Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

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    Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' DionysiacaAuthor(s): Giuseppe GiangrandeSource: The Classical Quarterly, New Series, Vol. 13, No. 1 (May, 1963), pp. 63-74Published by: Cambridge University Presson behalf of The Classical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/637937.

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

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    EMENDATIONS

    AND

    INTERPRETATIONS

    IN NONNUS' DIONYSIACA'

    I.

    72

    ff. The

    bull,

    swimming

    in the sea and

    carrying

    Europa,

    is

    compared

    to

    a

    dolphin

    proceeding

    on the surface of the water

    and

    conveying

    a

    Nereid:

    co

    3'

    057E

    N)qpEt&WOV-S,

    vr7TEpKv4aca

    aA,"cracs,

    EodV 7 8 Eht

    L

    xv-njv

    aVEKo7TTE

    yaA'wv'v,

    Kat

    otL

    E

    popzEvq'

    AEtfg

    E

    otvaAE7

    EEp,

    vopX'vrjs-

    dLpa,

    mbE'pwv S,'

    ?Uv

    dt/3pOXOv

    ~zqS

    wbluav-q

    7TE9%p7-S0

    &'

    ilsaros

    typ~l 6ei-j-q,

    KvprCoaras

    ~d

    av-ra,

    &Ep7Tv

    ovaa

    S

    n~ovrov

    t7TTrvXOS

    cpa

    KEAEVea aTEypcYc/0Ev

    'OV'os

    ol'pij*

    cog

    t-E

    raipovt LdEypE,

    c-awVo(Evoto

    E'-ravpov

    j9OVK0'AOS

    l'xE'va

    oi3Aov

    "Epws

    I7TELcLUrTtE

    EOT7

    Kal

    volLb7yV

    .r.A.

    None

    of the

    emendations

    proposed

    so

    far

    (cf.

    Ludwich's

    apparatus)

    is

    satis-

    factory.

    As

    Keydell (cf.

    his

    apparatus)

    reminds

    us,

    Ap.

    Rhod.

    I.

    1205

    makes

    Nonnus'

    C4

    ,"yE

    ntouchable,2

    and

    thereby

    disposes

    of all the

    conjectures

    which would alter

    these

    words;

    consequently,

    the

    corruption

    must be

    hiding

    in the

    impossible

    i-aopov.

    The iteration

    i-aopov

    ,

    -raopos

    would in itself, in an

    author

    like

    Nonnus,

    not be

    impossible,3

    but

    -ravpov

    s

    clearly

    excluded

    by

    the

    O~~,

    which consideration

    also eliminates the

    possibility

    of an

    Alternativfassung.4

    I

    Keydell's

    edition of the

    Dionysiaca (Ber-

    lin,

    Weidmann,

    1959-60),

    an

    impressive

    monument of

    profound

    and acute

    scholar-

    ship, enormously

    facilitates the task of

    the

    textual

    critic

    studying

    Nonnus.

    Without

    its

    help,

    the

    present

    conamina ould

    hardly

    have

    been

    Written.

    2

    It is

    also

    to

    be

    noted that (0

    o"y

    is the

    formula used

    by

    Nonnus in his

    similes,

    in

    correspondence

    to

    s

    8'

    0"E:

    cf., e.g.,

    I.

    310-

    19,

    2.

    11-18,

    20.

    333-41,

    22.

    171-8.

    The

    formal

    aspects

    of

    Nonnus' similes are treated

    by

    G.

    Wild,

    Die

    Vergleiche

    ei

    Nonnus

    (Prgr.

    Regensburg, 1886), pp.

    8i

    f.

    3

    We

    should,

    however,

    rather

    expect

    ,raipov

    ~

    ravpoS

    to

    appear

    in

    two

    subsequent

    lines,

    like,

    e.g.,

    3.

    313-14:

    cf.

    Koechly's

    own

    suggestion,

    in

    his

    Commentarius

    riticus,

    ad

    loc.

    On

    Nonnus'

    iterations

    cf.

    F.

    Schiller,

    De

    Iteratione

    Nonniana

    (Diss.

    Breslau,

    I909),and now R.

    Keydell,

    'Wortwiederholung

    bei

    Nonnos',

    Byz.

    Zeitschr.

    xlvi

    (1953),

    I

    ff.

    4 Thanks in

    particular

    to

    Keydell's

    labours,

    it is now

    clear

    that Nonnus'

    poem,

    which

    the

    author

    wrote

    'rasch

    und

    leicht-

    fertig'

    (Keydell,

    R.E. s.v.

    Nonnos,

    col.

    910o),

    which is

    in

    parts merely

    a

    'Konglomerat

    von

    Bruchstficken'

    (Keydell,

    Burs.

    Jahresber.

    ccxxx.

    104)

    and which

    was

    left without the

    finishing

    touches and

    published

    pos-

    thumously

    (as

    every

    peruser

    of

    Keydell's

    apparatus

    can now

    easily

    see:

    cf., e.g.,

    I

    I.

    431

    or

    29. 278

    for the

    posthumous

    publication,

    and

    I1.

    406

    ff.

    for a

    specimen

    of

    'narratio

    incohata et

    incondita')

    contains

    numerous

    Alternativfassungen:

    f.,

    for

    example, Keydell's

    apparatus

    on 8.

    61-77,

    22.

    320-53, 384 f.,

    23.

    139-41, 233

    a,

    25. 308,

    26.

    151, 36.

    104-5.

    What

    seems to

    have

    remained un-

    noticed

    is

    that

    such

    Alternativfassungen

    re

    not confined to

    couples

    of

    lines

    or

    groups

    of

    lines,

    but are also

    present,

    in

    the

    form of

    hemistichs,

    within

    one

    line,

    which

    is

    entirely

    natural,

    if we

    consider the

    poet's

    Arbeitsweise

    and the

    essentially

    formulaic nature of his

    language. Nothing

    would

    be easier

    than

    to

    emend,

    by drawing

    from

    Nonnus

    himself

    metrically

    suitable

    alternatives,

    lines

    such

    as

    5- 308,

    8.

    286,

    or

    12.

    364:

    such

    duplicate

    expressions

    of

    the

    same idea

    jotted

    down

    by

    Nonnus,

    which

    the

    author

    would

    have

    eliminated

    if

    he had

    been able to

    give

    a

    final

    revision

    to

    his

    work,

    should

    be

    left

    alone

    by

    anybody

    other

    than the

    poet.

    In

    such

    lines,

    the

    first hemistich

    represents

    a

    pentimento

    replaced by

    the

    second

    one,

    but

    not

    yet

    cor-

    rected

    by

    the

    author,

    precisely

    as,

    in

    the case

    of

    alternative

    lines,

    both

    Alternativfassungen

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    64

    GIUSEPPE

    GIANGRANDE

    Since

    dElpw,

    n

    Nonnus'

    usage,

    can mean

    lift

    or

    carry,

    he critics

    have assumed

    one

    or other of these

    meanings

    for their

    emendations.

    Hermann

    thought

    of

    -rapoav

    d

    EpE (cf.

    lines

    93

    and

    105;

    cf.

    also

    54,

    ovve,

    and

    9g, -raXayovvov;

    cf. also 4. 381), but this detail could hardly apply in the

    comparison

    with the

    legless dolphin.

    Better

    is

    Ludwich's

    vw--rov

    (cf.

    line

    56);

    but

    this

    conjecture

    is

    palaeographically unconvincing,

    and

    dElpw

    lift',

    if

    con-

    venient to

    a

    leg,

    would not be

    appropriate

    to the back of

    an

    animal

    in

    the

    act

    of

    swimming,

    unlike

    KVUp0W

    round',

    which

    is indeed used

    by

    Nonnus

    in

    line

    77

    (cf. e.g.

    26.

    254);

    in

    any

    case,

    the

    counterpart,

    in

    the

    simile,

    of

    KvprcLau

    ...

    vara

    is

    already

    expressed

    by

    -rtratvozdvov,'

    whereby

    vacrov

    dELEpa

    ould be an

    idle

    duplicate.

    The

    comparisonz

    s

    between two

    swimming

    animals,

    each of

    which

    is

    carrying

    a

    girl

    on

    its

    back: therefore there

    is

    no doubt

    that

    aEtpE,

    n

    its

    context under

    discussion,must mean carried3nd refer to Europa.

    dELpE,

    n the simile, clearly

    corresponds

    to

    ol de pozdvqs-

    n

    line

    74:

    cf.

    also

    dELpojLEv

    yvvat-Ka

    n

    line

    63.4

    This

    value

    of

    dELpE

    s

    also

    confirmed

    by

    16.

    52

    ff. and 88 ff.

    Such

    a

    con-

    sideration,

    correct

    in

    itself,

    has

    guided

    the

    attempts

    made

    by

    most

    editors.

    Grife

    proposed

    CS

    'jyE

    aopos

    dELpE,

    which would alter the inviolable

    y5E;

    Cunaeus'6

    gyE

    7

    rjv p~v

    LEk'

    would,

    amongst

    other

    things,

    introduce

    an

    un-

    wanted

    &dv

    nto the

    text,

    whilst

    his

    second

    attempt

    J

    yE7

    77v

    dvELpE,

    ccepted

    by

    Koechly,

    would force into the line an

    dv~EpE

    which,

    if

    appropriate

    n

    I.

    53,

    would

    be

    out

    of

    place

    here.

    Keydell's

    c~s

    O'y

    qdprov

    aELEp

    s

    much

    better

    (cf.

    line

    90o;

    cf. also

    8.

    359, 9.

    20,

    i6. 396,

    25.

    418, 41. 239),

    but

    raises insur-

    mountable

    palaeographical

    difficulties,

    so

    much

    so that

    the critic

    relegates

    it

    to his

    apparatus.

    were left

    coexisting

    by

    the writer. For

    in-

    stance,

    Nonnus started

    8.

    286

    with

    Kal

    . ..

    papdOvoo,

    but elected to

    end

    the line

    with

    the

    same

    formula

    as

    in

    19.

    I,

    which

    procedure

    implies

    the

    removal of

    flap5Ovposq

    (by

    PapVpqLvis,

    cf. 8.

    69? flapi58Eapos

    ?

    Papv'coposo?:

    cf.

    Koechly

    and

    Ludwich,

    ad

    loc.:

    any

    of

    these

    perfectly

    Nonnian

    alternatives would do, but only Nonnus

    should be

    allowed

    the

    choice,

    not

    the

    modern

    textual

    critics ).

    Methodologically

    funda-

    mental

    Pasquali,

    St.

    Tradiz.2,

    pp.

    4o0f1f.

    I

    Rouse

    translates 'while the bull

    stretched',

    but the

    stretching metaphor

    is

    taken

    by

    Nonnus

    from Homer's

    rd7a

    TrTralvov,

    i.e.

    implies

    the

    idea

    of

    bending:

    cf. line

    52,

    KcXaAaatILAa

    w-a

    aTralwvov

    'bending

    his

    back,

    which

    was

    previously

    unbent'

    (like

    a

    loosened

    bow,

    cf.

    Homer's

    fltdv, -rda

    XaAdow).

    Very

    clear

    is,

    in this

    respect,

    5.

    150f.

    2

    Nonnus' simile was, in all probability,

    inspired

    by

    Moschus,

    Eur.

    1i9

    (+

    11

    7

    S e g i s ~ ~

    I 2 5

    3

    For

    this

    reason

    yaipov

    'ELpE,

    which

    I

    wanted

    to

    restore,

    referring

    yaipov

    to

    the

    bull's

    lifted

    tail,

    is

    impossible.

    It

    is

    true

    that,

    when

    bulls

    swim,

    their

    tails,

    normally hang-

    ing

    downwards,

    vertically,

    move

    upwards

    and

    remain

    horizontal,

    stretched

    out

    in

    their

    erected

    position

    on

    the surface of the

    water;

    it

    is

    true

    that

    Nonnus

    was

    fond of

    describing

    outstretched

    tails

    (cf.

    42.

    190

    ff.,

    where a

    TraOpos

    lifts

    the

    tail

    straight

    over

    his

    back'

    [Rouse], 23.

    206

    f.,

    where a

    Satyr

    lKpLaAqv

    LE

    AE v3a70oStS

    pOtov

    03pqv;

    cf.

    also

    5.

    I85,

    1o.

    168,

    270 [where

    JpOtos

    pro-

    bably

    means,

    as

    an

    epitheton

    ornans,

    '(previously)

    erected',

    cf.

    De

    Marcellus'

    rendering 'au lieu de se dresser'], 14. 178,

    28.

    226);

    it is

    true that Nonnus

    was

    fond

    of

    the

    formula

    yai-pov

    LaEpe

    cf. 7.

    353,

    8.

    376,

    9.

    207, 13.

    126,

    256,

    19. 318):

    but,

    apart

    from

    the fact

    that,

    as

    has

    just

    been

    observed,

    aEpe

    in the line which we

    are

    examining

    must

    mean

    'carried',

    it is to be

    noted

    that,

    in

    the

    formula

    yai-pov

    de~pe,

    the

    adjective

    yaipov

    is

    always

    accompanied

    by

    a substan-

    tive

    (axE'va

    ;

    cf.

    for

    variant

    formulae,

    17.

    II

    I,

    19,

    274,

    20.

    401,

    22.

    73,

    24.

    299,

    where the

    adjective

    is

    accompanied by

    a

    noun;

    cf. also

    I. 384,

    11-

    57, 20. 51), whereas in I. 79 one

    would have

    to

    supply

    oz3p'-v

    rom

    the

    pre-

    ceding

    line,

    which

    proceeding

    would

    be

    unusual and

    strained,

    as

    has

    been

    pointed

    out to

    me.

    4

    Cf. also

    53,

    E3pcrroqv

    ava~rpe

    (where

    Nonnus,

    to

    avoid

    any ambiguity,

    uses the

    compound

    doaicLp

    to

    express

    the notion

    of

    lifting).

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    EMENDATIONS

    IN NONNUS'

    DIONTSIACA

    65

    Keydell's

    conjecture,

    however,

    shows

    us

    the

    way

    to the

    restoration

    of

    the

    line.

    The

    bull

    is

    compared

    by

    Nonnus

    to a

    ship:

    the

    poet

    insists,

    as is his

    habit,

    on this

    metaphor:

    from

    vav-rAAEro

    n

    line

    56

    down

    to

    IropOLLE&ETo

    n

    line 137 the nautical terms are used in abundance. What interests us now

    is to

    note

    that

    the bull himself

    is called

    cAKd83a'

    line 66)

    and

    X(E'Opova

    '-a

    (line

    91).

    Now,

    we know

    that Nonnus

    was

    exceedingly

    fond of

    repeating

    the

    same idea

    by

    means of

    synonyms

    cumulated

    in

    the same

    passage:

    since

    he has

    used

    JAKas

    nd

    vaos,

    considering

    that the

    bull-barge

    came from the

    Phoenician

    shore,

    as Nonnus

    himself

    reminds us

    (i.

    46

    Z'Sowv1ls

    ..

    rr)'

    jdvos;

    cf.

    also

    3-

    323-4),

    we shall

    read

    co9

    oEy

    yaiAoso

    aacEp.

    K.T.A.Z

    In

    the formula

    S

    3ye ya0Aos,

    the

    0ye

    is

    accompanied

    by

    a

    substantive,

    ya0Aos,

    as, for example, in 5. 150 (7s 4E4...pt'ds) or in 29.

    174

    (J~s

    ~ye

    KO/O2S).

    There are

    no

    palaeographical

    difficulties

    impeding

    our emendation:

    con-

    fusion between

    y

    and

    -,

    A

    and

    p

    is

    very

    frequent;

    in

    lavAv,

    the

    suprascript

    sign

    for

    -os

    was misread as the

    one

    for

    -ov,

    i.e.

    '

    or

    ".3

    Nonnus knew Callimachus

    particularly

    well

    and

    very

    often

    echoed

    him,

    not

    seldom

    reviving

    Callimachean words:

    there is

    little doubt

    that he drew

    the

    word

    ya3Aos

    rom

    Callim.,

    fr.

    384-

    50

    Pf:4

    KvTrpo'OE

    8VtO's5

    LE

    Ka~-7yayev EGvcdSe aAoso.

    I

    The

    dJAKcas

    eing afreight-ship,

    one

    would

    be

    tempted

    to emend

    -raGpov

    nto

    vav^Aov

    =

    cargo:

    but

    this

    meaning

    is

    only

    attested

    in

    Dem.

    32.

    2

    (cf. L.S.J.,

    s.v.

    vav^Aos,

    I)

    and

    it is

    unlikely

    that

    Nonnus

    might

    have

    re-

    vived

    it:

    in his own

    times,

    as we can

    see

    from

    Preisigke,

    Worterb.

    ii,

    Abschn.

    II,

    s.v.

    vaAoso,

    the word

    only

    meant

    fare,

    passage-

    money.

    There

    are

    no

    certain

    attestations

    of

    vaAos

    in

    Epic:

    Hermann

    conjectured

    aIveaLS

    vavAoLo

    in

    Orph.

    Arg.I

    139

    =

    1'44,

    but

    his

    emendation, accepted by Abel, is rejected

    by

    Dottin,

    who

    maintains

    the

    manuscript

    reading

    A',s

    vavs

    t'a.

    2

    The

    motif

    yaiAos

    g

    -ravpov

    n

    line

    79

    is

    a

    direct echo

    of

    JKcd5a

    afpov

    in line

    66.

    In

    the

    formula

    JSO

    TYE,

    the

    Y,

    'orationem

    continuat'

    (cf.

    Ebeling,

    Lex.

    Homer.,

    s.v.

    yed,

    p.

    248):

    in

    other

    words,

    "y~ yaAv^os

    means

    'that,

    the

    above-mentionedSidonian

    dAKds'

    (men-

    tioned in line

    66),

    and

    resumes the narration

    interrupted by

    s

    5''Te

    in line

    72;

    the

    object

    to

    cLEpe,

    i.e.

    'her',

    is

    easily

    understood

    in so

    far as made obvious by the context to which

    the

    O~E

    refers

    (cf.,

    e.g., KOVP77 5,

    y9vvaLa

    63,

    vVt'114'

    66).

    The omission

    of

    the

    pro-

    nominal

    accusative of

    the

    3rd

    person

    (in

    this

    case

    a-r'4v)

    is

    meant

    to

    be

    a

    Homerism,

    cf.

    in

    particular

    Kriiger,

    Griech.

    Sprachl.

    ii.

    2

    (Berlin,

    187),

    ?

    61.

    7,

    Anm.

    I

    (=

    p.

    134):

    'sehr

    ausgedehnt

    ist

    ...

    bei

    Homer

    die

    Ergainzung

    eines

    obliquen

    Casus des

    person-

    lichen

    Pronomens,

    besonders der dritten

    Person.'

    The

    best

    treatment

    of this

    point

    is

    in

    Naegelsbach,

    Anmerkungen

    ur

    Ilias,

    nebst

    Excursen ..

    (Niirnberg, 18341),

    PP 311

    ff.

    (=

    Excurs

    xviii).

    The

    object

    of

    aELEtp

    s

    as clear

    as,

    for

    example,

    the

    object

    of

    Aov^aav

    and

    ,aAvbQav

    n

    II.

    18.

    350

    ff.

    3

    On

    the

    suprascript

    semicircle

    =

    os cf.

    Allen,

    Notes

    on

    Abbrev.,

    pp. 20of.,

    with

    Plate

    VI.

    An

    even

    better

    palaeographical

    explanation

    is

    suggested

    to

    me

    by

    Prof.

    Dover: the suprascript circle, usually em-

    ployed

    to denote

    os,

    was sometimes used to

    denote

    ov,

    cf.

    Bast,

    Comm.

    Pal.,

    pp. 770

    ff.

    4

    The

    Phoenician

    yav^ios

    is a merchant-

    vessel,

    an

    dJAKs:

    Europa's

    brother, Cadmos,

    evidently

    used such a

    type

    of

    JAKd,

    cf. 4.

    226

    ff.,

    esp.

    242,

    dAKcdaZ'ov'

    v).

    s

    Cf.

    also

    Epich.,

    fr.

    54

    Kaib.

    yavAotatv

    iv

    0otVt

    o

    a

    v.

    Nonnus'

    epithet

    ZLov477.

    (I.

    46)

    is,

    in

    all

    probability,

    directly

    inspired

    by

    Callimachus'

    Zt6vtos.

    In conclusion:

    having already

    said

    that

    the

    bull came

    from

    Sidon (r. 46) and that he was an JAKcs

    (I.

    66),

    and the

    reader

    having

    been

    thus

    pre-

    pared,

    Nonnus calls

    the bull

    yavAos,

    which

    was a

    Z'tov-q7

    dAKcds

    4.

    242).

    Noteworthy

    are

    the

    corresponding descriptive

    features

    of

    the

    two

    JAKa'c5E

    7

    TEALov

    oXe I.

    68

    =

    7reaA.lp

    rrapE/I'LLvEv

    .

    233;

    a'pq pogs...

    KdArrTwoa

    .

    69

    f.

    (the sail)

    =

    4.

    228

    KdA7rrTWa

    htaLor ogryr7.

    F

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    5/13

    66

    GIUSEPPE

    GIANGRANDE

    8.

    196

    ff. Semele

    tries

    to

    hide

    her

    pregnancy,

    but her

    pallor

    makes

    her

    state obvious to suspecting Hera:

    EVoa

    GOEXEwv 7o0To8oAo7TAdK"OS'EP

    &

    KOVpy7V

    flpdo0pEVv

    3

    V~w rToevoITVO

    LEv

    70KETOCO0

    Kat

    IdOKOV,

    OaOVT7a

    TEAEUOrcyOVOLO

    7EX'V77S,

    yacarpdoa7p7a

    v-rov

    XAoEp'7

    'pV~VE

    TapEt'

    Kal

    XAdo'ts

    t?'Vo

    TW4V LLEAEWVTcpOS'O~dvlS

    E

    K.r.A.

    What

    does

    yaarps

    da7ryL7dvrov

    ean? Rouse misunderstands

    he

    adjective

    (on

    whose

    meaning

    n Nonnuscf.

    L.S.J.,

    s.v.,

    as

    quoted

    below)

    by

    rendering

    'a

    pale

    cheekand the

    pallor

    of limbs

    ..

    told

    of a

    womb

    no

    onger

    ealed

    italics

    mine).

    De

    Marcellus's

    nterpretation

    f

    do4qdvrov

    s correct

    iterally

    'bien

    que

    sa

    taille

    n'en

    presente

    aucun

    indice',

    sc.

    of

    her

    state),

    but not

    factually:

    Semele's

    yaa'r'p

    must,in itself,have presented lear indications f the girl's

    pregnancy

    cf.,

    e.g.,

    lines

    7, 13,

    31;

    she

    is

    called

    flpt~Goe6rqv

    n

    line

    197),

    although

    the

    time for

    the birth

    had not arrived

    yet.

    How,

    then,

    could

    the

    yaoar'p

    be

    c

    ravoros?

    This

    logical difficulty

    is

    coupled

    with a textual

    one:

    on

    the

    difficulty

    of

    supplying

    EA'CJ

    with

    an

    appropriate

    epithet

    cf.

    Ludwich's

    apparatus.

    The word

    which eliminates

    both obstacles when restored into the text is

    daKE7rrwV

    (cf.

    22.

    214,

    34. 336, 46. 279, 48.

    116, 118,

    655).

    Whether

    peAE'd

    means

    here 'limbs'

    or,

    as

    I think

    more

    probable, 'body' (cf., e.g.,

    22.

    48

    XAoE-

    pots

    p(.EE'Eaac

    'green

    bodies' of

    birds,

    or

    23.

    Io6

    otlaAoLs

    LpEAE'Ea

    'swollen

    bodies'),

    the sense is clear: Semele hid her

    pregnancy by covering

    with clothes

    her

    previously

    uncovered

    body,

    but

    the

    pallor

    of

    those

    parts

    of

    her

    body

    which

    remained unclad

    (face,

    neck,

    arms) gave

    her

    away.

    JUKETrrwEv

    s

    a direct allusion

    to

    7.

    215

    ff.,

    where

    Nonnus dilates on how beautiful

    the

    yvzyvv

    ...

    .S'ag

    KOvprls

    was:

    cf.

    in

    particular

    262

    drKE7EO~s

    ...

    KoVprlT.'

    In

    conclusion:

    Semele's

    yaorrp

    was

    durav-ros,

    i.e.

    'giving

    no

    sign',

    because covered with clothes

    and therefore 'unseen':

    on

    this

    Nonnian

    meaning

    of

    the

    adjective

    cf.

    L.S.J.,

    s.v.

    domIL/avros,

    II.

    2.

    On

    the

    pallor,

    cf.

    especially

    48.

    766.

    I

    I.

    63

    ff.

    Ampelos

    tries to imitate

    and

    outdo

    Dionysus: amongst

    other

    things,

    opEo'o'av

    '

    ~V&p

    TropaAlcwvIO6JaKXov

    .

    .

    .Tevcwv

    Aar-pa

    tyAaVKaor

    tcAOKOrT(PE'rWV

    hIEt'Tvve

    rrlTapyVXa

    pwV.

    rf lEaV

    pEardoS

    o,,S

    Efl/7(.LEvoS pKTOv

    qp

    7

    eyoLyoV7LlAoavpqv

    dVE'aeLpacc

    arYv

    8'

    Ac

    EOvIE-r77V

    Aauii'V TTEb aaTtEE-tpcjV,

    &A"-oTE,

    art&AE'awvo

    r77kE'V0os'

    50,b

    VcA'M-wV,

    ~T7E(L9?7)S

    cLXcLtVOV

    ~ETEpITETO 7vypw

    EAcWW.

    For

    the

    corrupt

    yAavKd

    Gratfe

    suggested,

    hesitatingly,

    yacpa;

    with

    greater

    enthusiasm all the subsequenteditors have admitted this conjecture into the

    text.

    ya-pa,

    if

    accepted,

    would

    clearly

    be used

    in

    enallage,

    a

    procedure

    in

    itself

    very

    dear

    to

    Nonnus: the

    ralyva,

    that

    is,

    were

    aPa pa

    because

    Ampelos

    was

    proud

    of

    having

    outdone

    Dionysus by

    riding

    on the

    backs of various

    beasts,

    which is more difficult than to ride

    sitting

    in a

    chariot: the

    situationswould

    be similar to

    57,

    where

    Ampelos

    is

    described

    ...

    a~dXvaacpov

    EXWV

    rrocal/7L

    licv7K.

    The

    motif is the

    same

    as,

    e.g.,

    at

    5. 609

    f.:

    daKELrrCTo

    .

    .

    Aov

    eSo&..

    .

    HIpae9overs.

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    6/13

    EMENDATIONS IN NONNUS'

    DIONYSIACA

    67

    Yet,

    if

    we

    look

    more

    closely

    into

    the

    matter,

    yaipa

    makes

    us not

    quite happy

    because

    it would be

    here

    in

    contrast

    with

    the usus

    auctoris: he

    adjective

    yaopos

    is

    employed by

    Nonnus,

    as a

    rule,

    with

    reference

    to a

    part

    of

    the

    body.'

    The context, as very often happens with Nonnus, helps us to understand

    the

    passage

    and to correct the

    line

    accordingly:

    the

    poet

    wrote,

    in

    all

    prob-

    ability,

    5ava

    ,otAo'Ko7TE'AWov

    E&L'KEVVE

    ralyvLa

    07]pWV.

    The

    enallage

    is

    clarified,

    with

    typically

    Nonnian

    insistence,

    ad abundantiam:

    the

    ralywva

    were

    savAd,

    hairy,z

    because

    Ampelos

    rode

    e

    poil,

    which is much

    more difficult

    than if

    using

    reins

    and

    saddle:

    this is

    emphasized by

    Ao

    nbtg

    ('craggy

    back',

    Rouse),

    dveaEtpaLE Xat'lrqv

    (i.e. using

    it as

    reins;

    cf.,

    on

    avauEtpdatw

    of

    riders, Thes.,

    s.v.),

    8aLSaAE'ov

    60't0 vcrcowv

    i.e. directly

    on the

    dappled coat of the animal), xdAwtvov.

    The

    corruption

    yAavKd

    is

    possibly

    a

    Verschlimmbesserung

    risen when

    AavAa

    was

    disfigured

    into

    AavKa.

    12.

    19

    f.

    The Hours are

    the servants

    of Helios:

    tovyewt yap,

    avxEva8oOAovKaJLbav&

    ov

    vo?W'O7ptKO~lUOU.

    Canter

    proposed

    'Dyvylp,

    which is

    rightly rejected

    by

    Keydell.

    In

    order

    to restore

    the

    mot

    uste

    we

    must

    remember

    that

    Nonnus,

    like other

    Alexandrian

    and post-Alexandrian epic poets, was fond of using adjectivally adjectives

    which

    had

    crystallized

    as

    proper

    names: for

    instance,

    the

    personal

    name

    "Poc7naS

    appears

    as the

    adjective

    o~oThrvts

    t

    Io.

    176,

    33-.

    9,

    etc.

    To remain

    within

    the

    semantic

    sphere

    pertaining

    to

    Helios, cf.,

    e.g.,

    Eba~qj,

    (5.

    I74,

    8. I

    I,

    etc.;

    on

    the

    name

    Ec~rqjds-

    f.

    Pape-Benseler, s.v.)

    or

    darpatos

    (I.

    191,

    8.

    388,

    etc.:

    on

    the name

    'A4rpatoS

    f.

    Pape-Benseler, s.v.).

    It

    must

    in

    particular

    be

    noted that this

    process

    is not

    limited

    to

    personal

    names,

    but

    is

    also

    extended

    to

    place-names:

    for

    instance,

    the

    place-name

    Ho70aETLov

    (on

    which

    cf.

    Pape-

    Benseler,

    s.v.)

    appears

    as an

    adjective

    Tro3EL&7F'o7,

    .g.

    at

    I

    1.

    144, 14- 40,

    43-

    289, etc.;

    the same

    treatment

    was

    given

    to names of

    instruments,

    etc.:

    for

    instance,

    Tr

    AaywofldAov

    as

    become

    an

    adjective

    at

    15.

    171,

    16.

    14, 33.

    126,

    etc.

    In

    the line under

    discussion,

    Nonnus used

    adjectivally

    the Homeric

    place-

    name

    A'yEtal;3

    he

    wrote,

    therefore,

    avyEtc

    yap

    avlyEva

    8oDAov

    Ka'Ka?uav

    .T.

    The

    diaeresis

    still

    preserved

    in

    the

    manuscripts

    was

    necessary

    to

    avoid the

    spondaic

    hexameter,

    which

    Nonnus

    abhors:4

    cf.,

    for

    cases of

    E~,

    e.g.

    12.

    125,

    17.

    370, 30.

    299,

    303;

    for

    the

    exitus

    of

    our

    hexameter,

    cf.

    7.

    207,

    dyAuat'

    ydp.

    We have already noted the formula

    a3xdva

    yavpov;

    cf. 6.

    189

    (the

    tooth

    is,

    of

    course,

    a

    metaphorical one).

    Nonnus'

    formula

    adxva

    yaipov daLpe

    was

    obviously

    inspired

    by Ap.

    Rh.

    Arg.

    4.

    i6o6.

    2

    The

    adjective

    3avAo's,

    hairy,

    occurs in

    Nonnus,

    e.g.

    6.

    I6o.

    3

    The

    opposite process

    was

    perhaps

    fol-

    lowed

    by

    Nonnus when

    coining

    the name

    Av4y'"

    (from

    the

    adjective a4'yqs).

    I

    had

    at

    first thought of the adjectival form atydet

    as

    being

    derived from the Homeric

    per-

    sonal

    name

    A;ydE177,

    ao,

    but the

    deriva-

    tion would be

    made more

    complicated by

    the difference in

    declension,

    as

    Prof. Dover

    rightly objected

    to me.

    4

    Cf.

    Keydell's

    Praefatio

    to his

    edition,

    p.

    37:

    'Versus

    spondiaci

    qui

    dicuntur,

    apud

    N.

    non

    reperiuntur.'

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    7/13

    68

    GIUSEPPE

    GIANGRANDE

    I7. 335

    ff.

    Dionysus' army fights

    with

    vegetable weapons (a

    motif

    frequently

    repeated

    by

    Nonnus):

    cf.

    320

    dKOvT71OV

    KopV1Opt

    L,

    323

    8pvdEV7tL

    pp,I

    324

    Xeyi

    florpvodEVL

    cf.

    25.

    96

    EyXE"

    LET7jEvrL;

    28.

    241

    EyXE8SEvP7)EvrL)

    and-a line particularlyimportant for our purposes-265

    dlvOEifl

    rpvd6Evr.

    Against

    the

    volleys

    of these

    weapons,

    the Indians have no defence:

    ..

    tav8oKdooL2

    8

    SVEJLEVE'ES AoETrotTLL

    KcTEKTELVOVTOV

    7TT7OLS.

    For the

    victims of such

    vegetable

    missiles no

    fitting

    epithet

    has been

    found

    so

    far to

    replace

    the

    corrupt

    reading.

    I

    submit

    that Nonnus

    wrote

    ...

    dvOOKOLOL

    e

    K.T.A.

    avOOKd/OS,

    'decked

    with

    flowers',

    is not unknown to the

    poet

    :3

    the

    flowers in

    question

    are,

    in

    our

    context,

    the lethal

    idvEa

    florpvdvra

    mentioned

    in

    line

    265

    (cf.

    also

    30.

    14

    VE6dEO7VTLEAE/LVp).

    21.

    49

    f. Ambrosia

    has

    changed

    herself

    into

    a

    vine-shoot

    (30-31),

    oTap'rV

    '

    av'roeCLKrov

    7rL7rAE6aua

    vKo'pyp

    dyXoco'

    go'77KOwEEV oIJwo?vyov V'Eva

    &LEt/cW.

    She

    tells her

    victim:

    8,EO

    /E

    XEPeaI7V

    vXEv

    ltqa,

    8E1o

    7rT

    Acwv

    thAvro7Trdvt

    dcl'&8pov

    ptura/nAoto

    KUVOLLOV_.

    What lurks

    in

    the

    impossible

    AvrorEwdv

    4

    Falkenburg proposed

    yvorVd&Tv,

    which would seem, at first sight, to be supported by

    36.

    365

    f.:

    yvMowrdSv

    8'

    da''s&lpov

    TE'ITAEKE

    S

    vyt

    7rapr&

    Ka

    '

    7ro'as

    Eppl.wrEV

    K.T.A.

    (cf.

    also

    383:

    yvtord7Tv

    E?V/orpVV

    K.T.A.)

    and

    also

    by

    13.

    488:

    yvLord&rv

    lrnpov

    XV

    7TrowogropL

    t/OI

    .

    Wakefield,s

    or

    palaeographical

    reasons,

    proposed

    azrord&Wv,

    hich has

    been

    accepted by

    all

    the

    editors.

    Falkenburg's

    emendation,

    yvtord&Sv,

    s

    not

    appro-

    priate,

    because,

    whereas

    in

    36. 365 (cf.

    rapao3)

    and

    in

    13.

    488

    ff.

    (cf. 496

    rapEdv)

    the

    yvtords7

    is

    clearly

    visualized as a fetter

    (a metaphorical

    one

    in

    Changed

    o

    PEAElW

    y Koechly,

    but

    unnecessarily:

    for such

    metaphors,

    not

    limitedto

    weapons,

    f.,

    e.g.,

    atSrpea

    Aq4ta

    28.

    298, SaEvp7)EV'0O

    KVUOLqLO

    1.

    149,

    roMALp pvUOEVTL

    21.

    90,

    UvraATcLSpaX'4ova

    21.

    41.

    2

    Or

    alSOKdLOL;

    on

    the

    reading

    in the

    archetypus

    cf.

    Keydell's

    apparatus.

    3

    Cf.,

    e.g.,

    5. 27.

    At

    7.

    194

    (avOoKdL5..

    .

    flE'Alvw)

    the

    epithet

    dvOOKdLO'I

    refers

    to the

    arrow

    decked,

    covered with

    ivy

    (cf.

    7.

    132).

    For other

    attestations of the

    adjective

    in

    Nonnus

    cf.,

    e.g.,

    8.

    9, 17.

    20,

    38. 174.

    4

    For

    one

    moment

    we are

    tempted

    to

    save

    Avrro-

    n our

    emendation,

    because of

    the

    possibility

    of an

    etymological

    allusion made

    by

    Nonnus to

    dAVKTO7TrE'.

    But the

    expected

    etymology

    (Nonnus

    is

    exceedingly

    fond

    of

    them)

    is

    already given

    in

    line

    38

    (hAv'roTS

    TreroIg

    =

    dAVUKTOr7T-,f8l

    7rrrjAV

    line

    56);

    besides,

    the

    sense would not

    justify

    the

    absence of

    a-

    ('dissoluble'

    is

    clearly

    not re-

    quired

    by

    the

    context),

    and

    A6

    would not

    scan. Cf.

    Ludwich's

    apparatus.

    s

    Silva

    Critica,

    Pars

    Quarta

    (Cambridge,

    1793),

    PP-

    47

    ff.

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    8/13

    EMENDATIONS IN NONNUS'

    DIONYSIACA

    69

    13.

    488) chaining

    the feet

    of

    its

    victims,'

    in

    our

    passage,

    as

    Nonnus

    em-

    phasizes,

    the vine-shoot

    is

    specifically

    choking

    Lykourgos:

    this

    point

    is

    insisted

    upon

    by

    the

    poet,

    who,

    after

    making

    the

    situation clear in

    the

    above-mentioned

    lines

    31-32,

    harps on the theme: cf. line 38:

    d?..

    rot orE

    Eptao

    t

    ocpJt

    7TE-IrA

    and

    line

    62:

    va rpova

    t-rpOE'vTa

    pe`oV

    7TVLKTr7p

    oplCJP

    p.2

    avrowrrr,

    as

    a

    conjecture,

    is

    unconvincing:

    not so

    much

    because

    the word

    is not

    attested,3

    as

    rather because

    it

    would

    be

    in

    disagreement

    with its

    own

    context.

    In

    -rrESrl-formations

    he first

    component normally

    denotes the

    limb,

    or

    part

    of

    the

    body,

    immobilized

    by

    the instrument

    (cf. dp0poriSdr, vtorrd`Sq,Epatorrid&,

    UKEAo7re8rl,XELpovre`8r).

    ess

    frequently,

    the

    first

    component

    denotes the

    material out

    of which

    the

    rTe`&q

    s

    made

    (evAolre`8l, acSrlpo7rrerl).

    Wakefield

    tried to

    defend

    his

    conjecture by

    quoting

    various

    formations con-

    taining ai7ro-

    +

    a

    nominal

    second

    component

    (aTroaKaiTavEvls

    airo'po

    os,

    a17drvAog),

    but

    it

    is

    evident

    that,

    if

    a'

    rordE

    existed,

    or had

    been

    coined

    by

    Nonnus,

    the

    compound

    could

    only

    belong4

    to

    the same

    type

    as

    a7roarKa7ravEdg,

    in

    other

    words,

    mean

    'perfect,

    ideal,

    very

    rrdl8-'.s

    But

    Ambrosia,

    disguised

    as a

    vine-shoot,

    is

    simply

    not

    acting

    as a

    'perfect

    fetter',

    'ideal shackle':

    Lykourgos'

    feet

    and arms

    are left

    undisturbed,

    only

    his

    neckbeing enveloped.

    All our considerations

    lead

    us to

    restore

    Aat~0od7rY6

    l?

    &rpov

    K.7.A.

    The

    epithet

    daalupos

    could

    perhaps

    be

    explained by

    the fact that

    the

    simplest

    (and cheapest,

    therefore

    most

    frequent

    even

    today,

    in

    poor

    and not

    dog-loving

    countries)

    Aat/oire`&8

    or

    dogs

    is an iron chain

    (cf.

    line

    30

    aep'v)

    ;7

    Nonnus

    may

    have been

    thinking

    of

    the

    type

    of

    AaqpLored'&

    escribed

    in

    Thes.,

    s.v.,

    which

    was,

    on

    its

    external,

    visible

    side,

    covered

    with iron

    nails

    all

    round;

    the most

    prob-

    able

    explanation

    is

    that

    Lykourgos

    s

    threatened

    with

    enslavement8and

    there-

    fore equipped with an iron collar (cf. R.E. and Dar.-Saglio, s.v. Collare): or

    the

    moment,

    however,

    the

    vegetable

    one

    will

    do.

    In

    36. 360

    if.

    the

    yvtovreSr-metaphor

    s,

    of

    course,

    limited

    to

    line

    365:

    the

    plant

    is

    elsewhere

    described

    as

    enveloping

    gAov

    davpa

    363;

    cf. line

    360,

    atL7repL7rAey'yqv),

    including, obviously,

    his

    throat

    (line 375).

    2

    Cf.

    also

    lines

    59

    (dvOEpetOva)

    nd

    60o

    (&arapdyoco).

    3

    This is an

    almost

    nvariably

    atal

    objec-

    tion to

    a

    conjecture.

    4

    In

    the

    type

    a'rdo'@vAos

    cf.

    azvroca77]poS,

    ardAToOos)

    the

    component

    azro-

    has the

    value indicated n

    L.S.J.,

    s.v.

    aro'ds,

    .

    7,

    and

    the

    second

    component

    denotes the material

    out

    of which

    something

    s

    made

    (this

    could

    hardly

    apply

    to

    -485q);

    these

    compounds

    are,

    in

    any

    case,

    adjectival,

    as

    are those of

    the

    type

    a''dpocog

    (cf.

    azrd'a-r7yo.,aro-

    Ot'eOAos).

    s

    This

    type (cf.

    ao70aKa7ravev'T

    very

    digger'

    L.S.J.;

    excellently

    translated

    by

    Benner

    and

    Forbes 'a

    regular

    trench-digger')

    seems

    to

    have

    become

    fairly

    popular

    in

    later

    prose

    (e.g.

    a'TroKEprK&s)

    robably

    owing

    to

    the in-

    fluence of

    philosophical

    language

    (cf., e.g.,

    avTorpyiwvov,

    ardorwTos,ar07dEoS).

    6

    The

    component

    Aaqzo-

    was

    introduced

    into

    epic by

    an

    author well known to Nonnus,

    Apollonius

    Rhodius

    (on

    AaL1Cotro=dw

    cf.

    Boesch,

    De

    Ap.

    Rh.

    Elocut.

    [Diss.

    Berlin,

    90o8],

    pp.

    6

    f.).

    7

    This

    explanation,

    however,

    would

    be

    con-

    tradicted

    by

    lines

    37-38

    (aLtp-7

    XaAKKECr

    )

    ;

    cf.,

    on the

    other

    hand,

    15.

    133

    ff-

    8

    Cf.,

    e.g.,

    for

    such threats or

    wishes

    (it

    all

    depends

    on

    who

    is

    uttering

    them), 33.

    252

    f.,

    36. 466

    ff.

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    9/13

  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    10/13

    EMENDATIONS

    IN

    NONNUS'

    DIONTSIACA

    71

    Iliad

    and

    the

    Dionysiaca,

    he

    stepping

    person,

    it will

    be

    noted,

    is a

    god,

    and

    the

    substantive

    tXvov governs

    a

    genitive

    (dardcvroS,

    7raAtvvaydov).

    Nonnus'

    style

    is

    so

    full of

    metaphors

    and recherch6

    expressions

    that not

    the

    least important task of a critic is the properunderstandingof the text, in other

    words,

    the

    defence

    of

    readings

    which at

    first

    sight might

    seem

    corrupt.

    From

    this

    point

    of view also

    Keydell

    has deserved

    particularly

    well of

    the

    poet;

    several

    apparently

    corrupt (but

    in

    reality perfectly

    sound) readings

    I

    have

    defended

    in

    my forthcoming

    monograph

    Studies

    n the

    Language

    f

    Nonnus.

    I

    should

    like now to contribute

    a few more

    cases.

    At 8.

    136

    f.:

    o3

    1Javd

    raplavE

    r

    Eu5EpOv

    E'"tLOS

    ZEV,

    aAAa

    Ut&7poodpoLo

    pe-rafp?7yLFa

    tpEdAOpov

    K.T.A.

    Keydell

    has

    changed

    aUL~tpo0dpoLo

    o

    at%7qpopdooto,

    following

    in

    Grife's

    foot-

    steps:

    the

    latter,

    at

    47. 543

    f.,

    ...

    XaAKoOdpoU

    U

    tvLY

    O

    TrapOEvE-voS,

    OT17

    aYcJS.0.T.

    changed

    XaAKocdpov

    into

    XaAKopd

    ov.

    Yet

    the

    two

    readings

    aL&qrpo

    p

    o to

    and

    XaAKo

    dpo

    v

    support

    each other

    and invite us to

    pause

    before

    jumping

    to the emendation

    of not one isolated

    instance, but two.

    The

    adjective

    aut5po0dpos,

    in

    Nonnus,

    means

    literally

    'carrying

    iron';

    but

    the notion

    of

    'carrying

    on

    top, having

    on

    top

    >

    be

    covered

    with' does

    prevail

    and

    is

    always

    made

    clear

    and more

    specific

    by

    the

    context,

    or the

    substantive

    to

    which the

    adjective

    refers.

    At

    17.

    278

    ar qpoqdpwv

    a

    rparv

    'Iv(3rv

    means

    'iron-clad',

    i.e. 'covered

    with

    an iron

    armour',

    s

    is

    clear

    from

    the

    context

    ;Z

    at

    5.

    97

    a&l7po

    dpov

    . .

    .

    Kap

    vov

    means 'with

    iron on

    top',

    i.e.

    'topped

    with

    an iron

    helmet',

    as is evident from

    Kap-vov;

    at

    46.

    2

    cLrs

    pobdp'wv

    . .

    .

    XELip

    the

    meaning

    is 'covered with

    iron

    chains',

    as is obvious

    from

    the

    adjacent

    8

    o~EbLoo;3

    the

    adjective

    XaAKoOdpog,

    s

    is

    appropriately

    noted

    in

    L.S.J.,

    means, in 14. 343, 'tipped with copper'. From the above considerations it

    follows

    that

    ac~tpodo'poLo

    and

    XaAKoqdpov

    certainly

    mean

    what Grafe and

    Key-

    dell

    want

    them

    to,

    but

    must

    be left

    untouched:

    'with

    iron

    (copper)

    on

    top',

    'topped

    with iron

    (copper)'

    means

    here

    'with a

    roof

    of

    iron,

    copper',

    as is

    made obvious

    by

    the

    context,

    and

    in

    particular by

    the

    substantives,

    p~EAOdpov

    and

    7rap6EvEihvos,

    which make

    the

    meaning

    of the

    adjectives

    more

    specific,

    precisely

    as

    oapa-dv,

    Kapljvov,

    etc.,

    do in the

    examples

    just

    quoted.

    At

    11. 209

    ff.

    Ampelos,

    who

    has

    lost

    control of the bull he

    is

    riding,

    says

    to

    the animal

    Et

    EY

    c'voxpla

    KEpao"

    opov

    79vLOXEVELS

    ELKEOV ELEOS

    .oT(

    q

    T,

    -ravpwTT

    tLOpqo

    K.7.A.

    Sitzungsber.

    d.

    Bayer.

    Akad. d.

    Wiss.,

    Philos.-

    philol.

    KI.,

    Jahrg.

    I919,

    Abh.

    7, p. 35.

    For

    Lxvo-

    =

    step

    in

    Nonnus

    cf.,

    e.g.,

    2.

    693, 3.

    54.-

    L~LV

    =

    step

    in Metab. 8.

    36.

    1

    The

    sedes of

    Edcatovaa,

    n

    21.

    286,

    is

    the

    same as

    in

    42. 227.

    2

    Cf.

    aS-&qpox&rwv

    and

    xaAKoxtrwv,

    both

    often used

    by

    Nonnus.

    3

    In

    Metab.

    I9.

    73

    casL7podO'pcOV

    ydtcwv,

    the

    adjective

    describes those

    yo'#dom

    which

    have a

    very large

    iron

    head.

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

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    72

    GIUSEPPE GIANGRANDE

    The

    vLOXEVELS

    has been

    unjustly suspected:

    the

    etymological

    bisticcio

    (of

    the

    type quis

    custodiet

    ustodes) ives

    a

    perfectly

    good meaning,

    i.e. 'if

    you

    drive

    your

    driver',

    in the sense that the bull is

    taking

    whichever course he

    likes,

    and

    therefore eading (not being led by) the would-be driverAmpelos.The bisticcio,

    in

    the

    rhetorically

    elaborate

    speech

    given

    by

    the

    boy,

    is

    prepared by

    i1.

    142,

    149,

    170o,

    and

    203;

    cf.,

    for a

    totally analogous

    etymological game,

    8.

    257

    (cf.

    also

    5. 325

    017Pp--P

    rpocdwyv

    O-qp

    '?opas

    and 28.

    16o

    'Aaqp

    . ..

    .AaTr7pa

    KLX'-aas).

    In

    the

    particular

    case

    under

    discussion,

    the

    bisticcio

    s

    especially

    felicitous be-

    cause,

    as Nonnus

    emphasizes

    with

    KEpaordopov

    and

    with the

    whole

    line

    210,

    Ampelos

    is

    horned

    like the

    bull

    he

    is

    vainly

    trying

    to drive.

    Cf.

    also i1.

    187.

    At

    17. 232

    ff. Orontes

    strikes

    Dionysus

    on the

    head,

    but without

    any

    effect:

    ou

    ydp

    dvae

    idLvvuors

    c48

    70t0O

    Kap-1VOU

    Tavpo9%1

    v7rTOY

    VCXE

    2EXp'aL

    Eo pmfxTOV

    dAAa ualos

    ovpavtov

    )LtLqtqLa

    lOWlTL&gS

    ELXE

    EA?)Vr/S

    oatLovt'l

    drrpCrov

    'xwv

    ltaa TXyaK~palrjs

    dvrtlots

    ir&VaKTOV

    K.T.A.

    The

    adjective

    E2cEAvatoto

    as

    been

    tormented to no avail: the fact

    is

    that the

    word

    is sound. For the

    moon-image,

    cf.,

    e.g., 5.

    72

    or

    23.

    309.

    Koechly (op.

    cit.,

    ad

    loc.)

    took

    exception

    to

    2EAcivatotobecause

    he

    thought

    that this

    adjective

    'adversiscornubuspugnatcum

    240

    sqq.'.

    In

    reality,Nonnus is not contradicting

    himself

    in

    the least:

    he

    means

    that

    Dionysus'

    horns

    were not of the nature

    of

    (mortal,

    earthly)

    bulls

    (-ravpobv'7 hrTov),

    which

    type

    of

    horns

    can

    be cut

    by

    the

    slaughterer's

    xe,

    but

    divine

    (o3pdvvtov,tzovl~s),

    and therefore ndestruc-

    tible

    (cf.,

    e.g.,

    10.

    136,

    for

    the

    motif).

    The

    adjectives avpo v^,

    o0pdvCov,

    nd

    aqwlov'5s,

    hose function

    s cardinal

    n

    the

    comparison,

    re all

    placed

    em-

    phatically,

    at

    the

    beginning

    of

    their

    respective

    ines.

    At

    25.

    457

    ff. the

    pdKocwv

    ttacks

    Tylos:

    SE

    TT7Aarv'

    alxva

    'vas',

    50cV

    as'

    5

    KcafYIJVOV'bEt5Et

    VaqiLof

    av-rtov

    &vopo

    opovoe,

    Kat h7rJa

    lwnosr

    I)4acruWv

    hCAKat'iv

    AEAtE

    OUEXv4

    ouaav

    a

    JdXvv.

    The

    reading

    dt'LXhA-v

    as

    been

    variously

    altered

    by

    the

    editors

    (cf.

    Ludwich's

    and

    Keydell's

    apparatuses).

    Why?

    The word

    (for

    its

    sedes

    n

    the

    line

    cf.,

    e.g.,

    31.

    164

    and

    33. 267)

    is

    perfectly

    fit and

    needs no

    healing. Spitting serpents

    are,

    of

    course,

    found in

    Nonnus

    (e.g.

    36.

    170

    =

    25.

    507-12).

    Here,

    the

    8pd4Kwv

    cts

    as

    a

    spitfire,

    and

    sends

    out of

    its mouth

    smoke

    (it

    repeats

    its

    performance

    at

    477):

    to

    express

    this,

    Nonnus

    says

    'it

    whirled

    a

    tempestuous vapour'.

    The

    smoke,

    puffed

    out

    (OvEAA'Euaav),

    ent

    up

    in

    a

    revolving

    cloud:

    Nonnus

    often uses

    hAEAZw

    or such pieces of imagery (e.g.

    36.

    322, of flames

    'moving

    in

    coils'):

    a

    parallel

    passage

    which confirms

    our

    interpretation

    is

    32.

    76:

    (0,9

    Y

    pvupVaar vC EAas'rrvpyr7j3v

    ~A1

    asg.

    x

    The

    image

    AE'At

    .

    .

    dtlXtqv

    (paral-

    leled

    by

    vE'4as

    .

    ...

    .AI'ag)

    is

    completed

    by

    the

    epithet

    dAKal-7V,

    hich

    means here

    trailing,

    evolving,

    s

    in

    Nic.

    Ther.

    I6o

    (the

    metaphor

    is

    of course taken from the snake's

    0AKala,

    tail: cf. Ital.

    serpeggiante,

    German

    schldngeind,

    f a

    path).

    Cf.,

    for this

    meaning

    of the

    adjective,

    44. I

    Io.

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    12/13

    EMENDATIONS

    IN NONNUS' DIONTSIACA

    73

    At

    35- 328

    ff.

    Hera

    contemplates

    Lyaios'

    body:

    ...

    TavvrrAoKdcovv

    SE

    Ava

    ov

    p~pLaL

    L7KE3avocLu77av3EILEv&

    EEEvl'/3v.

    The

    text

    is

    unjustly

    uspected

    y Keydell,

    who writes:

    '/UV-KE&aVOtat

    orruptum

    ex

    ravv7TAoKl'pov'.

    n

    reality,

    he

    bigeyes

    of Hera

    contemplating

    yaios' arge

    body

    are

    a

    concettino

    ypical

    of

    Nonnus:

    f

    a

    confirmation

    f this were

    needed,

    we

    could find

    it

    at

    7.

    216

    ff.,

    where

    Zeus

    contemplates,

    with

    his

    'b aApLv

    rTEpL/iLErpov

    220),

    the

    body

    of

    Semele:

    yvPvov

    'vrAoKac4oLo

    t/sL

    5&E[pLEdpEE'

    OVp-qg.

    Rouse's

    interpretation

    of the

    passage

    is

    fundamentally

    correct

    ('with

    her

    great

    eyes

    she

    measured...'):

    Nonnus'

    opiaa~

    ~

    ItKESaVOca-

    is, essentially,

    one

    of

    the several variations

    produced

    in

    epic

    literature

    on Homer's

    flo-rr~s

    (cf.

    EplyXAvos,

    VlyAYvoS),

    which

    was

    interpreted

    as

    iLEyaAhd60aApos

    y

    the

    ancients

    (cf.

    Thes.,

    s.v.

    foorns).

    Why,

    however,

    the

    disconcerting

    pL7KE&aVOacut,

    hose

    proper

    meaning

    is

    'long'?

    It

    is

    true that

    /LgKOS

    ould

    be used

    improperly,

    with

    reference to a

    big

    size in

    general,

    not

    specifically

    to

    length

    (cf. L.S.J.,

    s.v.,

    3),

    but,

    as

    far as

    we

    can

    see,

    Nonnus'

    employment

    of the

    adjective

    is

    always

    the 'correct'

    one:

    cf.,

    for

    //KOS,

    28.

    225;

    for

    /~'7voW,

    2.

    52;

    for

    P1qKE8avos,

    .

    260,

    13.

    423,

    14.

    209,

    345,

    I5. I77,

    22.

    29,

    25-

    525,

    26.

    240, 301, 32.

    139, 213, 36.

    407,

    459,

    41. 37,

    43- 339, 44. 87, 273,45.

    37-2

    In

    the

    passage

    which we are

    analysing

    Nonnus,

    who

    tended

    to be

    very

    accurate

    n

    descriptive

    etails,

    wants to

    clarify

    what kind of

    bigness

    Homer

    meant with

    reference

    o

    Hera's

    eyes,

    when

    calling

    her

    flo,"nS:

    Hera's

    eyes,

    he

    maintains,

    were

    big

    in

    the sense hat

    they

    were not

    vaguely,generically

    ize-

    able

    (we

    have

    already

    mentioned Zeus'

    dq0aALduv

    EpiTpqlrpov)

    but

    specifically

    long,

    i.e.

    almond-shaped:

    such a

    shape

    has

    always

    been

    regarded,

    in

    women,

    as a

    feature

    contributing

    to

    beauty.3

    That

    Homer's

    flo6Ymrs

    ust

    refer

    to

    this

    I

    As

    epqLE'TpEEv

    mplies

    cf.

    also

    1TdVAEvKOV

    jAov

    36asg)

    the

    girl

    is

    visualized

    not

    only

    as

    white-skinned,

    but also

    tall.

    'Eine hohe

    Gestalt

    hat ihnen

    (sc.

    the

    Greeks)

    immer als

    Vorzug

    gegolten,

    und war

    namentlich

    ein

    wesentlicher Teil ihres

    weiblichen

    Sch6n-

    heitsideals'

    (Beloch,

    Griech.Gesch.

    2.

    I, p. 94).

    Cf.,

    e.g.,

    Hor. Sat. I.

    2.

    123

    f.,

    Max.

    Tyr.

    24.

    18.

    7

    KalToL

    uLKpaV

    OaaV

    Kt

    p a

    /LAvav

    (sc.

    Sappho),

    Schol.

    Luc. Im.

    18.

    ILKpc

    7

    Ka

    AaLva

    (sc. Sappho);

    cf.

    in

    particular

    A.P.

    5.

    121.

    1;

    also

    5.

    76.

    2

    (t3/K~).

    At

    28.

    59

    rKEGKav-

    doet?)

    efers

    to

    the

    kind

    of shield

    which

    was

    'oblongum' (cf.

    Ebeling,

    Lex.

    Homer.,

    s.v.

    adKoos).

    3

    On

    ancient

    cosmetic methods cf.

    in

    particular

    B6ttiger,

    Sabina

    (Leipzig,

    18062),

    and

    Blumner,

    Die rdm.

    Privataltert.,

    (Mtin-

    chen,

    1911), pp.

    435

    ff. In

    Tert. Cult.

    em.

    I.

    2.

    illum

    ipsum

    nigrum pulverem,

    quo

    oculorum

    exordia

    producuntur,

    he

    author refers to the

    practice

    of

    lengthening

    the

    eyes

    at

    their

    corners

    (very

    much as

    ladies do

    today)

    and

    not

    to

    the

    lengthening

    of the

    eyebrows,

    as

    Bliimner (op. cit., p. 437,

    note

    12) thinks

    (cf.

    also

    the

    T.L.L.,

    s.v.

    exordium,

    566.

    II

    ff.).

    On 'das Umziehen der Lider

    ldngs

    der

    Wim-

    pern

    mit

    einer

    Schwiirze,

    wodurch die

    Augen

    grB3er

    erscheinen

    sollen'

    (a practice

    which stresses the

    almond-shaped

    orm of the

    human

    eye)

    cf.

    in

    particular

    Friedlinder

    on

    Juvenal

    2.

    94,

    with his

    usual

    impeccable

    accuracy.

    B6ttiger,

    op.

    cit.

    i.

    28,

    very appro-

    priately

    notes

    that the

    ar7ue

    has

    transformed

    Sabina into

    'eine

    farrendugige uno,

    um

    mit

    Vater Homer zu

    sprechen'

    (italics mine).

    The

    epic poet Nonnus has precisely Vater

    Homer

    in

    mind,

    together

    with

    contemporary

    toiletry.

    On the

    t7rroypa0?

    ra6

    dv6aApWtLv

    cf.

    in

    particular

    Thes.,

    s.v.

    57roypd0b(w

    09

    B,

    with

    still

    useful

    bibliography.

    57rroypdoiw

    may

    be taken

    to mean

    either

    'underline,

    stress,

    emphasize',

    or

    'delineate'

    (cf.

    Passow5,

    s.v.,

    3

    b

    'eine

    Contour

    machen')

    :

    whichever

    meaning

    we

    prefer,

    however,

    the

    result of

    the

    r7Toypar4?

    is the

    same,

    i.e.

    the

    eyes

    are made

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  • 8/10/2019 Emendations and Interpretations in Nonnus' Dionysiaca

    13/13

    74

    GIUSEPPE

    GIANGRANDE

    particular

    kind

    of

    bigness

    Nonnus indicates

    not

    only

    by

    using

    oppaac 1KE vo

    L

    with reference to

    Hera,

    but also

    by coining

    ravu'yA'-vos

    rafpos

    at

    43.

    42

    (in

    compounds

    with

    -yAhvos,

    his

    component

    means,

    by synecdoche, eye,

    cf.,

    e.g.,

    fot2rs

    ,*

    floyA-voS),' which epithet, as its substantive

    -raipos

    hints, is a fur-

    ther

    explanationz

    of Homer's

    /o6jorr.

    King's

    College,

    Cambridge

    GIUSEPPE

    GIANGRANDE

    not

    more

    round,

    but more

    almond-shaped.

    Cf.

    Triller(us),

    D.

    W.,

    Observ.Crit.

    (Frank-

    furt,

    I742),

    p.

    400:

    for cosmetic

    purposes,

    the

    stibium

    was used

    by

    ladies

    'ad

    palpebras

    denigrandas [that

    is,

    to delineate

    their

    con-

    tour] earumque

    fines

    [i.e.

    ends]

    latius

    pro-

    ferendos'. Fr.

    Junius,

    in his

    commentary

    on

    Tertullian,

    loc.

    cit.

    (Franeker,

    1598,

    p.

    I

    12),

    proposed

    exodia or

    exordia,

    but his

    conjecture

    is

    unnecessary:

    exordia

    here

    means 'le

    d6but',

    i.e. 'le

    bord,

    le contour

    des

    yeux' (cf.

    Blaise,

    Dict.

    Aut.

    Chrit.,

    s.v.

    exordium):

    t is obvious

    that such

    almond-shaped

    contours

    producun-

    tur,

    can be

    lengthened,

    t the sides

    (i.e.

    at

    the

    corners of the

    eyes) just

    as

    the

    effeminate

    producit, engthens

    his

    supercilium

    bviously

    at

    its ends in

    Juvenal

    2.

    93

    f.

    x

    The

    same

    love for

    descriptive

    preci-

    sion

    appears

    in Metab.

    21.

    63 f.,

    where

    the

    original

    IxOv'wv

    eydtoAwv

    n

    the

    Gospel

    is

    ren-

    dered

    by

    vE1TrdOwv

    tpKEGavCv:

    ig

    fish are

    generally

    long-shaped.

    2

    A

    critic

    who knew well

    what

    meaning

    ,ravv-

    has

    in

    Greek

    compounds (including

    those used

    or coined

    by Nonnus),

    Koechly,

    wanted

    to emend

    ravvyA'4voto

    nto

    ravv-

    Kpatpoto;

    other

    critics,

    who

    rightly

    leave the

    reading

    -ravvyA'~voto

    nchanged,

    translate

    the

    word,

    however,

    inaccurately

    ('weitiiugig,

    grossiugig',

    Passow5;

    'large-eyed,

    full-eyed',

    L.S.J.;

    'a

    glaring

    bull'

    is

    Rouse's

    rendering

    of

    Nonnus'

    passage).

    Nonnus'

    Tavv'y`qvos

    was

    perhaps

    inspired

    by

    r

    A

    aT~"

    v

    dOaAops,

    in

    which

    compound

    rrAarv-

    expresses

    the idea

    of

    the

    eyes

    being

    broadened

    at their

    corners,

    i.e.

    their

    almond-shaped

    contour

    being

    lengthened.