[84] Σιδονίους. Here, and in Il.23. 740 foll. the Sidonians are distinguished from the Phoenicians.
Ἐρεμβούς. Only mentioned in the present passage. The connection of the word with “ἔρεβος, ἐρεβεννός”, and “ἐρεμνός” seems certain. The Erembi must have been a branch of the Aethiopes, living on the coast of the Mediterranean opposite Cyprus. The etymology of the name was an ancient difficulty. Strabo says of them (b. 16) “ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον περὶ τῶν Ἐρεμβῶν ἡ ζήτησις, εἴτε τοὺς Τρωγλοδύτας ὑπονοητέον λέγεσθαι, καθάπερ οἱ τὴν ἐτυμολογίαν βιαζόμενοι ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰς τὴν ἔραν ἐμβαίνειν ὅπερ ἐστὶν εἰς τὴν γῆν, εἴτε τοὺς Ἄραβας. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ζήνων μεταγράφει οὕτως: καὶ Σιδονίους Ἄραβάς τε. πιθανώτερον δὲ Ποσειδώνιος γράφει τῷ παρὰ μικρὸν ἀλλάξαι καὶ Σιδονίους καὶ Ἀραμβούς . . οὐδ̓ οἱ Ἐρεμνοὺς γράφοντες πιθανοί. τῶν γὰρ Αἰθιόπων μᾶλλον ἴδιον”. The Schol. here, and Eustath. assert that Aristarchus identified the “Ἐρεμβοί” with the “Ἄραβες”, which Lehrs denies (de Ulixi erroribus 3. 5. 4). Gosselin, quoted by Pierron, regards the “Ἐρεμβοί” as the inhabitants of the little island of Arad, Arab, or Ereb on the Phoenician coast. Ameis, ad loc. suggests the identity of Hebrews, Aramaeans, and Arabians with these Erembi.
