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[262] βήσατο: “προκρίνει μὲν τὴν διὰ τοῦ ε γραφὴν βήσετο, πλὴν οὐ μετατίθησιν ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ α γράφει ὁ Ἀρίσταρχος”, Did. The statement is highly important, as evidence of a variation in Ar.'s authorities which he did not feel at liberty to disregard, in spite of his desire for uniformity. Our MSS. bear abundant testimony to the uncertainty as to the correct form of these sigmatic aorists; e.g. they constantly vary between “δύσετο” and “δύσατο”. In Od. 15.475 “ἀναβησάμενοι” is causal, but there is no other evidence of such a use of the aor. mid., which, indeed, does not seem to occur elsewhere in Greek, except in the variants now under consideration. (The subj. “καταβήσεται” (15.382) is, however, from the “-σα-” form.) The wisest course is to admit the variation in our texts, as the uncertainty goes back to a period as remote as our current text itself. At the same time we may, with Ar., prefer the forms in “-ε-”, on the ground that the tendency of analogy must always have been to change them into the more familiar “-α-” forms of the ordinary sigmatic aorist. A is the only MS. which consistently follows Ar.; the “-α-” forms have generally invaded the rest, spreading no doubt since Alexandrian days (note on 103). See more in H. G. § 41, van L. Ench. § 152, Cauer Grundfr. p. 27.

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

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