Saturday, May 01, 2021
Allies
Homer, Iliad 9.613-615 (tr. Richmond Lattimore):
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It does not become youBryan Hainsworth on line 615:
to love this man, for fear you turn hateful to me, who love you.
It should be your pride with me to hurt whoever shall hurt me.
οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ
τὸν φιλέειν, ἵνα μή μοι ἀπέχθηαι φιλέοντι.
καλόν τοι σὺν ἐμοὶ τὸν κήδειν ὅς κ᾽ ἐμὲ κήδῃ.
The verse has a proverbial and 'Hesiodic' ring (cf. Erga 353-4 τὸν φιλέοντα φιλεῖν, καὶ τῷ προσιόντι προσεῖναι | καὶ δόμεν ὅς κεν δῷ, καὶ μὴ δόμεν ὅς κεν μὴ δῷ), but cannot be proverbial as it stands, for καλός is unusual in the epic as a moral term, cf. Adkins, Merit and Responsibility 43-4.Hesiod, Works and Days 353-354 (tr. Glenn W. Most):
Be friendly to your friend, and go visit those who visit you.
And give to him who gives and do not give to him who does not give.
