Belcher. — Land-system of the Iliad. 27 



Autenreith, s.v., says: " aTrovprfo-ova-i, int., eripient {-avpau)), 

 or aTTovpia-a-ova-L, aviovehunt terminos (ovpos)." The passage is, 

 then, " for others will take away his landmark; will intrude 

 ujDon and usurp his land." 



L. and S. adopt aTv-ovpia-a-ovai as the reading in this place. 

 Eidgway follows. The difficulty about uTra^ A.eyo/xei'a felt by 

 Phrynichus arises in the case of air-ovpijcTovcn. The form is 

 conjectural ; the meaning is still more conjectural. 



The question is. What is ovpuv? In the Dictt. there are 



SIX words of this sound — ovpov, ovpos, ovpov, nvpo?, oi'pos, ovpo<; 



— and under the head of the first ovpov we find in all Dictt. the 

 following references : — 

 II. xii. 421-424: 



aAA ojs T afX(p ovpoim ov avepe oqptaacroov 

 p-^Tp Iv ^(ipcfiv e^oj'TCS, Ittl^vvijo Iv apovpij 

 ID T oA.tya) ei't X'^PH^ ipLt,rjTov irepi iTrjs, 

 OJS apa Tovs Suepyov CTraX^ie?" 



This is Englished by Lord Derby, — 



" As when two neighbours in a common field 

 Each, line in hand, within a narrow space. 

 About the limits of their land contend, 

 Between them thus the rampart drew the line." 



Another more significant passage is II. x. 351 : 

 dXA' ore hy] p aTreijv o(rcrov t eiri ovpa TreXovrat 

 rjpnovuiv (ati yap re /3owv 7rpo(f)€pe<7Tepai eicrtV 

 eXKe/xeyai vetoto (SaOeirjs ttt/ktov dporpov). 



On which editors, as to ovpa -n-eXovTai rjixiovm', are in diffi- 

 culty. 



A third illustrative passage, II. xxiii. 431, 443 : — 

 bcraa 8e Blctkov ovpa Karw/AaStoto TreAovrai. 

 (So far as reach the casts of a well-hurled quoit.) 



In all these cases ovpov is a land-measure. 



Men are disputing about the ovpa of their land. (I do not 

 think Lord Derby should be reckoned in evidence either way ; 

 his translation does not aim at critical accuracy). They hold 

 the measures in their hands : 



Or they are playing quoits, and go a fixed cast called 

 ovpov : 



Or mules are ploughing, and, being nimbler at the plough, 

 they do in the same time more work than do the oxen ; and it 

 seems that the work in a fixed time (say a working day) 

 between headland and headland — that is, the total width of 

 the land ploughed — is called ovpov. 



Consider the circumstances and context of the following 

 reference : Diomedes and Odusseus are prowling about at 

 night ; they meet Dolon, wdio is also out on a midnight 



