[75]
[77] ἠμαθόεντος, formation, § 35, § 159.
[80] Protasis of past contrary to fact—or “unreal past”—condition (GG. 649).
ἔνισπεν, second aorist of “ἐνέπω”, ‘tell.’[81] ‘We should call it a deceit [on the part of an unfriendly god], and should retire rather’ than credit it; i. e. should turn our backs upon it On this use of the potential optative see § 207.
[86] σκηπτοῦχοι βασιλῆες, see note on A 234.
ἐπεσσεύοντο, on double “ς” see § 39.[87] ἠύτε, ‘even as’; see note on A 359.
εἶσι, sometimes, as here, has a present meaning in Homer (not future, as in Attic). μελισσάων, spelling, § 56. ἁδινάων, a word of uncertain derivation: ‘restless,’ ‘murmuring.’ Here, ‘murmuring bees’; for other shades of meaning see notes on 16.481, 18.124, 316.[88] αἰεὶ νέον ἐρχομενάων, ‘always pouring forth anew’; ‘with ever fresh flights.’
[89] ἐπ᾽ ἄνθεσιν would be “ἐπ᾽ ἄνθη” (accusative) in Attic prose.
εἰαρινοῖσιν, formation, § 35.[90] αἳ μέν ... αἳ δέ, translate as in Attic (GG. 549 a).
-τε marks the general character of the statement. πεποτήαται, form, § 142.4, a; meaning, § 187.[91] τῶν, an important word, ‘of them.’ the Achaeans.
[93] ὄσσα δεδήει (“δαίω”, on tense, § 188), ‘rumor was ablaze,’ spread like fire.
[95] τετρήχει (tense, § 188), “ταράσσω”.
[96] σφεας, enclitic pronoun, § 110; to be read as one syllable, § 43.
[98] σχοίατ᾽（ο), syntax, § 198. 1. So, too, ἀκούσειαν.
ἐρήτυθεν, Attic ending? § 136.8.[103] ἀργεϊφόντῃ, epithet of Hermes: this may scarcely be translated ‘slayer of Argus,’ for Homer does not show any knowledge of the story of Io, which was probably later. In fact. “διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης” belongs to a list of holy formulas, not in every instance clearly understood by the Greeks themselves, but probably inherited from very ancient ritual songs. Others are: “πότνια Ἥρη, νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς, δῖα θεάων, δοτῆρες ἐάων, Ἑρμείας ἀκάκητα, κυδίστη Τριτογένεια”. It has been suggested that ‘the bright-appearing’ (cf. “ἀργής” and “φαίνω”) was possibly the original sense of ‘argeïphontes.’
[106] Thyestes was a brother of Atreus and after the latter's death succeeded to the kingship during the minority of Agamemnon.
[107] Θυέστ᾽（α), § 67; = “Θυέστης.”
φορῆναι, form, § 131; syntax, § 211.[108] Ἄργεϊ παντί, the whole Peloponnesus. See note on A 79.
ἀνάσσειν, in same construction as “φορῆναι”.