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Book Nine
expurgation (IuH 66), on which it is sufficient to cite Wackernagel,
Untersuchungen 224-9, f° r tne limits of Homeric propriety, and Boiling,
External Evidence 54-5, for the problems the assumption poses for the history
of the transmission. This is a different point from that made at 11. ioon.
and 22.75n., that the poet of the Iliad himself brought to his work a certain
attitude towards traditional heroic barbarities.
121-30 In negotiations with such a character as Akhilleus any number
of things could go wrong, so Agamemnon makes sure that no one could
criticize him for meanness and lists his gifts publicly. For other lists of gifts,
which typify what is counted as wealth in the Homeric world, cf. 8.290-1
(tripod, horses, and concubine), 24.229—34 (clothing, gold, tripods, and
cups), Od. 4.128-35 (bathtubs, tripods, gold, distaff, and work-basket),
8.392-3 (clothing and gold), 9.202-5 (gold, crater, wine), 24.274-7 (gold,
crater, clothing), [Hesiod] frr. 197 M-W (women, goblets) and 200 M-W
(bowl, tripod, gold). To the conventional items (gold and tripods) are
added such extras as the donors may be thought to have handy, here
horses (124) and slaves (128). It appears from 1.128, 1.213 that a reasonable
recompense for mere loss, where donors and recipient stood on equal
terms, was three- or fourfold. Priam, also in desperate circumstances, offered
Akhilleus (in addition to a complete wardrobe and a special SETTCCS) no more
than two tripods and four Ae|3r|T6S. Agamemnon's offer therefore, as the
circumstances require, is intended to be irresistible. This is important, for it
must be clearly affirmed that Akhilleus has no material reason for his
refusal. Moreover, by being regally overgenerous Agamemnon is asserting
his status as paoiAsuTOCTOS, a tender point with the King of Men. — SEKOC
XpuaoTo T&ACCVTOC: the weight of the Homeric talent (mentioned only as a
measure of gold) is unknown, but hardly comparable to the classical standards
(25.86 kg for the Euboeic, 37.8 kg for the Aeginetan talent). Two
talents of gold were the fourth prize in the chariot race (23.269), less than
a A6(3r|S in mint condition. W. Ridgeway, JHS 8 (1878) 133, argued that
the Homeric talent was equivalent in value to one ox.
122-32 These verses correspond in content, though with considerable
variation in wording, to 19.243-8. In the latter passage the poet is speaking
and must say 'They brought the tripods', etc.; here he allows Agamemnon
to add to his gifts some complimentary descriptions: the horses are prizewinners,
the gold will make Akhilleus rich, and the women are especially
attractive. Agamemnon had a nice sense of material values (he was K8p6a-
Aeo9pcov, 1.149).
124 irnyous: '8UTpa96is', mentioned by bT (who prefer neAavas) would
fit all the epic occurrences. Hsch. has irnyov* oi \xev ASUKOV, oi 5s IJEAOCV,
unhelpfully. d0Ao9Opous, 01 dsOAia ... dpovTo: for the schema etymologicum,
cf. 2.212-13. L. Ph. Rank, Etymologiseering en verwante Verschijnselen bij
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