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[639] 639-40. This couplet defies interpretation. The following explanations of πλ́ηθει πρόσθε βαλόντε are given by Schol. A (Aristonikos?). (1) The Aktoriones entered more than one chariot, and thereby impeded those of their competitors. (2) The majority (of starters) conspired to give the two an unfair advantage at the start. (3) “Ἀρίσταρχος δὲ διδύμους ἀκούει οὐχ οὕτως ὡς ἡμεῖς ἐν τῆι συνηθείαι νοοῦμεν, οἷοι ἦσαν καὶ οἱ Διόσκοροι, ἀλλὰ τοὺς διφυεῖς, δύο ἔχοντας σώματα, Ἡσιόδωι μάρτυρι χρώμενος” (see fr. 32, Rzach), “καὶ τοὺς συμπεφυκότας ἀλλήλοις. οὕτως γὰρ καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν σαφηνίζεσθαι ἄριστα: ἀναστάντος γὰρ δὴ τοῦ Νέστορος ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ αὐτοὺς ἀναστῆναι: εἶτα τὸν μὲν Νέστορα λέγειν ὡς οὐ δίκαιοι εἶεν ἀγωνίζεσθαι παρηλλαγμένοι τῆι φύσει ὄντες: ὁ δὲ δῆμος συναγωνίζοιτο αὐτοῖς, καὶ λέγοι ὡς εἶεν εἷς ἀμφότεροι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὀφείλοιεν ἑνὸς ἐπιβαίνειν ἅρματος ἅτε δὴ συμπεφυκότες, καὶ κρατοῖέν γε οἱ πολλοί, καὶ τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ πλήθει πρόσθε βαλόντες.” i.e. by the unfair partisanship of the spectators they were allowed to take advantage of their superiority in number of limbs, which enabled them to perform the work of driving more effectually. The rest of the couplet is equally obscure, but seems to mean jealous of (this) victory because the chief prize still remained on the spot; i.e. they use every means, fair or foul, to win the chariot race, the last chance left to them, because this, as the most important, would compensate them for the humiliation of seeing all the other prizes carried off by a stranger. Lehrs thinks that the couplet is the work of an imitator who had “τοὺς σοὺς πρόσθε βαλών” (572) before him. Even so he must have meant the words to make some sense; and Ar.'s interpretation is as hard to believe possible in an imitator as in an original poet. Verrall suggests that the sense is objecting to my (numerical) superiority (of four prizes against one) that the greatest prize stayed at home, i.e. that they had won after all, as the chariotrace outweighed all the rest. This implies a rare use of οὕνεκα, that in place of because; see note on 11.21. Possibly “πλήθει πρόσθε βαλεῖν” may have been a technical term whose meaning is lost to us. See Addendum, p. xxiv.

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

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