[B-Greek] Polyphloisboisteros unaugmented

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Fri Oct 8 12:23:14 EDT 2010


Michael Gilleland, the Old Curmudgeon (Laudator Temporis Acti) has an amusing bit
of doggerel this morning in his blog at 
http://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot.com/2010/10/augment-in-homer.html

HW Smyth's note on Homer's unaugmented past-tense forms is cited.
The snippet is entitled Δῖος Ὅμηρος (DIOS hOMHROS), and although an 1881 
anthology is cited, the name of the author is not:

Polyphloisboisteros Homer of old 
Threw all his augments into the sea, 
Though he'd been firmly but courteously told, 
Perfect imperfects begin with an E. 

"What the digamma, does any one care!" 
The Poet replied with a haughty stare, 
And he sat him down by the wine-dark sea, 
To write a fresh book of the Odyssey.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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