Commentary Book 24 entitled The Ransom of Hektor (Héktoros lýtra) in the ancient tradition begins in the night between Days 29 and 30 of the action of the Iliad and stretches over approximately 20 days. It picks up several storylines and themes of the immediately preceding Books: Desecration of Hektor s corpse: in Book 22, Achilleus used his chariot to drag the dead Hektor to the Achaian camp in order to expose him to the dogs and birds without a funeral (22.330b 354, 395 404); he reaffirmed this intention in Book 23 in a promise to his dead friend Patroklos (23.179 183; cf. 23.19 23). The beginning of Book 24 describes how Achilleus is unable to sleep because he constantly recalls Patroklos and how he tries to calm himself by dragging Hektor s corpse around Patroklos grave early each morning. Apollo meanwhile preserves the body from damage (23.184 191, 24.18b 21). Priam s embassy to Achilleus: Priam decided already in Book 22 to demand the return of his son s body from Achilleus, but was prevented from doing so by his compatriots (22.412 429). In Book 24, with divine support (and against the continued resistance of his wife Hekabe), Priam is able to realize his plan and recover Hektor: Achilleus proves his humanity to the old man (after having been uncompromising on the battlefield, as Tros 20.463 ff., Lykaon 21.71 ff. and Hektor 22.123 ff./338 ff. all learned from personal experience). Funeral ceremony: after the detailed depiction of the cremation of Patroklos corpse in Book 23 (23.1 257a), the games of the Greek heroes on the side of the besieging Achaians are described (funeral games in honor of Patroklos, 23.257b 897); it is apparent there that conflicts and rivalries that inevitably follow from a tense competition for a valuable prize can be resolved in a conciliatory manner and without disastrous consequences: Achilleus even voluntarily awards the first prize in spear-throwing to Agamemnon (23.884 897). In Book 24, by contrast, the focus of the narrative is on the besieged Trojans during the funeral of Hektor; the dismay of the entire people is made emotionally comprehensible, in particular via the laments of his close female relatives (Andromache, Hekabe, Helen) (24.719 776). The Book concludes with the ceremonial funerary meal in Priam s palace and thus indirectly anticipates the fate of Troy.
12 Iliad 24 1 21 Because of his relentless grief for Patroklos, Achilleus drags Hektor s body around his friend s grave day after day. Apollo meanwhile protects the body against disfiguration. 1 5 The initial letters of 1 5 form the word ΛΕΥΚΗ white (fem.; as a noun, the term for the white poplar and a skin disease). Since the word has no obvious connection with the context, this is probably a coincidental acrostic; but it did inspire the Hellenistic poet Aratus to form the programmatic acrostic ΛΕΠΤΗ fine, slender in his Phainomena (vv. 783 787) (Vogt 1967, 82 87; Asper 1997, 182 185; Luz 2010, 4 f., 49 f.; Hilton 2013; cf. already Eustathius 1335.27 ff.; differently Korenjak 2009: an allusion to the island of Leuke, to which Achilleus is supposed to have been transported after his death). 1 2a Conclusion of the games in honor of Patroklos. The end of the scene P is signaled via (a) the repetition of the term agṓn assembly from the beginning of the games at 23.258 (Macleod); (b) an explicit statement of the end of the assembly ( the people scattered to go away : 1.487n.; Kurz 1966, 109; cf. 801); (c) the so-called panorama point of view of the narrator P : thanks to the bird seye view, the audience can easily follow the move from one scene to the next (Richardson 1990, 119 f.; de Jong/Nünlist 2004, 69). On the (post-homeric) Book divisions, see the bibliography at 19.1 39n., end; also Nünlist 2006. 1 ἀγών: here in the original sense assembly (DELG s.v. ἄγω); in addition to 23.258, cf. 19.42 (with n.), Od. 8.200. λαοί: The plural λαοί denotes a multitude of persons who belong together (Engl. people, in the Iliad usually in a military context, as here: the men, warriors, soldiers ); the sing. λαός, by contrast, stresses the collective whole (civilian people : 28, 665, 789; military servicemen : 658), but a clear differentiation is not always possible. Particular connotations can be gathered from the context: an entire civilian population, including women and children (28n.), compatriots, fellow citizens (37), townsmen (740), subjects of a king (777), etc. Bibliography: LfgrE; 1.10n.; Haubold 2000 (on the poetic function of the term λαός in Homeric epic). θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας: an inflectible formulaic expression after caesura B 2 denoting the Achaian encampment of ships (14 Il., of which 9 with VE Ἀχαιῶν: 564n.). Variants: dat. θοῇς ἐπὶ νηυσί 4 Il., 1 Od. (19.160n.); θοῇς παρὰ νηυσί 2 Od.; gen. θοῆς ἐπὶ/παρὰ νηός 3 Od., 1 h.ap. On the inflection of formulae in general: FOR 23. On the ship epithet swift, see 1.12bn. ἐπὶ νῆας ἕκαστοι: cf. 19.277 = 23.3 οἳ μὲν ἄρ ἐσκίδναντο ἑὴν ἐπὶ νῆα ἕκαστος (similarly Od. 2.258); pl. ἕκαστοι is here probably to be understood as a collective: contingent (Peppmüller; LfgrE; cf. 3.1n.). On ἕκαστος as a distributive appositive, see 2.775bn. λῦτο: an athematic root aorist, elsewhere with short -υ- (2 Il. and 8 Od. in the phrase λύτο γούνατα in verse middle). Here the lengthening is by analogy with the active future and aorist forms of λύω (thus also in the present stem: 23.513 λῦεν, Od. 7.74 λῡ ει): Shipp (1953) 1972, 105; Wyatt 1969, 209 f.; cf. 2.769n. (μήνῑεν), 3.357n. (δῑά). Otherwise (v.l. λύτο: -ῠ-) it must be interpreted as a metrical 1 λῦτο: dispersed ; on the unaugmented form, R 16.1. νῆας: on the inflection, R 12.1.
Commentary 13 licence: στίχος ἀκέφαλος (on this, see M 15). On the (indeterminable) issue of whether λῦτο is to be translated as reflexive dispersed or passive was dissolved, see Allan 2003, 83 f. 2b 13 After the games, the narrator immediately returns to everyday business : Scarcely has Achilleus been left alone before he is again overcome by his grief (schol. bt on 3 4; likewise Richardson on 3 4; see also 3n.). A variant of the theme P meal sunset sleep sunrise (1.475 477n.; an additional variant: 1.601 611n.): the standard elements (2b 3a: meal, sleep) are depicted in an abbreviated manner in favor of a description of Achilleus state of mind (3b 12a); the sunrise is immediately linked to this (12b 13n.). On the narrative scheme all are sleeping, except one, see 2.1 6n. with bibliography (esp. Minchin 1985, 269 272, 274 f.); cf. 677 682n. (Hermes); in general, 25 26n. 2b 18.245, Od. 19.321. 3 1st VH 10.4, 24.636, Od. 4.295, 23.255. The night between Days 29 and 30 in the action of the Iliad (31n.). only Achilleus: Achilleus sleeplessness and lack of appetite (and sexual abstinence: 130 f.) are primarily an expression of his unquenchable grief for Patroklos, thus inter alia 19.199 214, 23.59 67, 23.218 225, 24.123 125, 24.129 f. (analogous are Priam at 24.635 642, Laërtes at Od. 16.142 145; cf. Penelope at Od. 4.788 f.). At the same time, Achilleus behavior underscores his isolation, which has persisted since Book 1 (1.488 492n.). Only the return of Hektor s body to Priam will lead to Achilleus return to the community (599 676, reconciliatory meal with Priam and night rest); earlier, Achilleus at least participated in the meal before the games in honor of Patroklos, albeit reluctantly (while refusing a bath: 23.39 ff.; similarly Demeter during her search for Persephone: h.cer. 47 50 with Richardson on h.cer. p. 167), and a meal on Priam s arrival is mentioned in passing at 24.475 f. (472 476n.); see also 19.203 214n. and 24.621 676n. Bibliography: Nagler 1974, 177 183, 193 197; Edwards 1986, 88 f.; Taplin 1992, 260, 275 279; Seaford 1994, 67, 159 176; Postlethwaite 1998, 98 100; Schmitz 2001, 147 149; Hammer 2002, 188 194. γλυκεροῦ: γλυκερός is a metrical variant for γλυκύς (with the suffix -ero like κρατερός vis-à-vis κρατύς: DELG s.v. γλυκύς). Sweet in the sense delicious, pleasant is a common epithet of sleep (cf. 2.2n., 2.71n.). ταρπήμεναι: τέρπομαι has the basic meaning savor, enjoy, take pleasure in ; in contrast, the (aorist) forms with the stem vowel α 2 ἐσκίδναντ(ο): σκίδνημι is an Ionic byform of σκεδάννυμι (cf. R 1.3). ἰέναι: final-consecutive inf. τοί: anaphoric demonstrative pronoun (R 17); on the form, R 14.3. δόρποιο: on the inflection, R 11.2. 3 ὕπνου: ἀπὸ κοινοῦ with μέδοντο (as an objective gen.) and with ταρπήμεναι (as a partitive gen.). ταρπήμεναι: final-consecutive inf.; on the form, R 16.4. ταρπήμεναι αὐτάρ: on the so-called correption, R 5.5. αὐτάρ: but (adversative: R 24.2).
14 Iliad 24 denote the pleasurable satisfaction of a need (Latacz 1966, 176 191, esp. 186 f.; cf. 513n., 3.441n., 19.18 19n.); of sleep also at Od. 23.346; here with a pregnant sense, in contrast to Achilleus insomnia. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεύς: VE formula 17 Il., VB formula 5 Il.: in the Iliad, Achilleus is the central figure, from whom the focus can be withdrawn [ ], but to whom it is always brought back with the phrase «But Achilleus» (Latacz 1995, 88 f. n. 91 [transl.]). The formula last occurred at the beginning of the games (23.257b). A change of scene after caesura C 2 is characteristic of Homeric poetics generally (1.194n.); on αὐτάρ as a discourse marker, cf. Bonifazi 2008, 48 51; on αὐτάρ after C 2, cf. Clark 1997, 140 146. 4 5 This is taken up again in 9 11a via ring-composition P ; Achilleus concrete memories of Patroklos intervene (at 22.387 390, he promised never to forget his friend): van Otterlo 1948, 38. 4 wept: On weeping by Homeric heroes and by Achilleus in particular, see 1.349n. and 19.5 6an. Additional typical gestures of mourning in early epic, esp. in Book 24: fasting (129, 641 f.; see 3n.), covering oneself (163n.; veiling: 93n.), rolling around on the ground and piling dirt on one s head (164n.), tearing at one s hair (711 712n.). as he remembered his beloved companion: Visualization of a particular person or object can serve in Homer as a trigger for emotions or actions, especially grief (e.g. Od. 4.104 110, 4.186 188, 19.115 120, 20.204 206), including collective mourning (Il. 24.166 168) which, via communal remembrance, sometimes has a cathartic effect (19.338 340, 24.509 516, Od. 12.309 311); cf. Crotty 1994, 73 77. his beloved companion: A periphrastic denomination P : in the Iliad, Patroklos is repeatedly called hétaros/ hetaíros companion, comrade, friend in the narrator-text P, in speeches by others, and by Achilleus himself (as here; also in Book 24 at 51, 416, 591, 755). In the Iliad, the term denotes (a) comrades (in arms) in general (usually in the pl.), (b) specifically the members of a leader s inner circle who are entrusted with particular tasks (19.316n.), including those deemed friends in a social sense; thus Alkimos and Automedon, Patroklos successors, are also hétaroi (473 475, see 474n.; on the esteem given to hétaroi, cf. 574 f. with n., 793n.). The fact that the same characters are also called therápontes comrades in arms, assistants, servants (396n.) does indicates not synonymous use of the terms but different aspects of human relationships (relations of friendship and employment; see LfgrE s.v. ἑταῖρος 745.20 26). On the female equivalent dmōaí female servants, see 582 583an. Further bibliography: van Wees 1992, 335 n. 67; Spahn 2006, 175 182 (problematic conclusions, loc. cit. 200 f.). 4 ἑτάρου: = ἑταίρου. οὐδέ: also after affirmative clauses in Homer (R 24.8). μιν: = αὐτόν (R 14.1).
Commentary 15 φίλου ἑτάρου: In expanded combinations such as ἑοῦ ἑτάροιο φίλοιο (416) and ὃν φίλον υἱόν (19.4), the adjective φίλος beside the possessive pronoun ἑός/ὅς most likely has a pregnant affective sense: dear, beloved (see 19.4n. with bibliography; differently Landfester 1966, 24: φίλος is pleonastic with the possessive pronoun). At the same time, in phrases like the present one it often cannot be determined whether φίλος has an affective or merely a possessive sense, but the context the loss of someone close may indicate the former here (similarly at 2.261n., 3.31n.), hence of the dear companion, cf. 591, also 50, 700 (with nn.); see the discussion at 1.20n. and in Spahn 2006, 165 173. On the disputed etymology of ἕταρος/ἑταῖρος and the question of whether the word originally began with a consonant, see 19.345n. οὐδέ μιν ὕπνος: VE οὐδέ μιν 8 Il. (in Book 24: vv. 12, 414, 727), 3 Od., 1 Hes. Op.; in addition κὰδ δέ μιν ὕπνος Od. 9.372. Cf. below, 163n. (ἀμφὶ δὲ ). 5 1st VH = Od. 9.373. who subdues all: cf. expressions such as with the easy bondage of slumber upon them (678, etc.; see also 6.74n.); in light of Achilleus sleeplessness, the expression is here paradoxical, clearly showing the intensity of the pain (LfgrE [transl.]; see also Richardson; Foley 1999, 233 f.). Similarly pregnant is Od. 9.373, of the sleep of the inebriated Polyphemos (see de Jong ad loc.). On the phenomenon of an epithet negated within its context (here nor did sleep come over him ), de Jong on Od. 16.4 5 (an additional parallel: Il. 9.10 12). On the word formation, Risch 30. he tossed from one side to the other: outward restlessness as a symptom of internal agitation (discussed further at 10 f.); the outraged Odysseus sleeplessly plotting revenge at Od. 20.24/28 is similar; cf. also Od. 4.541 = 10.499. ᾕρει: The connection of abstract nouns (especially of physical/mental states) with verbs of grasping, coming, etc. is common in Greek; with sleep as the agent, also e.g. 2.2 ἔχε (with n.), 22.502 ἕλοι, 24.679 ἔμαρπτεν; cf. 1.387n. (anger: λάβεν), 3.446n. (longing: αἱρεῖ), 24.170 (trembling: ἔλλαβε), 24.480 (delusion: λάβῃ), etc. On verbs of coming, see below 707 709n.; in general, Porzig 1942, 130 133. On the negated impf. of incomplete action, Schw. 2.279 (οὐδέ μιν ᾕρει: and could not ). 6 9 On the athetesis of these verses by Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus, inter alia for linguistic-stylistic reasons, see schol. A, Macleod and Richardson (on 5 11); counter-arguments already in schol. bt; also Von der Mühll 1952, 371 f.; Latacz 1965, 74 f. 6 8 The description of Achilleus memories of Patroklos is strongly colored emotionally by phrases such as carry through (tolýpeuse), endure suffering (páthen álgea), heavy waves (alegeiná kýmata), underscoring Achilleus intimacy with the deceased (secondary focalization P : de Jong [1987] 2004, 110 f.); as often in analepses P, this has the function of further clarifying the present situation Achilleus mental state: Richardson 1990, 103 with n. 29.
16 Iliad 24 Additional discussion of pairs of friends in epic and particularly the friendship between Achilleus and Patroklos: 19.4 6an. 6 Patroklos good qualities especially his friendliness and prowess in battle render his loss all the more painful, cf. 17.670 f., 17.689 f., 19.300, 23.16, 23.280 f. On the character Patroklos, see CH 2; 1.307n. ἀνδροτῆτα: the embodiment of being a man (Latacz 1965, esp. 74 f.; manly vitality : Clarke 1999, 206 n. 92; cf. Bassi 2003, 34); only of Patroklos (also at 16.857) and Hektor (22.363), in both cases in the VE formula ἀνδροτῆτα καὶ ἥβην. An old epic word (see below). μένος ἠΰ: a VE formula for increased or divinely induced vigor (of human beings also at 20.80, Od. 2.271; of horses, Il. 17.456, 23.524, 24.442); on Vedic parallels, Schmitt 1967, 119 f., and Nagy 1990, 93 f., 113 ff., 120 f. ἠΰς/ἐΰς good, competent, valiant is an archaic word that as an adjective is largely limited to epic language; as the prefix εὐ-, it is attested already in Mycenaean (male personal names, see MYC). On the meaning of μένος, see 1.103n.: energy (especially in battle). ἀνδροτῆτα: originally probably *anr tātm with a short-voweled syllabic r (and m): G 15; Janko on 16.855 858; West 1988, 156 158 and 1997a, 229; Latacz (2001) 2010, 384 387; subsequently perhaps pronounced without the nasal as ἀδροτῆτα (transmitted as a v.l.) for metrical reasons: Latacz 1965, 66 f.; Ruijgh 1997, 42 ff. (differently Tichy 1981, who links the prosodic shape with a reconstructed, metrically freer pre-form of the hexameter; cf. Hajnal 2003, especially 46 ff., 66 f., 77 and 2003a; opposed Rix 2005, 387 f.). Extensive recent discussion of the state of research and new hypotheses in Barnes 2011 (ἀνδροτῆτα is a form analogous to *ἀμ(β)ροτῆτα, with parallels from Avestan) and Maslov 2011 (epenthetic -δ- is prosodically irrelevant). On the issue of the linguistic age of the conjunction καί in the formula ἀνδρ. καὶ ἥβην, see Willi 2003, esp. 224 226 and 240 (perhaps already Mycenaean). 7 8 In raids, Achilleus conquered 23 towns in the vicinity of Troy, 12 of them by ship: 9.321 329, Od. 3.105 f. 7 ἠδ ὁπόσα : a shift in construction after ποθέων ἀνδροτῆτα : the object clause ὁπόσα replaces the accusative object, with μεμνημένος (4) finding an echo in ποθέων: longingly recall all that ; taken up again in 9 with τῶν μιμνησκόμενος (AH). ὁπόσα: a metrically conditioned lengthening of the short final vowel before caesura A 4, as at e.g. Od. 10.353 πορφύρεα καθύπερθ(ε), 14.343 ῥωγαλέα, τά : La Roche 1869, 65 67; van Leeuwen (1894) 1918, 91 f. τολύπευσε: literally wind yarn into balls, metaphorically carry out, complete, conduct, in early epic usually referring to war (e.g. 14.86 f.; see Janko ad loc.; Müller 1974, 206 f.; Maurice 1991, 163; LfgrE); on the metaphors of weaving and spinning (of fate), cf. 209b 210n. ἄλγεα: The ending -εα also remains uncontracted at VE and is to be read with synizesis (G 46): τεύχεα 7.207, 22.322, Διομήδεα 4.365, 5.881, etc.; it can be partly ascribed to a modification of a VE formula, e.g. 3.27 6 ποθέων: on the uncontracted form, R 6. ἀνδροτῆτα: to be read prosodically with a short initial syllable:. ἠΰ: neut. of ἠΰς = εΰς (cf. εὖ); initial syllable metrically lengthened (R 10.1). 7 ἠδ(έ): and (R 24.4). ἄλγεα: on the synizesis, R 7.
Commentary 17 Ἀλέξανδρον θεοειδέα after 3.16 Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής (Peppmüller; Witte [1913] 1972, 113 f.; Chantr. 1.56). On VE formulae with the meaning suffer pains, especially in reference to Achilleus and Odysseus, see Pucci (1982) 1998, 13 f. and in general Mawet 1979, 176 ff. 8 = Od. 8.183 (with 182 ἔχομαι ἄλγεσι), 13.91 (with 90 πάθ ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν), 13.264 (with 263 πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ), always of Odysseus. πείρων: The connection of πείρω (literally pierce ) with κύματα is more natural (cf. the ship epithets ὠκύπορος 1.421n., ποντοπόρος 1.439n., also Od. 2.434 [νηῦς] πεῖρε κέλευθον) than that with πτολέμους: zeugma (Macleod on 6 8; Fenno 2005, 481 n. 16). Collection of examples of zeugma in Homer: van Leeuwen on 4.282. 9 1st VH 167; 2nd VH Od. 11.391 (also with τέρεν rather than θαλερόν: Il. 16.11, 19.323, Od. 16.332). τῶν μιμνησκόμενος: an asyndetic, demonstrative connection with 6 8 (on this, K.-G. 2.343 f.; cf. v. 345) and a reprise of 4 f. (see ad loc.) in the form of a ring-composition P. θαλερόν: swelling, bulging ; a generic epithet P of δάκρυον/δάκρυ (cf. 2.266n.). δάκρυον εἶβεν: an inflectible VE formula (3 Il., 7 Od.; of these, 7 with κατά preceding). The verb εἴβω, with its uncertain etymology, is probably to be regarded as a metrically conditioned variant of λείβω (VE formula δάκρυα λειβ- 9 in early epic): Haslam 1976; Reece 2009, 156 ff. Additional syntactic alternative: (κατὰ) δάκρυ χέουσα (613n.). 10 12 The triple anaphora sometimes sometimes now again (in Gr. 3 állote), each time in a different position in the verse, and the amplification via a fourth, modified element ( then ), are an image of Achilleus restlessness and desperation (Göbel 1933, 28 f.; on three four, cf. 16n.; additional examples of triple anaphora in Homer: 11.494 f., 17.430 f.; see also in general 2.381 393n.). On expressions for (restless) movement to and fro, see Macleod; Kurz 1966, 136. ἄλλοτ, ἄλλοτε δ αὖτε: anaphora after the bucolic diaeresis is a popular stylistic device in hexameter poetry, cf. 787 (Bassett 1905, 112 114; Edwards 1987, 60). 11 ὀρθὸς ἀναστάς: an emphasis on his upright posture (= activity) after three reclining positions (10 11a); cf. inter alia 2.42 ἕζετο δ ὀρθωθείς, 15.6 στῆ δ ἄρ ἀναΐξας, 23.101 ταφὼν δ ἀνόρουσεν, in each case from sleep (Kurz 1966, 71). The pregnant coupling of upright and stand (up) are likely of I-E origin (Schmitt 1967, 251 f.). 12a on the beach of the sea: A motif for Achilleus isolation, as at 1.349 f. (see 1.350n.; de Jong on Od. 2.260; Elliger 1975, 66 68). 8 πτολέμους: on the initial πτ-, R 9.2. 9 κατὰ εἶβεν: so-called tmesis (R 20.2). δάκρυον: collective sing. 11 τοτέ: another time. 12 δινεύεσκ(ε) etc.: iterative forms (R 16.5). ἀλύων: be beside oneself (with grief). θῖν(α): acc. sing. of θίς beach. μιν: = αὐτόν (R 14.1). Ἠώς: dawn, Attic Ἕως (cf. R 3).
18 Iliad 24 δινεύεσκ(ε): By means of the iterative/frequentative verbal forms in -σκ- (also 13 λήθεσκεν, 15 δησάσκετο, 17 παυέσκετο, ἔασκεν), the description of the first night after the games which up to this point had been rendered in the imperfect merges seamlessly into the depiction of an action recurring regularly over the course of several days (cf. 31) (also on the divine plane: 23 ἐλεαίρεσκον, 24 ὀτρύνεσκον): AH; Genette (1972/83) 1994, 83 ff. ( iterative narrative ); similarly 1.488 492 with n. On the productivity of -σκ- for word formation, see G 60; Schw. 1.710 712; Wathelet 1973, especially 393 ff.; Puhvel 1991, 13 ff.; Pagniello 2007. Forms in -σκ- are not normally augmented (Pagniello loc. cit. 114 ff.). παρὰ θῖν ἁλός: a formula after caesura B 1: 4 Il., 2 Od., 1 h.hom., of which 4 followed by ἀτρυγέτοιο: from caesura C 2 on, the hexameter can be completed by a simple verse-filling epithet or, alternatively, by a clause that bears meaning (frequently in the form of a new sentence, as here) (Edwards 1966, 172 174; Clark 1997, 107 109; cf. 1.194n., end). 12b 13 The description of the following daybreak is tailored to Achilleus situation (AH; Vivante 1980, 127; Minchin 1985, 272; Kelly 2007, 67): he sleeps uneasily if at all (differently from 23.59 64 and 23.231 f., where he falls asleep from exhaustion) and is already, or still, awake before dawn; he seems almost to be waiting for dawn in order to vent his frustration by dragging Hektor s corpse. Similarly pregnant is the related phrasing at Od. 22.197 f.: Melanthios, suspended from the ceiling, will not be able to sleep because of his uncomfortable position and will thus be the first to catch sight of the dawn (cf. de Jong ad loc.). On morning formulae in general, cf. 695n. across the sea and the beaches: The localization of the dawn is determined by the narrative situation rather than by astronomic realism: the sun rises wherever Achilleus is at the moment (Peppmüller; Leaf on 23.227; Wilamowitz 1916, 508 f.). οὐδὲ λήθεσκεν: negated λανθάνω ( A does not evade B ) is sometimes to be understood pregnantly, as here: B does not disregard A (active perception), likewise at 15.461 f. (Teukros aiming for Hektor) ἀλλ οὐ λῆθε Διὸς νόον, ὅς ῥ ἐφύλασσεν Ἕκτορ(α) (similarly at 331), with a that clause at 23.323 f., 24.563; see Faesi on 23.323 f.; Krischer 1965, 162 f.; Snell 1978, 93 f. 14 2nd VH = 8.402, 8.416, 18.244, Od. 3.478. chariot: Homeric heroes do not ride on horses but instead drive a two-wheeled horse-drawn chariot: Wiesner 1968, 1 ff., 110 ff.; West 2007, 468 (with further bibliography in n. 71); cf. 2.384n. ἐπεὶ ζεύξειεν: an iterative opt. (Chantr. 2.224 f.); with ἐπεί also at 8.269 f., Od. 2.105 (v.l.), 4.222 (v.l.), 24.254. ὑφ ἅρμασιν: locative dat., like ὑπ ὄχεσφιν 23.130, ὑπ 13 ὑπεὶρ ἅλα : to be taken with φαινομένη. ὑπείρ: = ὑπέρ (R 20.1). 14 ὅ γ(ε): on the anaphoric demonstrative pronoun, R 17.
Commentary 19 ἀμάξῃσιν 24.782, ὑπ ἀπήνῃ Od. 6.73 (Chantr. 2.140). On the plural ἅρματα (usually of a single chariot), see 2.775bn. ὠκέας ἵππους: an inflectible VE formula (3.263n.). 15 so as to drag him: The narrator takes for granted the detailed description of the first time Achilleus dragged Hektor s corpse (22.395 405). Ἕκτορα δ ἕλκεσθαι: an emphatic VB with the final infinitive placed before the predicate (cf. ἕλκει in VB 52 and 417; on stressing words by placing them at VB in general, see Edwards, Introd. 42 44). ἕλκεσθαι δησάσκετο δίφρου ὄπισθεν: cf. 22.398 ἐκ δίφροιο δ ἔδησε, κάρη δ ἕλκεσθαι ἔασεν. Middle δησάσκετο probably underscores Achilleus personal interest, his mental investment (Mutzbauer 1909, 190). δίφρου: On the etymology and meaning of δίφρος chariot (platform), see 3.262n. 16 2nd VH = 17.538, 21.28, Od. 24.77; 8.476, 17.120, 17.182, 18.195. Driving around the grave monument recalls the rite, practiced in many cultures in different contexts, of the (usually three or seven-fold) circumambulation (circling, walking around); its diverse functions include aversion of evil, cleansing, taking possession, and veneration (RE s.v. Peridrome). The rite is frequently attested for the cult of the dead; in Homer also at 23.13 f.: the Myrmidons drive their war chariots around the body of Patroklos; Od. 24.68 70: the Achaians move in full armor around Achilleus funeral pyre ( armed dance ). General bibliography on circling a grave: Eitrem 1915, 6 57 (esp. 9 13); Pax 1937, 28 73 (esp. 44 52); Nilsson (1940) 1967, 113 f.; Andronikos 1968, 14 f. The present case is exceptional, in that circling the grave is combined with dragging the body of an opponent: that is a sort of tribute to Patroclus and sign of his yearning for him, as well as a degradation of Hector (Macleod). An analogous practice is attested for 4 th -cent. BC Thessaly (Achilleus homeland); this supposedly represents an old Thessalian custom: Aristotle fr. 389 Gigon; Callimachus fr. 588 Pfeiffer; schol. D on 22.398; Porphyry on 24.15 f.; van der Valk 1963, 398 f.; Sodano 1965, 232 241; Sistakou 2004, 117 f.; Hellmann 2007, 31 34. On pictorial representations of dragging Hektor s corpse, see LIMC s.v. Achilleus pp. 138 ff.; Knauss 2006, 236 238. three times: The number three is widespread in ritual practices (Göbel 1933, 21; Germain 1954, 40; RAC s.v. Drei); it also occurs as a typical number P in Homer in connection with circling at 23.13 f. (see above), Od. 4.277 (Helen walks around the Wooden Horse three times), and is expanded by the motif three times the fourth time in Achilleus pursuit of Hektor (Il. 22.165/208; on the motif in general, Kirk on 5.436 439; Richardson 1990, 26 f.; cf. 399n. on six the seventh ). Menoitios fallen 15 δ(έ): apodotic δέ (R 24.3). ἕλκεσθαι: final-consecutive inf. ὄπισθεν + gen.: behind, here as a postpositive preposition (R 20.2). 16 Μενοιτιάδαο: on the inflection, R 11.1.
20 Iliad 24 son: Menoitios appears in the Iliad only as Patroklos father (frequently as a patronymic). Further information on this character: BNP. tomb: After the cremation of Patroklos body and the recovery of the bones, earth was heaped over the cremation site, which was then surrounded by a circle of stones to form a grave mound (23.236 257; likewise for the burial of Achilleus at Od. 24.71 84, where the bones of Achilleus and Patroklos are interred together; Hektor s grave mound at 797 801 is similar). Mounds erected over cremation burials are attested achaeologically for the Mycenaean and Geometric periods, among others: Andronikos 1968, 107 114; Richardson on 23.245 248. On the grave marker functioning as a memorial (sḗma), Sourvinou-Inwood 1995, 108 ff., esp. 120 f., 131 ff., 139 f.; see also 349n.; 6.419an. θανόντος: The aorist stem θαν- in early epic frequently appears to have a perfect sense (LfgrE s.v. θνήσκω 1045.69 ff.; examples: loc. cit. 1046.51 ff.). 17 ἐνὶ κλισίῃ: Achilleus tent/hut at 448 ff. is described as a massive wooden construction thatched with reed (see 448 456n., 448n.). παυέσκετο: used absolutely, with a pregnant sense: rested again (αὖτις ἐνὶ κλισίῃ picks up on his lying down there at night); post-homeric ἀναπαύεσθαι at Hdt. 1.12, etc. (schol. A and T; LfgrE s.v. αὖτις 1610.27 ff.). τὸν δέ τ ἔασκεν: cf. 16.96 τοὺς δέ τ ἐᾶν. On ἐάω let a dead man lie, see 19.8 9an. τόνδε δ ἔασκεν, the reading of the majority of witnesses, is contradicted by the fact that in Homer ὅδε refers to characters only in direct speech P (e.g. 2.236 VE τόνδε δ ἐῶμεν, 2.346 VB τούσδε δ ἔα) and never in narrator-text P (where only ἥδε ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή 2.5, etc.; τοῖσι ὅδ ἦν νόος 15.699). There was likely originally hiatus here: τὸν δὲ ἔασκεν, or a different form of the verb: τὸν δ ἐάεσκεν, τὸν δ εἴασκεν. Discussion of the variants in Schwartz 1923, 69 f.; Ruijgh 702; Nussbaum 1998, 66 72; West 2001, 276 f. 18 21 Although at 23.184 191 Apollo and Aphrodite protect Hektor s body (by different means: ointment, cloud), only Apollo s actions are described here; this is probably to be interpreted as preparation for his appearance immediately hereafter: Macleod (the supposed contradiction with 23.184 ff., as well as the use of the aegis [20n.], have led to atheteses since antiquity: schol. A and b on 20 21; Richardson; in detail, Lührs 1992, 133 ff.). In the story of Troy, Apollo supports the Trojans (CG 5; 1.9n.; Erbse 1986, 169 184); he receives the aegis from Zeus in order to support them (15.229 f./306 ff./318 ff./360 f.); Hektor in particular is under his protection (7.81 ff., 15.253 ff., 16.712 ff., 22.202 ff., etc.; Paul 1969, 71 74; cf. also 757 759 with n.). Whether Apollo s function as the god of cultic purity also comes into play here (Mueller [1984] 2009, 124; Erbse loc. cit. 183 f.; cf. LfgrE s.v. Apollon 1101.38 ff.) must remain an open question, especially since the notion of contamination via contact with the dead is not 17 ἐνί: = ἐν (R 20.1). τ(ε): epic τε (R 24.11). ἔασκεν: iterative form, let lie each time (R 16.5).
Commentary 21 much present in Homeric epic as a whole (Parker 1983, 66 ff.); in any case, Apollo does wash and anoint Sarpedon s body at the request of Zeus (and has him transferred to his homeland: 16.666 683). In the Iliad, other gods intervene on behalf of deceased individuals as well: Thetis protects Patroklos body from decomposition (19.30 33, 38 f.; cf. 414 415n.), the Uranian gods bury the twelve children of Niobe (24.612); on the moral plane, the gods also vouch for the dead, particularly Hektor at 53 f. and 113 119 (Irmscher 1950, 83 f.; Yamagata 1994, 14 ff., 171 f.). 18 VE = 1.380, h.merc. 297. sprawled on his face in the dust: a perversion of burial rites, as at 23.25 f. (with literal echoes): the prone position dishonors the body (Macleod), and letting it lie on the ground could allow it to fall prey to dogs and birds, cf. 22n. κόνι: The dative ending -ι of i-stems (frequently transmitted as -ει, cf. 707 709n.) is long, cf. 6.335 νεμέσσῑ, 18.407 Θέτῑ, 23.891 δυνάμῑ, 24.141 ἀγύρῑ; here with correption. On i-stems, see G 74; Chantraine (1945) 1961, 85 90. 19 had pity on him: The pity of the gods as a reason for their intervention (2.27n.) is a theme of Book 24 (23, 174, 301, 332). On the Greek notion of pity, see 44n. πᾶσαν: together with πάντα (20) stresses the comprehensive protection provided by Apollo. ἀεικείην ἄπεχε χροΐ: For the construction with the dative, cf. 1.67, Od. 20.263; additional parallels: Schw. 2.146. On the meaning of ἀεικείη, see 22n. 20 1st VH 2nd VH of 17.229; VE 17.243, Hes. Th. 127. Aegis: Its function and appearance vary according to context (2.446b 454n.); here the aigis is probably to be imagined, by analogy with the cloud cover at 23.188 191 (where Apollo s intervention on behalf of the corpse is first mentioned), as a protective cloak (similarly 5.738, 18.204: armor-like cloak); cf. de Romilly 1981, 11; 1997, 216 218. καὶ τεθνηότα περ: i.e. not only in life but also in death, beyond his death ; illustrating the good relationship between Apollo and Hektor (18 21n., 33 35n.); similarly καὶ ἐν θανάτοιό περ αἴσῃ (428, 750). With a slightly different nuance, 35 νέκυν περ ἐόντα, 423 καὶ νέκυός περ ἐόντος (direct speeches P of deities): though he is nothing but a corpse (Bakker 1988, 129). 18 ἐκτανύσας: (ἐκ)τανύω stretch lengthwise (aor. act. part.). τοῖο: anaphoric demonstrative pronoun (R 17), to be taken with χροΐ; on the inflection, R 11.2. 19 ἀεικείην: = αἰκίαν, disfiguration (cf. 22 ἀείκιζεν); on the -η- after -ι-, R 2. φῶτ(α): man. 20 περ: intensifying (R 24.10). τεθνηότα: = τεθνεῶτα (R 3). περὶ κάλυπτεν: so-called tmesis (R 20.2). αἰγίδι: instrumental dat. πάντα: masc., him as a whole.
22 Iliad 24 21 23.187. golden: It is golden, because divine things are characteristically golden (Macleod; likewise the drinking vessel at 101, Hermes shoes at 341); of the aegis also at 2.448 (golden tassels; see ad loc.) and 17.594 (marmaréē gleaming like metal ). ἀποδρύφοι: Although apparently taken as a present tense in the post-homeric period (schol. D on 23.187; Sophocles fr. 416 Radt [with Radt ad loc.]; Xanthakis-Karamanos 1985/89, 270; Beekes), this is perhaps a thematic aorist (effective) that exists beside the sigmatic aorist δρυψ- at 16.324, etc.: LfgrE s.v. δρύπτω; Richardson on 23.187; undecided DELG. ἑλκυστάζων: an intensive-expressive form of ἕλκω (as ῥυστάζω vis-à-vis (ἐ)ρύω at 755, μιμνάζω vis-à-vis μίμνω at 2.392n.; Chantr. 1.338). χρυσείῃ: Like other Greek material adjectives (e.g. χάλκεος, σιδήρεος), χρύσεος shows prosodic and metrical flexibility: -ειος rather than -εος (χρύσειος in Book 24 also at 341, 795; σιδήρειος 205 521), synizesis (χρύσεον καλὸν δέπας 101, perhaps also the VB χρυσέῳ ἐν δέπαϊ at 285 [alternatively: correption]), contraction (VE χρυσῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ at 699). The lengthened form in -ειος is here probably originally the result of metrical necessity: Schmid 1950, esp. 11 22; Risch 131 134 (differently Lindeman 1965: an analogy with adjectives derived from s-stems, such as κήδειος; Ruijgh 1967, 234: an analogy with the variation βαθέα/βαθεῖα). Further bibliography: Chantr. 1.65 f. (on synizesis); West 1998, XXXVIf. (on χρυσῆ). The suffix of material adjectives is characterized by a multitude of forms also in Mycenean (e.g. MYC s.v. χαλκός): Risch (1976) 1981; Heubeck 1985; Hajnal 1994. 22 76 The gods debate the appropriate response to Achilleus behavior. Apollo advocates for Hektor, Hera for Achilleus (because of the insult she suffered in the Judgment of Paris). Zeus mediates: Achilleus will be made to return Hektor s corpse in exchange for a ransom. 22 1st VH 50; 2nd VH 54. outraged: How far Achilleus actions violate the norm, or indeed stay within the norm, in the narrator s portrayal of events (see below), is a matter of dispute; in any case, the undeterred, reckless repetition of dragging Hektor brings about divine intervention and thus ultimately a solution to the deadlock. The Greek verb aeíkizen (impf., he sought to disfigure ) apparently contains no moral criticism in and of itself (Richardson on 22.395; Griffin 1980, 85 n. 9; van Wees 1992, 129 f., with further bibliography in n. 132; cf. v. 417 f.); in the Iliad, it denotes, like the noun aeikeíē (19), physical damage (mutilation, disfigurement) to a corpse after the removal of the armor (especially as an impulse action: 16.545 547 for revenge, 16.558 561 in triumph), rendering a dignified burial impossible (22.395 404, cf. 22.256 259). The most commonly mentioned form of the practice, although usually only as a threat, 21 χρυσείῃ, ἵνα: on the hiatus, R 5.6. μιν: = αὐτόν (R 14.1). ἀποδρύφοι: scratch to pieces, tear apart (opt.). 22 ὥς: so, thus.
Commentary 23 is abandoning a corpse to be prey for dogs and scavenging birds (1.4n., 2.393n., 22.42 f., etc.; cf. 19.24 ff. [maggots]; collection of examples in Kelly 2007, 315 317; Near Eastern parallels in Rollinger 1996, 178 181); cutting off the head and other body parts also occurs in the Iliad (11.146, 17.39, 17.126, 18.176 f., 18.334 f.; cf. 14.496 ff.). Hektor s body remains unspoiled (partly, of course, because of divine intervention: 23.184 ff.; cf. 411 423n.), although Achilleus himself announced repeatedly that he would leave the body for the dogs and birds to consume (22.335 f., 22.348, 22.354, 23.21, 23.182 f.; initially, the narrator omits a signal that it will not come to that: Bowra 1952, 324; Morrison 1992, 89; cf. the concerns, still in Book 24, of Hekabe at 211 and Priam at 409). That Achilleus chose to drag the body about allows for different interpretations: this is (a) a personal ritual to overcome powerful emotions (grief, thirst for revenge) on the basis of an old rite (see 16n.); (b) retaliation for Hektor s intent regarding Patroklos body, in accord with the ius talionis (17.125 127: dragging, decapitation, leaving to the dogs; Achilleus is informed of this by Iris at 18.175 177; see Porphyry on 24.15 f.; schol. D on 22.398; Reichel 1994, 193); (c) a contrasting background against which to view Achilleus constructive behavior later in the Book (his consent to the release of Hektor s body, his pity for Priam) and Hektor s dignified burial at the end of the Iliad (cf. 33 54n.). For details on common practices by victors (mutilation of corpses) and a (comparatively lenient) evaluation of Achilleus conduct against this background, Bassett 1933; de Romilly 1981; 1997, 193 213; Vernant (1982) 2001, 332 341; Cerri 1986, especially 6 ff., 28 ff.; Lendon 2000, 3 11; differently Segal 1971, passim, especially 9 ff. (according to whom the maltreatment of Hektor s body represents the climax of the spiral of violence in the final third of the Iliad). ὣς ὃ μέν: a typical introduction to a summary P that here prepares a change of scene P, as commonly elsewhere; the impf. signals that the actions narrated sequentially overlap temporally (1.318an.; cf. Richardson 1990, 31 33, and de Jong on Od., Introd. XII: appositive summary ). At the same time, the phrasing Ἕκτορα δῖον ἀείκιζεν reaches back to the beginning of the storyline concerning ἀεικείη (22.395 = 23.24): ἦ ῥα, καὶ Ἕκτορα δῖον ἀεικέα μήδετο ἔργα. Ἕκτορα δῖον: an inflectible formula, only in the Iliad (acc.: 2 VB, 6 in verse middle, 19 VE; dat.: 11 VE). δῖος is a generic epithet P (1.7n.), with a combining of contrasting terms (δῖον ἀεικ-) noticeable here and at 22.395/23.24 (AH on 22.395 [transl.]); on epithets for Hektor as a whole, see Wathelet s.v. Ἕκτωρ 472 474. μενεαίνων: a denominative related to μένος urge, (aggressive) energy (cf. 19.58n.); here often understood as in anger vel sim. (Peppmüller; AH), but perhaps to be interpreted more broadly in the sense have an unquenchable desire, act on impulse, i.e. in his rage vel sim.
24 Iliad 24 23 The blessed gods: a formula between caesurae B 1 and C 2 (5 Il., 6 Od., 2 Hes.); the epithet implies living safely and without care (1.339n.; cf. 526n.). as they looked: a smooth change of scene P /setting via introduction of a character B (here: the gods) who is observing character A in the foreground of the action (here: Hektor); frequently in changes to the divine plane, where the gods appear as spectators of important events and discuss what they observe (and intervene); see 19.340n. for examples and bibliography. Here the change is also prepared by a description of the protective measures taken by Apollo (18b 21). τὸν δ ἐλεαίρεσκον εἰσορόωντες: variant (in the impf.) of 15.12 τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ἐλέησε etc. On iterative/frequentative verbal forms in -σκ-, see 12an.; here: ἐλεαίρεσκον, 24 ὀτρύνεσκον; the other verbs are impf. (22 ἀείκιζεν, 25 ἑήνδανεν, 27 ἔχον). 24 109. to steal the body: a summary rendering of a multiplicity of speeches of more or less similar content (de Jong [1987] 2004, 115 f.; cf. 19.304n.); only the decisive counsel at 31 76 is reported in extenso (see ad loc.; cf. principle of elaborate narration P ). Argeïphontes: = Hermes (CG 17). On Argeïphóntēs, probably an old title, see 2.103n. and LfgrE: the original meaning is uncertain, in Homer likely Slayer of Argos. Hermes is expressly marked as the god of theft at Od. 19.396 f. (with Rutherford ad loc.) and in the (post-homeric) hymn to Hermes (h.merc. 18, 68 ff.). But in what follows here, he will contribute to the return of Hektor by different means: 153n. κλέψαι: here implies cunning and secrecy (72 λάθρῃ) but not theft as a criminal offense, thus: to secretly remove from Achilleus, misappropriate (AH; cf. Luther 1935, 109; Burkert [1977] 1985, 157); the same verb is used to describe Hermes rescuing the tied-up Ares (5.390 f.: ἐξέκλεψεν). In contrast, the divine removal from battle of heroes at risk is usually described by ἁρπάζω (3.380 f., 16.436 f., 20.443 f., 21.597) or σαόω (35n.), occasionally also ὑπεκφέρω (5.318/377); on the motif of divine removal, Kullmann 1956, 125 131. ἐΰσκοπον Ἀργεϊφόντην: an inflectible VE formula (nom./dat./acc. 2 Il., 2 Od., 3 h.hom.), a prosodic alternative to the VE formula διάκτορος Ἀργ. (339, etc.; see 2.103n.). As an epithet of Hermes, ἐΰσκοπος means the good scout rather than the unerring one (LfgrE; differently of Artemis in reference to the bow at Od. 11.198 f.). Additional epithets: κρατύς (345n.), Κυλλήνιος (post-homeric), χρυσόρραπις (343n.); Ἀργ. as an free-standing name for Hermes without epithet: 153, 182. On the noun-epithet system Hermes in its entirety, see Janko 1982, 21 ff.; Dee 1994, 56 ff. 25 26 The antithesis all others, but not a variant of the motif all others x, (only) A y serves to characterize the highlighted characters and signals a turn in the action (2.1 6n.): ultimately, the opposition of the three gods here 23 ἐλεαίρεσκον: iterative form (R 16.5). εἰσορόωντες: on the epic diectasis, R 8. 24 κλέψαι: sc. Hektor s body.
Commentary 25 facilitates the far better solution to the problem later proposed by Zeus (109 111; Scodel 2002, 144). Early epic frequently hints at possible alternatives to the actual course of action, e.g. in if-not -situations P (2.155 156n.), scenes of deliberation (1.188b 194n.), or different kinds of confrontations, e.g. declined requests, as here (on the keyword [did not] please, [did not] approve, cf. 1.22 25, Od. 3.141 144, 10.373 f.), but also threats (1.169 171 [with n.], 24.568 570/583 586), etc.; see Richardson 1990, 187 ff. to Hera nor Poseidon, nor the girl of the grey eyes: Hera and Athene (CG 16 and 8) are in the Iliad fully on the side of the Achaians (a consequence of the Judgement of Paris: 27 30n.), as is Poseidon (since Hektor s grandfather Laomedon cheated him out of his wage for building the city walls: 21.441 ff.; CG 23; Erbse 1986, 102 ff.); these three divinities are also mentioned together at 1.400, 20.33 f. (cf. 15.213 f., 20.112 115) and actively intervene in battle on behalf of the Achaians. On sets of three gods in general, 2.478 479n. 25 ἔνθ ἄλλοις μὲν πᾶσιν: an inflectible VB formula (3 Il. [also at 1.22 = 1.376], 9 Od.); on the continuation with οὐδέ, 1.318bn. ἔνθ(α): sometimes not of a precise moment in time, as e.g. 1.22 ( then : an immediate reaction to a speech), but in reference to an entire situation: regarding this, in this case, in these circumstances (LfgrE s.v. 590.9 ff., esp. 34 ff.). ἑήνδανεν: pleased (literally was sweet, pleasant : related to ἡδύς; see 1.24n.), of agreement with a suggestion. The subject inf. that belongs to the verb must be supplied from what precedes (κλέψαι). On the form of the imperfect, see LfgrE s.v. 799.21 ff.: ἑήν- rather than *ἐ(ϝ)άνδανεν, probably via the influence of Attic ἥνδανεν. 26 1st VH 20.34, Od. 8.344, Hes. Th. 15 (VB τοῦ δέ etc. Od. 4.505, 7.61 and 5 Hes. ). Ποσειδάων(ι): elision of -ι is relatively rare in early epic: G 30; La Roche 1869, 110 ff.; van Leeuwen (1894) 1918, 75 77; Guilleux 2001. γλαυκώπιδι κούρῃ: Od. 2.433 Διὸς γλαυκώπιδι κούρῃ: a variant in the dative of the VE formula γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη (on this, 1.206n.; cf. the VE formulae Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο and κούρῃ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο: 6.304n.); similarly in verse middle before caesura C 2 κούρῃ γλαυκώπιδι καὶ Διὶ πατρί (Od. 24.518, beside the more common Ἀθηναίῃ γλαυκώπιδι, likewise before C 2; see 6.88n.). γλαυκῶπις by itself is used as an intimate address by Zeus 3 in Il. 8 and by Odysseus at Od. 13.389, in narrator-text at Od. 6.47, h.hom. 28.10: certain epithets can stand by themselves for a divine name, thus also ἐριούνιος for Hermes (360n.); see Hainsworth on Od. 6.47. On γλαυκῶπις bright-eyed, see 1.206n. with bibliography; also Deacy/Villing 2004 and Grand-Clément 2011, 399 403 (with various attempts to relate γλαυκῶπις to Athene s character). 25 ἑήνδανεν: Attic ἥνδανεν (impf.). μὲν οὐδέ: although but not. οὐδέ ποτε: but never whenever this suggestion was made (cf. R 24.8). 26 κούρῃ: = Athene; on the form, R 2 and 4.1 2.
26 Iliad 24 27 30 In the chronology of the myth, the Judgement of Paris belongs to the beginning of the story of Troy (external completing analepsis P : Richardson 1990, 103 with n. 29; cf. STR 23 Fig. 3); within the Epic Cycle, it was narrated in detail in the Cypria (Proclus Chrest. 1 West; cf. Cypr. fr. 5 f. West). The Judgement of Paris is mentioned in the Iliad only here; it provides the reason why Hera and Athene tolerate or even approve the maltreatment of Hektor s corpse: principle of ad hoc-narration P (Erbse 1986, 196 f.). Knowledge of the episode is nonetheless assumed for the entire Iliad and especially for the divine factions (4.5 ff., 5.418 ff., 21.418 ff.; cf. also 6.288 295n.): CH 8 s.v. Paris; Reinhardt (1938) 1997 ( Without the Judgement of Paris, there is no Iliad : loc. cit. 187 [transl.]); Kullmann 1960, 236 ff.; Stinton (1965) 1990, 17 ff.; Walcot 1977; Kullmann (1986) 1992, 393 f.; Latacz (2001) 2004, 197 f. But in the causal chain, the narrator keeps it in the background in favor of the bow-shot of Pandaros (4.86 168), by means of which he develops dramatically the disaster hanging over Troy in the Iliad itself (Schadewaldt [1938] 1966, 154 n. 1 [transl.]; see also Drerup 1921, 360 n. 1 and 450 n. 3; Irmscher 1950, 43 f.; van der Valk 1953, 17). Allusions to stories from the Trojan and other myth cycles are common in Homer (Calhoun 1939; Kullmann 1960, 5 11; Schwinge 1991, 497 f.; Burgess 2001, 47 f. and 209 n. 1; on allusions to the prehistory of the Trojan War and to the first nine years of the war specifically, see Kullmann loc. cit. 227 302; Friedrich 1975, 81 f. with 188 n. 217 223; Book 24 is particularly rich in references to stories that take place before or after the Iliad itself: Mackie 2013). Such allusions have often been suspected as interpolations; criticism probably unjustified has been expressed since antiquity of the entire section from 23 on, sometimes for linguistic reasons (e.g. because of the use of the terms insult, courtyard, lust [29 f. with nn.]), sometimes on moral-theological grounds (the theft in 24 [but see ad loc.], the evaluation of divinities by a mortal), sometimes because of content: Poseidon (26) has no connection with the Judgement of Paris, and in any case Homer mentions the Judgement of Paris nowhere else (Aristarchus according to schol. bt on 23 and schol. A on 25 30; on this, Beck 1964, 129 138; Richardson on 23 30. West 2001, 12, athetizes 29 f.; see also app. crit.). Further discussion of the history and motifs of the myth of the Judgement of Paris in Stinton loc. cit. 17 ff., 56 ff.; Davies 2003. On pictorial depictions, LIMC s.v. Paridis Iudicium; Kaeser 2006. The phrasing of 27 30 is expressed subjectively: narrator commentary (Richardson 1990, 145 with n. 11) or even secondary focalization P from the view-point of the two goddesses concerned (de Jong [1987] 2004, 84; Scodel 2002, 143 f.). The following words are character language P : (ἀπ)εχθάνομαι (elsewhere in Homer only at 3.454 in narrator-text), ἕνεκα (de Jong loc. cit. 120; cf. Porzig 1942, 169), ἄτη (in Homer 21 in direct
Commentary 27 speech P, 4 in narrator-text P [elsewhere at 16.805, 24.480, Od. 15.233]; see Cairns 2012, 17 f.). Cf. 29n. (νείκεσσε), 30n. ( lust ). 27 VB 12.433, 13.679, Hes. Th. 425; on the 2nd VH, see 27b 28an. ἔχον: persisted, remained, from intransitive ἔχω withstand, remain ; cf. 12.433, 13.557, 13.679 (LfgrE s.v. 839.71 ff., 844.59 ff.). πρῶτον: from the first, once and for all ; emphasizes the irreversibility of the situation (1.319n., cf. 1.6n.). ἀπήχθετο: The form can be interpreted as impf. (in the sense be hated by someone ) or as aor. ( incur someone s hatred ); see Mutzbauer 1893, 97 f.; Chantr. 1.394. Ἴλιος ἱρή: an inflectible VE formula (nom./ acc./gen. 21 Il., 2 Od.; sometimes with a preposition: 143n.). On ἱερός as a generic epithet of cities, particularly Troy, see 1.38n.; West on Od. 1.2; here possibly with the effect of a contrast to hated by the gods. 27b 28a = 8.551b 552a; 4.46 47a, 4.164 165a, 6.448 449a (all with the continuation ἐϋμμελίω Πριάμοιο). 28 Paris: CH 8; often called Alexandros in the Greek text, as here, 3.16n. delusion: Greek átē indicates a stimulus for foolish action with catastrophic consequences (on this in detail, 1.412n. and 19.88n.; cf. also 480). In the parallel passages 3.100 and 6.356, the reference is ostensibly to Helen s abduction by Paris, whereas here the delusion is related to the preceding event in the myth, the Judgement of Paris (explicative function of 29 f.). λαός: Referring to the entire population, including women and children (1n.): the royal family and the inhabitants of Troy are affected to the same degree by the war, similarly at 3.50 f., 6.282 f. (with 6.283n.), 24.715, and the iterata (27b 28an.); cf. Macleod on 27 8. Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκ ἄτης: = 6.356; 3.100 (ἀρχῆς); on the vacillation of the transmission between ἀρχῆς and ἄτης, see 6.356n. In the present passage, ἄτης is better attested in the tradition and more appropriate in terms of content (Macleod on 27 28; West 2001, 198): a negative portrayal of Paris. Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκ(α): Hiatus without correption after a long vowel or diphthong in the 5th longum is common in early epic (see 3.100n.). 29 2nd VH = Od. 10.435. in his courtyard: In the Cypria, Mt. Ida is the scene of the Judgement of Paris (Procl. Chrest. 1 West; Stinton [1965] 1990, 29, 61 f.). This may presuppose a version of the myth in which the infant Paris was exposed on Mt. Ida and raised by herdsmen (cf. schol. D on 3.325; BNP s.v. Paris). At the same time, other princes also work on Ida as shepherds, e.g. Antiphos son of Priam at 11.104 ff. and Aineias at 20.188 f. (so too Demokoon son of Priam in Abydos [4.499 f.] and Melanippos, a nephew of Priam in Perkote on the Hellespont [15.547 f.]). Agriculture and the animal husbandry, at any rate, form 27 ὡς: as. σφιν: = αὐτοῖς (R 14.1). ἀπήχθετο (ϝ)ίλιος: on the prosody, R 4.3. ἱρή: = ἱερά. 29 νείκεσσε: on the -σσ-, R 9.1. ὅτε (ϝ)οι: on the prosody, R 4.3. οἱ: = αὐτῷ (R 14.1). μέσσαυλον: terminal acc. without preposition (R 19.2).