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Book Nine
"follows" Achilles, and it does so by attacking his "substitute", his beloved
friend Patroclus', contra Redfield, Nature and Culture 107, 'The crucial errors
in Achilles' story are the errors of others - of Agamemnon, of Nestor, of
Patroclus'). It should be borne in mind that the appeal to arvr\ is exculpatory.
The poet does not wish to excuse Akhilleus and Akhilleus does not
wish to excuse himself. He kills Hektor in the clear knowledge that his
victory dooms him (see 18.95-6). That is heroism.
Whether Akhilleus' obduracy itself is caused by air) is not in question
here either. As an action with disastrous results it could no doubt be characterized
as such, but neither Aias nor Diomedes does so characterize it, nor
does Akhilleus in his brief comment on his relations with Agamemnon at
19.270-5.
502-3 The description of the AITCCI clearly must be pathetic, so that their
being TTapapAcoiTSS 6960^60 does not express suspicion (as Trocpa(3A£mo
does in classical Greek) but apprehension and a sense of helplessness. For
the form of words KOU ydp TE AITCCI skn see West, Works and Days 142; it is
characteristic of admonitory literature.
505 "Am, aOevapf) xe KOCI apThros: cf. 19.9iff. upeapa Aios 6uydnr|p 7\TT|,
f\ TTOCVTOCS daTai, I ouAoueVn,. Trj uev 0' dcTraAoi Tr65es* ou ydp ITT' ou8ei |
TTiAvocrai, dAA' dpa fj ye KOCT' dv8pcov KpdocTa |3aiv6i | pAdrrToua' dvOpcoTrous.
"Am, is swift and strong because her victims are reckless. — OUVEKCC 'means
"this I conclude from the fact that"', so H. Frankel, Early Greek Poetry and
Philosophy, transl. M. Hadas and J. Willis (Oxford 1975) 65, a hint that
Phoinix himself should be understood as the author of this piece of allegorical
theology.
511 The AiTod have something in common with the Hesiodic Alien (Erga
256-62). When Alien, is oppressed she complains to Zeus for vindication.
Zeus is said to cause dm, generally at 19.270 and in specific instances (all
false attributions) at 2.111, 8.237. 9- l &> an d 19-87; other gods mentioned
are Moira and Erinus (19.87); Erinus alone (Od. 15.234); Aphrodite (Od.
4.261); Apollo (16.804-5). All these attributions (except the last, which is
made by the poet) are made/wtf eventum, and only when the speaker realizes
that his mistake has led to unwelcome consequences (see n6n.). Phoinix
reverses the thought and makes what is usually said as an explanation of
what has happened into a prediction of what will happen. Since he is
portraying the situation as a rejection of suppliants it is natural - and a
powerful reinforcement of his argument - that he should name Zeus as the
author of dm,.
515 Why ydp? The reason is that implicit in Phoinix' appeal: '