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[272] κέλευθα. See Ellendt E. (Bemerk. über Hom. Sprachgebr. Königsb. 1863), who draws a distinction between “κέλευθα” and “κέλευθος” or “κέλευθοι”. The singular “κέλευθος” is, he says, a single definite ‘way’ or ‘path’=Lat. via; and “κέλευθοι”=viae, e.g. Il.3. 406“θεῶν δ᾽ ἀπόεικε κελεύθου” Il., 11. 504“οὐδ᾽ ἄν πω χάζοντο κελεύθου Il., 13. 399 πολέεσσι δὲ θῆκε κέλευθον”, compare also Od.4. 680; 1.195. So too in the plural, Il.13. 335“ἤματι τῷ ὅτε τε πλείστη κόνις ἀμφὶ κελεύθους Il., 10. 66 πολλαὶ γὰρ ἀνὰ στρατόν εἰσι κέλευθοι”, Od.10. 86“ἐγγὺς γὰρ νυκτός τε καὶ ἤματός εἰσι κέλευθοι”. In these three passages “κέλευθοι” signifies, just as the singular “κέλευθος”, certain definite directions or paths. But “κέλευθα” is properly used, where (as in air or sea) the path conceived of is an indefinite one; or where only progress through a certain space is meant. Thus Il.14. 17; 15. 620 “ἀνέμων λιγέων λαιψηρὰ κέλευθα”, Od.3. 177“ἰχθυόεντα κέλευθα”, Od.24. 10“εὐρώεντα” Od., 20. 64“ἠερόεντα”, and often “ὑγρὰ κέλευθα”. Ellendt con trasts especially Od.5. 383“ἦ τοι τῶν ἄλλων ἀνέμων κατέδησε κελεύθους” with 10. 20 “ἔνθα δὲ βυκτάων ἀνέμων κατέδησε κέλευθα”, because in the former passage the word “ἄλλων” implies that each wind has its own “κέλευθος”, which are there opposed to the “κέλευθος” of Boreas; whereas in the latter, “κέλευθα” is quite general, meaning the ‘outgoings’ of the winds collectively. The distinction of form is evidently not the mere consequence of metrical exigency; nor does the difference of meaning lie between singular and plural; for cp. Soph. Trach.130 of the regular orbit of the Bear, “ἄρκτου στροφάδες κέλευθοι”, Apoll. Rhod. 1. 500 “ἄστρα σεληναίη τε καὶ ἠελίοιο κέλευθοι”. But there is no need in the present passage to write with Ameis and La Roche “κέλευθον”, for Odysseus means nothing more than ‘my progress:’ his way home was, in his conception, uncertain and trackless. For an attempt to distinguish “ὁδός” and “κέλευθος” see note on Od. 4.389.

With the accusative here after κατέδησε cp. Od.14. 61“ἦ γὰρ τοῦ γε θεοὶ κατὰ νόστον ἔδησαν”. Another construction appears in Od.4. 380, 469“ὅς τίς μ᾽ ἀθανάτων πεδάᾳ καὶ ἔδησε κελεύθου”.

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

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