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[46] “ἤ”, not ἦ, is the reading of Herodian and Nikanor; but there is no opposition with what precedes. The question in 52 goes closely with that in 46-51: ‘can it be that thou couldst bring ..? and now canst not thou dare?’ 53 then expresses the result, ‘then wouldst thou find.’ It is equally possible, however, to abolish the note of interrogation at the end of 51 (Bayfield), and to understand ‘truly you were such a one (as I say, i.e. a mere flashy weakling) when you stole Helen; can you not now meet her husband?’ But the sarcasm of the text is more biting: ‘were you, such as you are, brave enough when it was a question of stealing a woman, and now dare not face her husband?’ τοιόσδε ἐών, hiatus illicitus, cf. 2.8, 5.118, 19.288, 23.263, Od. 3.480, Od. 6.151, Od. 19.185. It is the less justifiable because “τοιόσδε” (like “ὅδε”) regularly refers to the speaker, such as I; here we require such as thou art, “τοιοῦτος” (like “οὗτος”, iste) or “τοῖός περ” (van L. Ench. p. 266). Bentley conj. both, cf. 159. “τοῖος δὴ” P. Knight, “τοιόσδ᾽ ἄῤ” Brandreth.

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

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