Tzetzes' Allegories of the Iliad and Psellos' Allegories

Alexander, Phereclus having built the ships,
having come down to Greece, seizes Helen;
from which that great war broke out,
and the much-admired city of Troy was razed,
and all became fuel for the sword.
These things those who speak ignorantly and childishly say;
but now learn the truth, delicately and precisely.
Priam, the son of Laomedon and Leucippe,
or of Rhoio according to some, and of Strymo according to others,
having married Hecuba, daughter of Dymas, according to some of Cisseus,
begat many sons, and indeed daughters as well.
And when Hecuba was pregnant with Alexander,
she seemed in dreams to give birth to a burning torch,
which incinerated all the surrounding regions of the Trojans.
The interpreters of dreams, having learned this, said:
"The infant which you carry inside in your womb
"becomes a destruction to all the surrounding region of the Trojans."

(165) From Iliad 5.62, concerning Phereclus: "who fashioned for Alexander balanced ships, the origin of evils, which became a bane to all the Trojans, and to him." Add Tzetzes, Chiliades 8.168: "Homer [describes] Phereclus as a craftsman by trade, and joining ships and thrones and everything else." Manuscript 2644: "dirges." I propose reading "thrones" referring to benches for rowers. Thranos is the proper name in a ship for the seat of the rower.

(169) The name "fuel for the sword" will return at verse 329. Gregory Cyprius in my Greek Anecdota vol. 1, p. 345, concerning the captured city: "it becomes fuel for barbaric hands." Life of Barlaam, ibid. vol. 4, p. 236: "I will give your bodies as fuel to the wild beasts." Eumathius, Hysmine 8, p. 282: "But as many as have surpassed these, alas for the unmerciful soul of the barbarians! They have become fuel for the sword." One must write "these" from the manuscript, and without a manuscript,

namely, the young men, of whom just now. The scholiast of Ajax at verse 12 interprets "fuel" as "incidental expense."

(171) A, B, "accurately." See verse 109.

(173) A, Burgess, Strymnus. B, C, Strymo. See the Greek Thesaurus under Strymo; and Mueller on the scholia of Tzetzes in Lycophron, verse 18.

(174) Burgess, Drymas.

(175) B, "and indeed also." I have argued for the quality of the formula "and indeed also" in Choricius, p. 342. Add note on Nicetas Eugenianus, p. 387.

(176) C, "when." Burgess, "Alexander" against the rhythm. A, "pregnant." See an example of the word "pregnant" with the accusative in book T, 60; Ludwig Dindorf cited others from Tzetzes in the Greek Thesaurus.

(177) Burgess, "birth."

(180) C and Burgess, "inside." Ludwig Dindorf placed examples of Tzetzes in the same place. A, B, "from within."