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[670] There was a legend of a literal rain of gold sent by Zeus upon Rhodes, apparently founded upon this passage; cf. “πολὺν ὗσε χρυσόν” Pind. O. vii. 50, “βρέχε χρυσέαις νιφάδεσσι πόλιν” ib. 34. καταχέειν is very often used metaphorically, e.g. “χάριν” Od. 8.19, etc., “ἐλεγχείην” 23.408, and so it may be here; but Pindar's mention of the “ξανθὰ νεφέλα” shews that he understood the verb in its literal sense. But this line, according to a scholion on Pindar, was obelized. There is no mention of this in Schol. A, where we find, however, that Ar. obelized the preceding line, taking “φίληθεν” to mean ‘they were friendly to one another in spite of the tribal division,’ and regarding 669 as inserted in order to give another explanation of “φίληθεν”: the line with its obvious padding certainly bears out the idea.

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

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hide References (3 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (3):
    • Homer, Iliad, 23.408
    • Homer, Odyssey, 8.19
    • Pindar, Olympian, 7
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