[211] φίλας περὶ χεῖρε βαλόντε (join “περὶ-βαλόντε”), ‘with a loving embrace.’ Notice the mixture of dual and plural. In Il.23. 97 we have “μίνυνθά περ ἀμφιβαλόντε”
“ἀλλήλους ὀλοοῖο τεταρπώμεσθα γόοιο”, which is the only passage where “χεῖρας, χεῖρε”, or “πήχεε” is omitted; cp. Od.4. 454; 7.142; 21.223; 23. 208; 24. 347. The omission of the direct object enables “ἀμφιβαλόντε” to be used directly with a personal object, as, probably, “ἀμφιχεῖσθαι” Od.16. 214“Τηλέμαχος δὲ”“ἀμφιχυθεὶς πατέρ᾽ ἐσθλὸν ὀδύρετο”, Od.22. 498“αἱ μὲν ἄρ᾽ ἀμφεχέοντο καὶ ἠσπάζοντ᾽ Ὀδυσῆα”. In the present passage ἀμφοτέρω stands as the equivalent of the reciprocal “ἀλλήλους” in Il.23. 98(quoted above), and therefore is in close connection with the participle, although grammatically the subject of “τεταρπώμεσθα. τέρπεσθαι γόοιο” ( Il.23. 10; 24.513; Od.19. 213, 251) is ‘to take one's fill of lamentation.’ Seiler quotes Ov. Trist. 4. 3. 37 “‘est quaedam flere voluptas.’”
