previous next

[372] ἑσσάμενοι, a curious word to use of taking shields. So far as it goes, it supports Reichel's theory that “χαλκοχίτωνες, χαλκεοθώρηκες” do not imply the use of breastplates; App. B, iii. 4. παναίθηισιν is “ἅπαξ λεγ”., and not Homeric in style. The whole idea, as well as the expression, of this passage is extraordinary; the suggestion of a change of armour in the hottest of the fight can hardly come from a poet familiar with real war, as the poet of “Λ”, for instance, must have been. Even if the climax of absurdity in 376-77, 381-82, be expelled, the passage is not much the better, as we must assume that the soldiers have, as a rule, only their second-best shields with them, and retire sub silentio to their tents to change. It would appear also either that they have, as a rule, left their helmets behind, or else that the “πάναιθαι κόρυθες” are a superior sort to those which they have. Thus the condemnation of 376-77 (which Ar. and Aph.athetized, and Zen. “οὐδὲ ἔγραφεν”) avails nothing. The athetesis must begin at all events with 370, and must extend at least to 382. Even then 383 is left without any context. The whole passage from 352 to 401 is a very poor addition (see Introduction).

The Iliad, edited, with apparatus criticus, prolegomena, notes, and appendices. Walter Leaf. London. Macmillan. 1900.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.

hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: