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Book Twelve
the description of the Kuklops' doorstop. The motif 'such as not x could lift'
is formular, see 382n.
449 = 5-3°4 (Diomedes) = 20.287 (Aineias). The hurling of large rocks
is one of the rare breaches of realism in the Iliad and one of the few indications
that the heroes were thought to possess preternatural strength. There
is no indication at all that they were thought to be of preternatural size,
although in classical times when their supposed mortal remains came to
light they were regularly reported to be of appropriately heroic dimensions,
seven to twelve cubits, e.g. Hdt. 1.68 (Orestes), Plutarch, Thes. 36 and Cim.
8 (Theseus), Paus. 1.35.3 (Aias), 1.35.5 ('Asterios'), 8.29.3 ('Orontes'),
Philostr. Her. 8.3 (Peleus?), Phlegon FGHm no. 257 F 36 ix Jacoby (Idas).
— Stones are handy and general missiles (12.154, 16.774), Dut not despised
either by the front ranks (4.517, etc.: 11 instances).
450 The verse was omitted by Zenodotus and athetized by his successors
(Did/A); they took it as an adverse comment on Hektor's heroic strength if
Zeus had to lighten the stone. The verse was read, however, by Pap. 342
(saec. ii).
452-3 X 6l pi Aa|3cbv ^T6pr|: a tribute to Hektor's strength of arm, but not,
or not merely, poetic exaggeration. Hektor is fighting in the normal way,
spears in one hand, cf. 465, and picks up the boulder in the other. For a
similar scene see 16.733-6, where Patroklos holds his spear in his left hand
while hurling a stone at Kebriones. In this case Hektor does not hurl the
stone (cf. cpepe, 453) until he is at close quarters and uses it as a sort of
battering ram.
454 eipwTO here is from (buoucci, at 18.69 from spuco; in both cases
eipucrro would be expected as the normal Ionic form. — oripapcos is substituted
for the formular TTUKIVCOS with dpapuias (cf. 9.475, 21.535) because of
the preceding TTUKO. ori(3ap6s is otherwise an archaism preserved by formular
conservatism.
455-6 For city gates see S. Iakovides, Arch. Horn, E 219. The ox^es are
substantial drawbars (uoxAoi Arn/A). It would be natural to think of these
as horizontal beams working from opposite directions (67rrmoi|3oi) and
secured, when in position, by a vertical bolt (KATJ'IS) . This would duplicate
the single oxevs envisaged at 121, 291, and 13.124. The scholia, however,
take 6Trr||ioipoi to mean that the ox^es crossed over each other e£
iKorrepas cpAias iva, 67raAAaaao|JEvous KCCT& UECTOV, a possible but unlikely
arrangement.
457-66 The fine description of Hektor in his moment of triumph, rising
through a series of lightly enjambed varied verses to a fine threefolder, does
justice to the zenith of his fortunes. This great epic moment makes an
impressive half-way point of the Iliad and the perfect note on which to
conclude a paycp8ioc. Note the rarity of ornamental epithets in this tense
364