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[259] Some doubt has been thrown upon the following passage, Hentze and others thinking that 278 more naturally follows immediately upon 258; the actual charge upon the Trojans being narrated in 258, it is not a suitable place for a retardation in the story and a return to the same event in 276 “ἐν δ᾽ ἔπεσον Τρώεσσιν”. Furthermore the passage from 267-77 is almost entirely made up of ‘tags’ from other parts (267, see 11.500; 268, 6.66; 270 = 6.112, etc.; 271-72, see 17.164-65; 273-74 = 1.411-12; 275 = 210, etc.; 277 = 2.334. In fact out of the whole passage 268-75 the only words that do not appear elsewhere and have any special significance are “ὡς ἄν Πηλεΐδην τιμήσομεν”. Again “αὐτίκα . . ἐξεχέοντο”, 259 (and 267), seems hardly in place after “ἐν Τρωσὶ . . ὄρουσαν”. To this it might be replied that the principal verb in 258 is “ἔστιχον”, and the description is that of the march until they attack, the attack itself being reserved till 277. This obviates the difficulty of the connexion of 258 with the sequel, though it is certainly a forcing of the literal sense of the words. It has further been argued by Friedländer that there is a double recension within the simile itself, the rousing of the wasps being first attributed to wanton children (260-62), and then to an innocent wayfarer (263-65). So also Nitzsch, who rejects 260-62 (writing “τούς” — or rather “τούς τ᾽” — for “τοὺς δ᾽” in 263), and thinks that the simile gains force, as describing the keenness for war of the Myrmidons, if the wasps' attack is conceived as unprovoked.

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

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