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Book Nine
JHS 101 (1981) 113-29, makes suggestions about the tuning and use in
singing the hexameter verse. Like most of Akhilleus' property in the poem
the lyre was loot, from Thebe like the horse Pedasos (16.152-4), cf. the
prizes offered at the Funeral Games of Patroklos. Penelope's suitors played
draughts (TTECTCTOI, Od. 1.107), and Athenian vase-painters depict Akhilleus
and Aias thus amusing themselves; but the Iliadic Akhilleus is heroic and
solitary even in his recreation. — The £uyov is the crossbar joining the two
horns of the lyre, to which the pegs or other fittings that carried the strings
were attached, cf. Od. 21.406-8.
189 The poet allows us to assume that Akhilleus' emotional turmoil,
which was expressed by his retirement to the seashore vocrqn AiocoOeis
(1.349), has given way to tedium. He is singing to the lyre - but not just any
song: Akhilleus the hero sings of the heroic deeds that he is no longer
allowing himself to perform. — KAEOC dv8pcov, cf. 524, Od. 8.73 (and epy'
&v8pcbv TE OECOV T6 Od. 1.338), Hesiod, Theog. 100, is the Homeric expression
for what is now called heroic poetry. As with many modern forms of the
genre it was literally sung (deiSeiv) accompanied by the singer on a stringed
instrument. Akhilleus will be sitting, like Patroklos and like the archaic
figurine illustrated at Arch. Horn, u plate ia. An amateur singer, however,
who is also a member of the patron class is not readily paralleled (see
Introduction 37). KAEOC + hiatus may represent KAEE(OC), but KAEOC was read
e.g. by Apollonius 1.1 (KAEOC 9COTC0V); for the hyphaeresis cf. vnAECC, OEOUSEOC
and Chantraine, GH\ 74. Crespo prefers KAEOC, (< KAEICC by metathesis) with
correption before &v8pcov, see Prosodia 46-8 with bibliography. KAEIOC is
extant at Hesiod, Theog. 100.
190 oTos: the poet envisages the famous pair of heroes sitting alone
together. Later (209), when it suits him, he adds Automedon and (658)
ETapoi and 8ucpai.
191 SsyuEVOS ... OTTOTE AT|£EIEV: 5EyuEVOS is clearly here a present participle,
as the traditional accentuation suggests. For the formation, an athematic
present conjugation, see I2.i47n. Patroklos is simply listening to
Akhilleus, perhaps with the implication that he would take up the song at
the point where Akhilleus left off. There are many ways of performing
heroic song, including the employment of two singers, but the only one
described in Homer is that of the solo singer, Od. i.325ff., 8.62ff., 8.499ff.,
17.5i8fF. (The Muses, duEipouEvoa OTTI KOCATJ (1.604, Od. 24.60), are, of
course, a choir.) Solo singing is tiring and the singer pauses from time to
time, cf. Od. 8.87 fj TOI OTE ATJ^EIEV &EI8COV OETOS doi86s, and A. B. Lord,
TAPA6y (1936) 106-13.
192 The ambassadors enter (this is not stated but is implied by UTTECxen
liEAdOpco at 204) unceremoniously, like Priam at 24.477, DUt w ^ tn l ess
excuse. If they had been paying a formal visit to a proper house they
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