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[19] ἀμβρόσιος, fragrant, as sleep is commonly called “γλυκύς”, besides being “ἥδυμος” and “μελίφρων” in the compass of a few lines. So “νὺξ ἀμβροσίη”, because it gives men sleep, or perhaps because of the peculiar fragrance of a still warm night. Verrall has shewn that the idea of fragrance is always suitable to the use of “ἀμβρόσιος”, while there is no clear instance of its meaning immortal only. It is probably not a pure Greek word at all, but borrowed from the Semitic ambar, ambergris, the famous perfume to which Oriental nations assign mythical miraculous properties, so that “ἀμβροσία” has taken the place of the old Aryan soma, “ἄμβροτος”, though in some of its uses it undoubtedly means immortal, in others is a synonym of “ἀμβρόσιος”, the two senses being thus from different sources and only accidentally coincident in sound (Od. 8.365 “ἄμβρ. ἔλαιον,” Od. 5.347 “κρήδεμνον,” 16.670 “εἵματα,” Od. 11.330 “νὺξ ἄμβροτος”, and 14.78 “νὺξ ἀβρότη” = “νὺξ ἀμβροσίη”). That the epithets are chiefly restricted to divine objects is clearly the result of popular etymology.

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

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