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[345] ἐν δέ. We are not to suppose that she lived and slept in the room; rather “ἐν δὲ ἔσχ̓” [i. e. “ἔσκε”=“ἦν”] means she was ‘about’ the chamber; in the neighbourhood of it, or, as we say, always ‘on the spot.’

νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ is hyperbolical, as in Il.24. 72“ἦ γάρ οἱ αἰεὶ”

“μήτηρ παρμέμβλωκεν ὁμῶς νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ”. The meaning of ἐφύλασσε is not ‘watched,’ but ‘kept safe.’ For the force of the plural in πολυϊδρείῃσι see on sup. 236. The title ταμίη is applied to Eurycleia nowhere but here; though she superintends the preparations for entertaining and lodging guests, her title is τροφός or μαῖα, as having been Odysseus' nurse. Elsewhere, the title “ταμίη”, where it is joined with the name of a definite person, is given only to Eurynoma, a younger woman. Cp. 17. 495; 18. 169; 19. 96; 23. 154. Spohn, in his treatise de extrem. Od. parte p. 6. foll., takes occasion by this to cast suspicion on the present passage; to which Nitzsch answers that Eurycleia, the oldest servant in the household, and general superintendent of all the others, was naturally found in connection with the duties of the various departments.

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

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