And scared were the charioteers, that tireless flame to behold.[135]
In the first passage the stoppage of Andromache’s breath is indicated, and the tremor of her voice; in the second, the startled dismay of the charioteers, and the unexpectedness of the terror. The effect in both cases is due to the docking of syllables and letters.
1 τετυφλωμένου E: τετυφωμένου F: τυφλουμένου PMV 2 τὴν διὰ EMV: διὰ τὴν FP 8 πάθῃ EF: πάθοι PMV Hom. 10 εὑρεῖν om. F 11 ἠρεμίαν] ὁμιλίαν FM 15 ὁμοιογενῆ F: ὁμο*γενῆ P: ὁμογενῆ MV 16 δμωιῆισιν P: Τρῴῃσιν Hom. 18 ἔκπληγον PMV 19 ἧς F: ὧν PMV 20 ἔκστασις FM: ἔκτασις PV 21 δείγματος PV
1. ἀλγηδών: a somewhat poetical word, though used by Herodotus and Plato. Its use in a highly figurative passage of Herodotus (v. 18) is censured in the de Sublim. iv. 7 καὶ τὸ Ἡροδότειον οὐ πόρρω, τὸ φάναι τὰς καλὰς γυναῖκας “ἀλγηδόνας ὀφθαλμῶν.”
4. In these lines, and in [154] 23, the reiteration of the long ω, and of the long η, is particularly to be noted.
9. προπροκυλινδόμενος: imitated by Ap. Rhod. Argon. i. 386 προπροβιαζόμενοι, and ii. 595 προπροκαταΐγδην. Cp. Odyss. xvii. 524 ἔνθεν δὴ νῦν δεῦρο τόδ’ ἵκετο πήματα πάσχων, | προπροκυλινδόμενος.
10. χρόνου μῆκος: cp. Virg. Aen. i. 272 “hic iam ter centum totos regnabitur annos,” and iii. 284 “interea magnum sol circumvolvitur annum.”
11. σώματος μέγεθος: cp. Virg. Aen. vii. 783 “ipse inter primos praestanti corpore Turnus.”—πάθους ὑπερβολήν: cp. Virg. Aen. ix. 475 “at subitus miserae calor ossa reliquit, | excussi manibus radii revolutaque pensa.”
12. A blending of (1) παρ’ οὐδὲν οὕτως ὡς, (2) παρ’ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἤ.
16. Cp. Virg. Aen. ix. 477 “evolat infelix et femineo ululatu | scissa comam muros amens atque agmina cursu | prima petit,” etc.