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An Inelegant Greek Verse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

O. J. Todd
Affiliation:
The University of British Columbia.

Extract

Herodotus tells us in book vii, ch. 220, that the Pythian priestess gave the Spartans a warning couched in hexameters, of which the second line begins ἢ μ⋯γα ἄστυ ⋯ρικυδ⋯ς. To this text the admirable commentary of How and Wells takes exception in the following note: ‘The synizesis ἄστυ ⋯ρικυδ⋯ς is intolerable. Read δ⋯μ' ⋯ρικυδ⋯ς, ἄστυ being a gloss, H. Richards, Cl. Rev. xix. 345.’ Doubtless this union of vowels is harder than that of υω in Ἐριν⋯ων (Eur. Iph. Taur. 1456) or in γεν⋯ων and δυωδεκ⋯μηνον, accepted by Christ in his edition of Pindar (Pyth. iv. 225; [Nem.] xi. 10). Let us grant that from the point of view of elegance it is even intolerable; the question still remains, should the line be altered?

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1939

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