171“ὅς οἱ πλήσιον ἷζε, μάλιστα δέ μιν φιλέεσκε”, Il.1. 79“ὃς κρατέει . . καί οἱ πείθονται Ἀχαιοί”, and so Il.3. 388; 12.229; 14.93. Translate, ‘And I thought that I should entreat him well, beyond all the other Argives, when he came back, had Zeus granted him and me a return in our swift ships over the sea, to take place.’ This bald rendering is meant to show the probable construction of “γενέσθαι”, that it is not in direct government with “ἔδωκεν”, but stands as a circumstantial addition; for similar uses of the infinitive cp. Od.1. 379; 2.144; 3.271; 9. 518. The sentence beginning with “εἰ νῶιν” forms the epexegesis to “ἐλθόντα”. For ἔφην meaning ‘I thought,’ cp. Il.20. 187“ἤδη μέν σέ γέ φημι καὶ ἄλλοτε δουρὶ φοβῆσαι”, ib. 348 “ἀτάρ μιν ἔφην μὰψ αὔτως εὐχετάασθαι”.

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

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