A Reading Course in Homeric Greek, Book 2

A Reading Course in Homeric Greek

3. NOTES

1 ἔνθα “there”, i.e., on the island of Scheria, home of the Phaeacians. At 5. 29-42 we are told

that in this place Odysseus is destined to escape from his wanderings.

6 σφεας should be scanned as one syllable (synizesis; §35).

7 ἔνθεν ἀναστήσας ἄγε Ναυσίθοος : ἀναστήσας is aor. act. m. nom sg. ptc. of ἀν-ίστημι

with the understood obj. Φαίηκας or “his people.” Translate “having removed his people

from there Nausithous led them...” Ναυσίθοος means “swift in ships.” You will notice that

many of the Phaeacian names have nautical etymologies. Nausithous is a descendant of

Poseidon, and, besides being the father of the current Phaeacian King Alcinous, he is also

the grandfather of Queen Arete.

8 ἀλφηστάων : for the declension of ἀλφηστής see New Grammar below, §4.

9 πόλει “for (the benefit of) the city.”

5 Κυκλώπων ἀνδρῶν ὑπερηνορεόντων : Before we meet any of the Phaeacians, we

are told that they, much like Odysseus, are the ethical antitheses of the Cyclopes,

who were once their neighbors (3-6). The Phaeacians, like Odysseus, do not excel

in physical force, and the Cyclopes are more powerful (βίηφι δὲ φέρτεροι ἦσαν,

6); to escape the violent harassment of the Cyclopes, the Phaeacians migrated to

Scheria (5-8). Besides this instance, the verb ὑπερηνορέω is used of those ultimate

antagonists of Odysseus, the suitors; the word is used in the context of their

disrespectful behavior towards Telemachus and Odysseus (2. 266, 324, 331; 4. 766;

17. 581, 21. 361, 401, etc.).


18. NEW GRAMMAR: First Declension Masculine

Masculines of the first declension are declined like feminines except in the nominative, genitive

and vocative singular

Singular Plural

N. ἀλφηστής ἀλφησταί

G. ἀλφηστᾱ ́ο, -εω ἀλφηστᾱ ́ων

D. ἀλφηστῇ ἀλφηστῇσι, -ῇς

A. ἀλφηστήν ἀλφηστᾱ ́ς

V. ἀλφηστᾱ ́ ἀλφησταί

Note: Attic Greek has ἀλφηστοῦ in gen. sg.