[597] “στεῦτο κτλ”.: he asserted boastfully that he would be the victor. Cf. “Γ 83, στεῦται δ̓ Ὀδυσῆος ἀκοῦσαι ι ἀγχοῦ ρ” 525 f. he asserts that he heard of Odysseus as near at hand.
εὐχόμενος: for the partic. of manner, see on “ι<*>ών Α” 138.
εἴ περ ἄν: even granted that, supposing that. Here alone is “ἄν” found, instead of “κέν”, with “εἰ” and the opt., cf. 1.60; see § 3 c; elsewhere “εἰ ἄν” is found with the subjv., as 3.25. The form in dir. disc. would be “νικήσαιμι ἄν, εἴ περ ἂν αὐταὶ μοῦσαι ἀείδοιεν”.