A Reading Course in Homeric Greek
- NOTES
3 Αἰαίην: An adjective formed from the name of Circe’s island Αἶα (Aea). Ἠοῦς is gen., a
contraction of Ἠόος.
6 ἐκ : adv.
9 προΐην is from προ-ίημι (Cf. §473 in Book I).
10 οἰσέμεναι is aor. inf. of φέρω on the ordinarily fut. stem οἰσ-. (There are other aor. forms
of φέρω based on this stem.) This infinitive expresses purpose. Ἐλπήνορα : the name
means something like “Hopeful” or “Full of fancy.” Elpenor is the junior companion who
got drunk and fell asleep on Circe’s roof; unfortunately, he forgot where he was when he
awoke and walked off the roof ’s edge rather than remembering to go by way of the ladder,
as Odysseus puts it at 10. 558 and the shade of Elpenor himself at 11. 63, where he requests
that his companions bury him. This anecdote, as well as Odysseus’s description of him as
“not firm in his intellect” (οὔτε φρεσὶν ᾗσιν ἀρηρώς, 553), suggests that perhaps Elpenor’s
name is meant to suit him, if hope is equated with delusion or innocence. τεθνηῶτα : pf.
ptc. of θνήσκω.
12 κατὰ is adverbial.
13 ἐκάη is 3 sg. aor. pass. of καίω.
14 ἐπὶ is adverbial.