[300]
[301] τόδε: refers to vs. 303 ff., and thus to vs. 308 ff.
[302] μή: as hypothetical. The only instance in Homer of “μή” with the ind. in a cond. rel. clause; cf. v. 143.
ἔβαν φέρουσαι: see on 1.391, cf. “κῆρες ἔβαν κτλ”. | “εἰς Ἀίδαο δόμους ξ” 207 f.[303] χθιζά τε καὶ πρωιζά: proverbial of an event still well remembered. For “τε καί”, see § 3 s.
Αὐλίδα: a Boeotian harbor on the Euripus, opposite Chalcis in Euboea, where the Achaean forces gathered, in order to set sail together for Troy. This place and the muster of the troops there received greater prominence in the later stories of this Trojan expedition.[304] ἠγερέθοντο: descriptive impf., cf. 1.25.
[305] ἡμεῖς δέ: independent sent. explaining “ὅτε κτλ”. v. 303.
ἀμφὶ περί: on both sides around, round about. Such a spring is still shown at Aulis. κατὰ βωμούς: cf. “κατὰ στρατόν” etc., see on 1.318; the numerous altars of the different tribes occupied considerable space. Evidently the Greeks had no temple there, or it would have been mentioned. As in the earliest times of their religion, the woods are their temples.[307] πλατανίστῳ: the plane tree, highly valued by the orientals, which often shades springs and streams. A fragment of this tree was shown as a holy relic in the temple of Artemis, in the time of Hadrian, see “πλατάνου δὲ ἧς καὶ Ὅμηρος ἐν Ἰλιάδι ἐποιήσατο μνήμην, τὸ ἔτι τοῦ ξύλου περιὸν φυλάσσουσιν ἐν τῷ ναῷ. . . . δείκνυται δὲ καὶ” “ἡ πηγὴ παῤ ἣν ἡ πλάτανος ἐπεφύκει, καὶ ἐπὶ λόφου πλησίον τῆς Ἀγαμέμνονος σκηνῆς οὐδὸς χαλκοῦ” Paus. ix. 19. 7.
[308] ἔνθα: then, repeats the idea of “χθιζά τε κτλ”. v. 303.
δράκων: appositive asyndeton. δαφοινός: all blood red. “δα” is a strengthening prefix as in “δάσκιος, δαψιλής”, equiv. to the prefix “ζα” which is found in “ζαής, ζάθεος, ζάκοτος, ζατρεφής, ζαφλεγής”. cf. “φοινήεντα δράκοντα Μ” 202.[309] Ὀλύμπιος: see on 1.353, cf. v. 324.
[310] βωμοῦ ὑπαΐξας: darting from under the altar.
ῥά: points back to “εὖ γὰρ δὴ τόδε ἴδμεν”.[311] νήπια τέκνα: tender children (fledglings), cf. “μήτηρ” v. 313 of the mother-bird; the words of human relationship being used.
[312] ὑποπεπτηῶτες: crouched under, cf. “κείμην πεπτηώς ξ” 354.
[313] ὀκτώ: part of the wonder, since sparrows generally lay only four or five eggs. The numbers receive prominence since the interpretation of the omen rests only on the equal number of sparrows and years of war. cf. Pharaoh's dream with its seven fat kine for seven years of plenty, and seven lean kine for seven years of famine, Gen. xli.
μήτηρ, ἣ τέκε: for the epexegesis, see § 1 t.[314] ἐλεεινά: cognate acc., adv. with “τετριγῶτας”.
τετριγῶτας: for the tense, see on v. 264.[315] ἀμφεποτᾶτο ὀδυρομένη: for the hiatus, see on v. 211.
τέκνα: obj. of the finite verb.[316] ἐλελιξάμενος: coiling itself, in order thus to strike the bird with greater force, cf. “κυάνεος ἐλέλικτο δράκων Λ” 39.
ἀμφιαχυῖαν: repeats concisely the verb and partic. of v. 315.[317] “κατὰ ἔφαγε: κατά” as in “κατήσθιε” v. 314, “κατακαίω, κατασβέννυμι, κατατήκω”.
[318] ἀρίζηλον: neut. adj. as subst., cf. v. 204; pred. after “θῆκεν”. Made this to be something very clear, i.e. a sign from the gods.
ὄς περ: the same god who. ἔφηνεν: equiv. to “ἧκε φόωσδε” v. 309.[319] λᾶαν γάρ μιν ἔθηκε: made it a stone, turned it to stone; as Zeus did men 24.611 ff., and Poseidon did the Phaeacian ship Od. 13.156 ff. cf. fit lapis et superat serpentis imagine saxum Ovid. Met. xii. 23.
[320] cf. 24.394.
οἷον ἐτύχθη: what had happened; excl. giving the contents and reason of “θαυμάζομεν”, cf. “Ζεῦ πάτερ οὐ νεμεσίζῃ” (angry) “Ἄρει τάδε καρτερὰ ἔργα”; | “ὁσσάτιόν τε καὶ οἷον ἀπώλεσε λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν Ε 758, Π” 173.[321] δεινὰ πέλωρα: dire portents, the serpent with its deeds and its petrifaction.
εἰσῆλθε: followed by an acc. as “πείνη” (famine) “δ̓ οὔ ποτε δῆμον ἐσέρχεται ο” 407.[322] cf. 1.109.
[323] ἄνεῳ ἐγένεσθε: became mute.
[324] ἡμῖν: emphatic.—“μέν: μήν. —τόδε”: obj., with “τέρας μέγα” as pred.
[325] ὄψιμον ὀψιτέλεστον: for the repetition of “ὀψέ”, see § 1 s; for the asyndeton, cf. 1.99, § 2 l.
ὅου κλέος: because of the fulfilment of the prophecy. For the form “ὅου”, see on v. 518, § 17 c. 327 = v. 313.—This verse is repeated since the numeral adjs. are most important for the interpretation of the omen.[328] πτολεμίξομεν: Att. “πολεμιοῦμεν”, as from a “γ”-stem; see § 30 k.
αὖθι: i.e. before Ilios, like “αὐτοῦ” v. 237.[329] τῷ δεκάτῳ: the art. calls attention to this as the decisive year, on that tenth, “then, in the tenth year.” cf. “ἔνθα μὲν εἰνάετες πολεμίζομεν υἷες Ἀχαιῶν”, | “τῷ δεκάτῳ δὲ πόλιν Πριάμου πέρσαντες ἔβημεν ι οἴκαδε σὺν νήεσσι ξ” 240 f.
τῶς: thus, as 3.415; related to the more usual “ὥς”, as the Homeric “τοί” to “οἱ”, see § 24 i. τὰ . . . τελεῖται: as “β 176, ε 302, ν” 178.[331] ἄγε: as interjection, with pl., see on 1.62.
[332] ἄστυ: the “πόλιν” of v. 329. The poet's choice between the two words is often determined by the convenience of his verse, § 4 c f. Strictly “ἄστυ” is the city considered as made up of dwellings, while “πόλις” is the city as the ‘county seat,’ the central point of the territory.
[333] “ἀμφὶ δὲ κτλ”.: paratactic clause to express result, see § 3 q; so that the ships resounded etc. Parenthetical as “Α 10, Γ 134, 410; ἐπαινήσαντες” v. 335 refers not to “Ἀχαιῶν” v. 334 but to “Ἀργεῖοι” v. 333.
334 = 16.277.—“ἀυσάντων κτλ”.: from the shout etc. For the gen. see § 3 f “γ”.[335] ἐπαινήσαντες: adds the reason for the shout, cf. “Θ 29, ἐπίαχον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν ι μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι Ι” 50 f.
Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο: standing verseclose, see §§ 1 q, 4 c.