Untitled - Get a Free Blog

Book Eleven
96 vu£(e): gx with elision in the initial position.
XocAKOpdpEia: 2X at verse-end; the rest of 96 is unique.
97-8 (from !yK69aAos) = 12.185-6 = 20.399-400.
-uu- 8E at verse-end: iox .
99 TOUS |i£V AITTEV aOOi: only here, but cf. TOOS (TT)V) AITTEV CCOTOU 3X .
&va£ dv8pcbv 'AyauEuvcov: 36 x .
100 orrjOeai 7ra|i9aivovTas: cf. TEUXECTI Tra|i9aivcov 2 x .
s: cf. the formula EVSUVE Trepi OTTIOECTCJI XITCOVCX 2 x .
These scenes are by no means solidly formular: if they were, the sense of
masterly versatility in the handling of essentially monotonous material
would be lost. At the same time each verse contains, and most verses are
made up of, diction adapted from formulas.
94 KaTeTT&Auevos: KaTCCTraAiJiEvos Hsch., which may have been read by
some Hellenistic texts, if Anth. Pal. 9.326 (Leonidas) KOCTom-aAuEvov OScop
depends on it. See nn. on KCCTETraATo at 19.351. The form must be understood
as Kcrr-eTr-dA-uEvos, athematic aorist of (Kcrr-6cp-)aAAo|iai, with psilosis,
the athematic forms being unknown to those responsible for the orthography
of the vulgate, cf. vol. v 35.
95-6 6£EI 8oupi I vu£': Agamemnon now wields a thrusting-spear in spite
of his taking two (throwing) spears at his arming (11.43). The confusion is
not unique, cf. 3.361 (Menelaos rushes in with the sword after one spearcast)
with 379, and 22.273 ( tne great spear of Peleus is thrown) with 326
(Hector is wounded by a thrust), cf. 1142off. The verbs of close combat are
lAauvEiv, Ep£i8Eiv, vuaaEiv, opEyEcrOai, OUTOC^EIV, (Eu-)Trrjyvuvai, TTATJCTCTEIV,
COOETV, those of missile-throwing &KOVTI££IV, P&AAEIV, (£9-, Ttpo-)i£vai, X£^£iv,
with little overlap between them. — Shattering head-wounds are frequent
enough (4.460, 6.10, 8.85 (ahorse), 12.185, 12.384, 16.347, 16.740, 17.297
(with extra detail), 20.399) *° De obviously part of the typology of battle;
see Thornton, Supplication 95-100. Verses 97-6 = 12.185-6 = 20.399-
400. At 3.300 the pouring out of sacrificial wine reminds the witnesses of
spilled brains. Agamemnon used excessive force, but then so did Akhilleus
at 2O.395ff. Friedrich, Verwundung 52, notes that Agamemnon's killings tend
towards the gruesome character assigned to the exploits of second-rank
warriors, cf. his slayings of Deikoon (5.5336°.) and Hippolokhos (1 i.i45ff.).
Agamemnon is especially savage with the sword (a slashing weapon), see
his treatment of Peisandros (146), but only here is the dramatic effect of his
spear-thrust described. The Homeric spear does not inflict a neat puncture
but an extensive wound; at 16.322-5 a spear-thrfust shears off an arm. It is
not necessary for the poet always to state in rapid narrative that such
injuries were fatal, see 108, 144, 321, 338-9, 421, etc., and Mueller, Iliad
86-9.
235