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Book Ten
2 = 24.678. 585ur|U£VOi OTTVCO is formular (5X ). uaAaKco: not very likely
in the circumstances, but the oral style takes the slight inconsequence in its
stride. Sleep, regardless of circumstances, is UOCAOCKOS, yAuKUS, or yAuKepos if
qualified adjectivally.
3 Agamemnon reveals again his characteristic despondency, cf. 9.9ft 0 .,
14.65ft 0 . Even when he had every reason for confidence he assumed in book
2 that the spirits of his men could only be raised by deceit.
5—9 The simile has incurred much criticism ('confused', 'unintelligible',
'pointless', 'turgid' (Leaf)). The thought behind a simile that compares
Agamemnon's groans or the frequency of his groans (TTUKIV', 9) to Zeus's
lightning is indeed overstretched, to say the least. Frankel, Gleichnisse 28-9,
suggests that the comparison is between the impending disaster implied by
a great king's distress and the calamities portended by lightning. That may
stand as the first example of much strained thought and language in this
Book. Much, however, turns on our estimate of the majesty of kings; bT find
the comparison a noble one.
5 iroais "Hpris f)0KO|JOio is a unique expression which could have been
avoided by using aaTpcnrTncri as the subjunctive form + the usual formula
Tronrrip dvSpoov TE Oecov TE. The prototype, epiy5ou7ros TTOCJIS "Hpris
(7X ), normally used as an appositional phrase, is a paraphrase for Zeus at
16.88, and would also have been available after &0Tp&7rrn