previous next

[310] δαΐδας μετέμισγον, i. e. besides the “λαμπτῆρες”, and in the spaces between them, there were torches held by attendants. These relieved each other in this service (ἀμοιβηδὶς ἀνέφαινον). Cp. the figures holding torches in the palace of Alcinous, “φαίνοντες νύκτας” (7. 100-103). Some commentators take δαΐδας here in the sense of ‘slips of pine wood,’ which were mixed with the “ξύλα” (of which, therefore, they were merely a variety), and ἀνέφαινον as= ‘kept up the fire,’ sc. of the λαμπτῆρες. But on this view the service of the “δμῳαί” is not very noticeable, and we lose the striking picture of Ulysses acting himself as the unwearied torch-bearer.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.

hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: