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Book Twelve
386 Cf. Od. 12.414 KomrTrgcj' oar' iKpiocpiv, AITTE 5' oorga Ouuos ayf|vcop,
and 16.743 KcScTnrsa' oar* euepyeos 8i9pou, AITTE 8 s 6aT£oc Ouuos, where the
victim is Kebriones. Smashing a head with a large rock is one of the motifs
of battle, cf. 11.349^. (Diomedes knocks out Hektor).
387-8 Glaukos' wound is remembered at i6-5o8ff. (but not at 14.426),
when because of it he is unable to come to Sarpedon's aid. He there prayed
to Apollo for a cure. For the absence of such prayers in books 11 —12 see
1 i.273n. Glaukos' quality as a warrior must largely be taken on trust; he is
given minor successes at 7.13ff. and i6.593ff., but did not assist Sarpedon
when he was injured at the slaying of Tlepolemos (5.627-67). Glaukos died
at Troy at the hands either of Aias (Quint. Smyrn. 3.2i4ff.) or Agamemnon
(Hyginus 113). The kings of Lycia traced their ancestry to him (Hdt.
1.147). Verse 388 is rearranged and divided between verses at 16.511-12
6TT6crauii£Vov (36CAEV ico | TEIXEOS uynAoio. TEIXSOS goes with ETTECTOVUEVOV, 'as
he was dashing at the wall'.
393 oucos is a neologism for epic £|iTrr|s, otherwise only at Od. 11.565
(oucosOCT).
394 In spite of the peril of the Achaeans this Alkmaon is the only named
casualty on their side, cf. 11.310-6411. In the absence of any anecdote to
amplify this brief notice of Alkmaon's death it is idle to speculate on the
identity of his father Thestor, cf. K&AKCXS 0EOTOpi8r|s, 1.69 and n. Arn/A
denies that this Thestor is the same as Kalkhas' father, but cites no
authority.
397-8 ir&cja 5ia|iTTEpEs should imply something about the construction
of the wall and its superstructure. In the poet's imagination Sarpedon
brings down the breastwork as it were in one piece all along a stretch of wall.
A wooden structure with long horizontal members might come down in
that way, but not masonry.
398 EAX* is effective placed in enjambment at the beginning of the verse
to emphasize Sarpedon's action. The device is formular, however, cf. 17.126
and the habitual placing (9X ) of elided vu£' in that position.
400-3 Sarpedon has a fortunate escape, saved by his baldric. A spearcast
can be anticipated and parried, but not an arrow. So too Aias had
cause to bless his TEAOCHCOVE (those of shield and sword) at 14.402-6. Alternatively,
a warrior who lets a shot past his shield, if not killed on the spot,
is saved by his ^coorfip (4.186 (Menelaos), 11.236 (Agamemnon)). The
£cocnf|p (and doubtless the TEAapicbv too) was unreliable protection; Aias
(5.615), Leonteus (12.189), and even Menelaos (17.578) drove their spears
clean through it. — ouapTfjcravO 9 : understand the dual 6|iapTT|