A Reading Course in Homeric Greek
- NOTES
427 ἐπὶ : adv., with ἦλθε (“came on”).
428 ὄφρ’ ... ἀναμετρήσαιμι : This is a secondary sequence purpose construction, but the clause
expresses something closer to a result (Cf. §25).
429 ἀνιόντι : dat. ptc. of ἄν-ειμι; for forms of εἶμι, see §8.
431 ἡ : Charybdis.
432 ἐρινεὸν : cf. 12. 103, above. ἀερθείς : aor. pass. ptc. of ἀείρω.
433 προσφὺς : nom. m. sg. aor. ptc. of προσ-φύω. εἶχον : ἔχω with the infinitive can mean “I
have the power (to do).” The infinitives are in the next line.
434 στηρίξαι : should be translated as a reflexive, even though it is not middle. ποσὶν =
πόδεσσιν (nom. πούς). ἔμπεδον : adv.
435 εἶχον is intransitive here and means “extended” or “stretched.”
437 ὄφρ’ is temporal (anticipatory).
440 αἰζηῶν is a substantive here (“[of] vigorous men”).
441 ἐξεφαάνθη : 3 sg. aor. pass. of ἐκ-φαίνω.
442 ἧκα : from ἵημι (§473, in Book 1), meaning here “I let go.” χεῖρε : acc. dual. φέρεσθαι :
infinitive of purpose (§25, above and §588 in Book 1).
443 παρὲξ : prep. with acc. περιμήκεα δοῦρα (“just past the long beams”).
444 τοῖσι : the beams (δοῦρα, 443).
445 Σκύλλην δ’ : The δέ here picks up the μέν of 431.
453 εἰρημένα : n. acc. pl. pf. ptc. pass. of εἴρω : “(things) said.”αἰζηός, -ή, -όν vigorous
ἀνα-μετρέω, — , ἀνα-μέτρησα I measure my way
again to, I retrace my course to [+ acc.]
ἀνα-ρρυβδέω, — , ἀνα-ρρύβδησα I swallow (down)
ἄν-ειμι I go up, I rise
ἀπήωρος, -η, -ον raised high and far in the air
ἀριζήλως [adv.] clearly, plainly
αὐδήεις, -εσσα, -εν using (mortal) speech
δι-ερέσσω, —, δι-ήρεσ(σ)α I paddle through the
water
δικάζομαι I plead my cause, I seek a judgment
ἐέλδομαι I long
ἑκάς [adv.] far (away)
ἐκ-φαίνω, etc. I bring to light; [in pass.] I appear, I
come into view from [+ gen.]
ἐν-δουπέω, — , ἐν-δούπησα I make a thud in
falling into [+ dat.]
ἐξ-εμέω, — , ἐξ-έμεσα I disgorge
ἐρῑνεός, -ου [m.] wild fig treeΚαλυψώ, -οῦς [f.] Calypso [nymph who lived on
the island Ogygia]
κατα-σκιάω I cast a shadow over [+ acc.]
κομέω I look after
μῡθολογεύω I tell of, I describe
νυκτερίς, -ίδος [f.] a bat
νωλεμέως [adv.] without cease
ὄζος, -ου [m.] a branch, a shoot
ὀψέ [adv.] late, at length
παννύχιος, -η, -ον all the night long
πῃ [adv.] in any way, anywhere
προσ-φύω, προσ-φύσω, πρόσ-φῡσα I cling to
[+ d at .]
ῥίζα, -ης [f.] a root
στηρίζω, — , στήριξα I set, I fix
τῆμος [adv.] at that time [correlative with ἦμος]
ὑπ-εκ-φεύγω, etc. I flee out from under, I escape
χθιζός [adv.] yesterday437- 4 46 The first time Odysseus faced Scylla and Charybdis, he armed himself in the hope
that he might have the power to resist them (12. 227-230), despite Circe’s assertion
that his mere mortal prowess (ἀλκή, 120) would be inadequate against these divine
powers. But now he can no longer do that and furthermore understands that it would
be of no use. Instead, Odysseus survives though patience; the words he uses here
(νωλεμέως δ’ ἐχόμην...) are very close to the words he uses to describe his inexorable
grip under the belly of Polyphemus’ ram (νωλεμέως στρεφθείς ἐχόμην, 9. 435).