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Book Ten
Agamemnon's inner thoughts were implied rather than spelled out, but as
a clarification of a speaker's motives for the benefit of the slow-witted the
verse has many parallels, but is unusual in that £8eia£V 8E (8e with the sense
of yap, Denniston, Particles 169) does not mark a change of subject. auTis
in 241 marks 242ff. as the second speech of Diomedes and has no bearing
on the status of 240. — Menelaos, in spite of his inferiority as a fighting man
(cf. naAOocKos aixur|Tf)s, 17.588 - Apollo's description), is sensible that the
war is being fought for his sake (cf. the narrator's comment at 25-8 above)
and cannot hang back on these perilous occasions, cf. his acceptance of
Hektor's challenge, 7-94ff. Agamemnon reacted in the same way on that
occasion too. Note also his reaction to Menelaos' wounding at 4.i48ff.,
where his concern for Menelaos' safety was heightened (4.171-5) by his
realization that his brother's death would deprive the war, in which his
honour is implicit, of its raison d'etre. Agamemnon's concern and the indirect
manner in which he is made to express his wishes is a comic touch of characterization
that should not be overlooked, cf. 61 (Menelaos' diffidence),
114 (Agamemnon having to do all the work), 123 (Menelaos' lack of
initiative), 164 (Diomedes' mock-outrage). The Odyssey of course shows the
same interest in the interactions of human personalities.
243 = Od. 1.65, a coincidence that has seemed significant to older
commentators, see Von der Muhll, Hypomnema 187, and Danek, Dolonie
116—18. Diomedes' choice of Odysseus is eminently sensible but also thematic,
the two being joined in several adventures before Troy: the slaying
of Palamedes, the theft of the Palladium, the slaying of Philomelas, king of
Lesbos (schol. to Od. 4.343), and at several points in the Iliad, 5.519, 8.91-2,
11.312, and 11.396. The two heroes complement each other in the tradition
of the Cycle as they do in this Book; Odysseus is the planner, Diomedes the
man of action. In the rest of the Iliad that characterization is still in germinal
form. The reputation here bestowed on Odysseus alludes to his deeds in the
tale of Troy as a whole. Thus far in the Iliad he had not been conspicuous
in action, being given only a briefly told &v8poKTacria at 5.669-79. At 8.97
he ran with the foremost and abandoned Nestor. — 'OSuafjos | eycb Gdoio
recasts the regular formula 'OSuacrnos Oeioio | (3X //.).
244 Kpa8ir) KOCI Ouuos ayfjvcop may be taken together as a single idea 'his
heart and gallant spirit ...' as at 220, 319, and 9.635, though it is possible
to take &yf)vcop predicatively and parallel to Trpo9pcov. There is no ready
parallel for the syntax of a redundant attributive adjective in a formula
being modified to a predicative use.
245 (piAeT 5e h TTaAAas 'AOfjvri: Athene breathes pievos into Odysseus at
482, but to say that she loves him is to imply that he is lucky. Nestor in
astonishment at the successful outcome of the raid uses the same language
at 553. At 23.782-3 the defeated Aias (son of Oileus) complains that Osa ...
176