The Homeric poems contain only incidental allusions
Heracles in the Homeric poems. |
The Heracleia of Peisander. |
2 Labours for Eurystheus, Il. 8. 363, Od. 11. 622: Copreus, Il. 15. 639: ‘the dog of Hades’ (first called Cerberus in Hes. Th. 311), Il.8. 368.
3 The “κῆτος”, Il.20. 144—148: sack of Troy Il., 5. 638—642: Cos Il., 15. 28.
4 War against Pylos, Il.11. 690—693: wounding of Hera and Hades Il., 5. 392—397.
5 Iphitus, Od.21. 22—30: Eurytus Od., 8. 223—228.
6 The bow, Il.5. 393, Od.8. 225 Od., 11. 607: Megara, Od.11. 269: Death of Heracles, Il. 18. 117—119.
, κ.τ.λ. The second and third of these verses (602, 603) were rejected by Aristarchus (schol. on Od. 11. 385, with Dindorf's note, ed. 1855). The fourth verse (604) seems not to have been read by Aristarchus, nor by the schol. on v. 385. It is identical with Theog. 952. Onomacritus, the diaskeuast in the time of Peisistratus, was credited with the interpolation of vv. 602, 603, acc. to schol. Vindob. 56 (quoted by Merry ad loc.). Such a tradition at least suggests that the interpolation was preAlexandrian and presumably It Attic. is probably by a mere confusion that schol. H on 604 (ap. Dindorf) speaks as if verse 604, and it alone, had been inserted by Onomacritus.“τὸν δὲ μετ̓ εἰσενόησα βίην Ἡρακληείην,
εἴδωλον, αὐτὸς δὲ μετ̓ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι
τέρπεται ἐν θαλίῃς καὶ ἔχει καλλίσφυρον Ἥβην,
[ παῖδα Διὸς μεγάλοιο καὶ Ἥρης χρυσοπεδίλου.]
ἀμφὶ δέ μιν κλαγγὴ νεκύων ἦν οἰωνῶν ὥς
”
8 I refer to Il.19. 95—136, where see Leaf's note. The episode occurs in a speech of Agamemnon, who, contrary to Homeric usage, quotes the very words spoken by the gods. Elsewhere it is only the inspired poet himself who reports Olympian speech.
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