This line marks the beginning of the twenty-seventh day of the poem—the fourth day of battle, which is the last that the Iliad contains. The day is not ended until the twenty-second book (X) is done.
[9] ἐπεὶ δὴ πρῶτα, ‘since once for all,’ like A 235.
[16] ὡς ... ὥς, like A 512, 513.—With the sentiment a scholiast compares Od. 16.294 (= Od. 19.13): “αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐφέλκεται ἄνδρα σίδηρος”, ‘steel alone draws a man to itself,’ i. e. even the sight of weapons fires men. Compare note on 18.34.
[21] οἰ̔̂ ἐπιεικὲς κτλ., ‘such as 'tis meet for the works of the immortals to be, but for no mortal man to finish.’
[24] μοι, ‘before my eyes,’ or ‘ah me!’ Cf. 18.61.
υἱόν is naturally and simply taken as object of “καδδῦσαι” (“καταδῦσαι”) in the next line; like “καταδῦσα Διὸς δόμον” (8.375), ‘entering the house of Zeus.’ Cf. “μιν ... ἔδυ”, l. 16. Some editors prefer to make it divide with “νεκρόν” (l. 26) the function of object of “ἀεικίσσωσι”.
[27] ἒκ δ᾽ αἰὼν πέφαται (root “φεν”), ‘for his life is slain and fled’ (“ἔκ”).— σαπήῃ, supply “νεκρός” as subject.
[30] τῷ, ‘for him,’ i. e. ‘from him.’
[31] μυίας, in apposition to “φῦλα” (l. 30), instead of “μυιάων”, as B 469.
[32] κῆται, probably for an original “κέεται” = “κείεται”, subjunetive of “κεῖμαι”.
[33] αἰεὶ τῷδ᾽ ἔσται κτλ., ‘always shall his flesh be sound [as now] or even better’ than now; for the gods are all-powerful; “θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα δύνανται” (Od. 10.306).
[35] ἀποειπών, with ictus on “ο.” § 39. Cf. “σμερδαλέα ἰάχων” (l. 41).
