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[260] 260-61. This couplet was athetized by Zen. with good reason. The phrase, like that at the beginning of the Catalogue (2.488), is one which would appear to imply that an extraordinarily large number came to the rescue; but this there is no reason whatever to suppose. οὐνόματ᾽ εἴποι neglects the “ϝ”, though Bentley's “οὔνομα” is perhaps sufficiently supported by 3.235, Od. 6.194, in both of which “οὔνομα” refers to the names of a number of people. μετοπισθε seems to mean ‘in the second rank,’ behind the leaders; but we should not expect to hear the names of such. The variant “τίς χ̓” (or “ἂν”) “ἧισιν ἐνὶ φρεσίν”, which would involve another violation of the digamma, seems to be due to a natural wish to mend the rhythm.

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

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