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[168] It has been pointed out in the Introduction that Phoinix is evidently a late-comer into the story. He is introduced with surprising abruptness; no explanation is given of his presence in the council, where he never appears again; his proper place would seem, from the sequel, to be with Achilles. From 168 to 432 he is entirely ignored, except for a passing reference in 223 — a line where he seems to be treated by Odysseus with singularly scant courtesy. The consistent use of the dual in speaking of the envoys in 182-98 naturally puzzled the ancient critics. Two explanations were offered — one, that the dual was identical in sense with the plural, a theory which is well known to have been held by Zenodotos; the other, that of Aristarchos, that Phoinix was not one of the envoys, but was sent beforehand to prepare for their coming afterwards (“ἔπειτα” 169). The former is naturally untenable (see on 1.567, 5.487); the latter, even if we admit that the departure of Phoinix could be passed over in silence, is refuted by the surprise with which Achilles receives the envoys (193). The only acceptable alternative is to regard the whole speech of Phoinix (432-622) as an episode taken from some different but doubtless similar context, and adapted to the original story, in which Aias and Odysseus were the only envoys, by some probably slight alterations of the text here, in 223 and 622. Here as elsewhere we have good reason to be grateful for the conservatism which has preserved us the original dual.

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

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