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[387] οἱ δ᾽ ἐοί, so Ptol. of Askalon; vulg. “οἱ δέ οἰ”, which is taken in the same sense, those of his. But though the dat. “οἱ” is constantly to be translated by his, it could hardly be used to represent the emphatic pronoun, his own opposed to those of another. In 500 “οἱ δέ οἱ” is quite possible, for the emphasis is on “ἵπποι”, not “οἱ”. The κέντρον is evidently identical with the “μάστιξ” of 384. This most likely indicates a whip, or perhaps rather a goad, like that represented on the Burgon amphora, where the driver holds in his hand a long rod, evidently meant to be represented as pliant, bearing at the end two little points of the shape and size of arrow-heads. Such an implement would doubtless prove an efficient means of exhortation, combining the advantages of the whip and the spur. The significance of the word “μαστίεται” used in 20.171 of the lion's tail with the sharp bone at the end is thus greatly enhanced. The ancient Oriental type of whip is more like the modern, a short handle with an actual lash; see for instance the Assyrian chariot in Helbig, H. E. “Ρ”. 134, and the Phoenician, “Ρ”. 136. It is from the combination of whip and goad that the use of “μάστιξ” in the Tragedians must be explained; e.g. the two points make clear the “διπλῆ μάστιξ δίλογχος ἄτη” of Agam. 642(see particularly for other cases Verrall's note on Sept. 595). The word is presumably der. from mas root of “μαίομαι”, to touch, the regular Homeric word of touching up horses (see 5.748, 17.430). The only difficulty in the way of explaining the “μάστιξ” as a rod rather than a lash proper is the use of “ἱμάσθλη” (“ῥαδινή” 23.582) in the same sense. This might appear to imply a thong of leather; cf. also “ἵμασεν ἵππους μάστιγι λιγυρῆι” 11.531. The weight of this argument is removed by the epithet “χρυσείη” in 8.43, 13.25. The explanation doubtless is that the Oriental form of whip with a lash was also known to the Greeks, and that a word properly referring to it only was also generically extended to their own type. The words “κλῖνε μάστιγα ποτὶ ζυγόν” in 510 well suit the long rod, but could not be used of the Assyrian whip with a handle not two feet long.

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

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