[329] μέθεπε with a double accus. only here; in 16.724 we have “Πατρόκλωι ἔφεπε κρατ. ἵππους”. The word “ἕπειν”, from its primary sense ‘handle,’ came to imply ‘handling’ or managing a team of horses, and hence = drive. But it is not necessary to follow von Christ in reading “μέθ᾽ ἕπε”: the constr. ‘drove the horses after T.’ may be justified by such common constructions as “μετιέναι τινα” and the like, combined with the constr. of 8.126 “ἡνίοχον μέθεπε θρασύν”, ‘drove in quest of a charioteer,’ where the direct object “ἵππους” is omitted in Greek as in English. Compare also “ἵππους ὑπάγειν ζυγόν” 16.148. It must, however, be admitted that “Τυδεΐδηι” would be a more usual constr. The reading of Zen. (v. supra) is not to be commended, as it introduces the short form of the dat. pl. “ἵπποις” for “ἵπποισι”.
