Homer's Iliad

Martha Krieter-Spiro, S. Douglas Olson, Benjamin Millis, Sara Strack

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781501501814
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Ancient & Classical Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

This commentary on the 3rd book of the Iliad concentrates on the interpretation of the ceremonial single combat between the rivals for Helen, Paris and Menelaus, a scene that reflects the origins of the Trojan War. The famous parade before the walls presents Agamemnon, Odysseus and Ajax, and reveals just how much in love Paris and Helen are in spite of internal and external conflicts.

Commentary

After the quarrel with Agamemnon, Achilleus resentfully withdraws from battle. His mother Thetis asks Zeus to allow the Trojans to be victorious, so that Agamemnon can recognize how reliant he is on Achilleus (Book 1). Zeus accordingly makes the Greeks, and thus the Trojans as well, prepare again for battle (Book 2). After a great marshalling of troops, Book 3 begins with the deployment of the armies (1–14n.; first day of battle, see STR 21 fig. 1). The expected clash, however, takes place only in Book 4. Before that, an attempt to end the war intrudes: the duel between Paris and Menelaos, which not only produces a suspenseful retardationP but also, like the troop deployment in Book 2 (2.362–368n.), recalls the outbreak and beginning of hostilities (external analepsisP). The action takes place on two temporal levels: superficially in the 10th year of the war, but according to narrative logic at its beginning (STR 22; 33–35n., 39–57n., 67–75n., 121–244n., 373– 382n., 383–420n.; LATACZ [1985] 1996, 127–130). The prelude to the duel (1–120), the famous teichoscopia (‘viewing from the walls’) (121–244n.), the completion of the agreement, and the actual duel and its conclusion (245–461) provide scope for the depiction of how the major participants react to the causes and consequences of Helen’s abduction (first Menelaos, then Hektor, Paris, Helen, Priam, Agamemnon, Aphrodite) and for the characterization of three Greek leaders important for the action to come: Agamemnon, Odysseus and Aias.

1–120 The two opposing armies march toward one another; Paris then provokes the Greeks but withdraws again at the sight of Menelaos. As a result of Hektor’s reproaches, Paris proposes deciding the war over Helen via a duel with Menelaos. Hektor and Menelaos agree to this offer, and preparations for the accord begin.

1–14 The two armies advance through the plain for attack.

1–14 After the introduction of the opposing sides in the catalogues, the view falls now for the first time on the two armies together. The images of the Greeks and the Trojans previously developed separately thus come together; the image of the Trojans (gathering/advance: 2.786–3.7) forms a unit that crosses the (post-Homeric; STR 21 n. 22) Book division. The narrator unfolds a panoramic scene by means of which he allows the listener to form an overall picture of the movements on the battle field before the (individual) battles are described; the listener can then ‘locate’ the actions that follow within this picture (similarly e.g. 4.422–456, 13.330–344, 19.356–364; on this narrative technique generally, LATACZ 1977, 78 f.). The audience is thus set in the role of the gods, who look down on the battle (14.153–156, 15.6–9, 16.644–646 etc.; on panoramic scenes in general, SCOTT 1974, 36–38; RICHARDSON 1990, 119–123; de JONG/NÜNLIST 2004, 69 f.). In v. 15, the view narrows to Paris/Alexandros, Menelaos and Hektor, widening again in 77 (Hektor steps between the armies). – As often in descriptions of mass movements, the advance is illustrated by means of similes (cf. 2.86–94, 2.455– 473, 4.422–456, 13.789–801; on this, SCOTT and RICHARDSON locc. cit.), here first on the acoustic (3–7: clamor), then on the visual level (10–14: mist, dust-cloud); on the combination of multiple similes in general, 2.144–149n. and 2.455–483n.

1 αὐτάρ: on the use of αὐτάρ to introduce a change of view (here as introduction to the panoramic scene, see above), BONIFAZI 2008, 48–51. — κόσμηθεν: on κοσμέω as a military term, see 1.16n., 2.554n.; cf. 2.476. — ἅμ’ ἡγεμόνεσσιν: 4× Il., always after caesura B 2. — ἕκαστοι: ‘each group individually, if the totality to which ἕκαστος refers is composed of multiple groups’ (LfgrE s.v. 497.65 ff., transl.). Since the catalogue of Trojans precedes (2.816 to the end of Book 2), this can at first sight only mean ‘each individual division of the Trojans’ (HEUBECK [1950] 1991, 455 with n. 10; BERGOLD 1977, 7–9). Within the collective account (see 1–14n.), however, the individual contingents of both armies are referred to, since there is a diff erentiation between Trojans and Greeks with μὲν … δ(έ) in what immediately follows (2–8; FAESI, AH, WILLCOCK, LfgrE loc. cit.), just as in 2.125–126 (Τρῶες μὲν … | ἡμεῖς δ(ὲ)ov … Ἀχαιοί).

2 the Trojans: the collective force opposing the Greeks (2.816n.). — with clamor and shouting: on the Trojans’ conspicuous lack of discipline, see 8–9n.; their premature battle-cry is a waste of energy (KRAPP 1964, 72 f.; STOEVESANDT 2004, 88).

κλαγγῇ τ’ ἐνοπῇ τ(ε): synonym doubling (1.160n.). κλαγγή denotes a particularly intense inarticulate sound (1.46n.), as the repetition in the following verse shows (of the cries of birds, as in 2.463 [see ad loc.] and Od. 11.605; cf. also Il. 17.756). ἐνοπή: ‘Inarticulate shouting’ (LfgrE s.v.), esp. ‘battle-cry’ (on which, KRAPP 1964, 68–76, with references). — ὄρνιθες ὥς: VE ≈ 2.764. Postpositive (and in this case accented) ὥς, as at 2.190, 2.764, 2.781 etc. On the prosody (lengthening of the syllable before ὥς), 2.190n.

3–7 Simple comparisonsP are often extended to (long) similesP (2.145n.); here the general expression ‘like birds’ is made more precise by the ‘specific image’ of flying cranes (AH, transl.). The crane simile is connected to 2.459–466 (KIRK on 3–5; WILLE [1958] 2001, 39 f.; on bird similes in general, 2.459–466n.; on animal similes, HE s.v. Animals 56 f.). In both passages, the simile is probably applied primarily to the noise (Gr. klangḗ, here in 2, 3, 5). In addition, the cranes are here eager to attack, hinting at the aggressiveness of the Trojans (similarly, JOHANSSON 2012, 74).

3 cranes: on cranes as migratory birds, and on the Troad and the river valleys of western Asia Minor as part of their migration route, see 2.460n.; JOHANSSON 2012, 73. The flight of cranes produces a unique spectacle: the size of the birds, the triangular formation of their group flight and their characteristic call easily bring to mind an advancing army (KRAAK 1940, 88–98). The noise produced by cranes is also stressed by Arist. Aud. 800b22 f. (THOMPSON [1895] 1936, 70; ARNOTT 2007 s.v. Geranos; both with further ancient sources).

ἠΰτε: ‘as’ (2.87n.). Since the ‘so’ part exceptionally comes first here (it is contained in v. 2), a resumption through ὥς vel sim. is unnecessary (Ruijgh 854). — περ: ‘just’: in epic similes only here and 6.146 (RUIJGH 854). — οὐρανόθι πρό: πρό with -θι instead of gen. (metrical variant) by analogy with ἠῶθι πρό 11.50, Od. 5.469, 6.36; likewise Ἰλιόθι πρό at Il. 8.561, 10.12, 13.349, Od. 8.581: LEJEUNE 1939, 202–209; CHANTR. 1.245 f. The sense is ‘before the sky’, i.e. with the vault of the sky as background.

4 rains unceasing: ómbros (related to Lat. imber and ultimately to Gr. néphos) refers to the characteristically powerful, heavy rains in fall and winter (5.91, 13.139, Hes. Op. 415 f., 674, 676 f., ‘Hes.’ Sc. 478; cf. Kopp 1939, 294 f.; LfgrE s.v.).

ἐπεὶ οὖν: οὖν does not refer here to what precedes (DENNISTON 417), but as in 4.244 or 15.363 serves to direct attention to what follows: the situation described in v. 3 is now developed into an image (vv. 5–7) made more specific by the background (v. 4): REYNEN 1957, 14 f. — ἀθέσφατον: ἀ-θέσ-φατος means ‘not contained within the boundaries of the divinely ordained’, i.e. ‘the norm’, thus ‘extraordinary, excessive, inestimable’ (LfgrE s.v.; DELG s.v. θέσφατος). In connection with ὄμβρος elsewhere only at 10.6; also with οἶνος (Od. 11.61), ὕμνος (Hes. Op. 662), νύξ (Od. 15.392): FRÄNKEL 1924, 281 f.

5 the streaming Ocean: the encircling riv...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface to the German Edition
• Preface to the English Edition
• Notes for the Reader (including list of abbreviations)
• 24 Rules Relating to Homeric Language (R)
• Overview of the Action in Book 3
• Commentary
• Fußnote
• Bibliographic Abbreviations