Homeric Questions and On the Cave of the Nymphs

A the difference between harmatrochia chariot-track, and hamatrochia running-together/concomitance, which is spelled without the "r." Hamatrochia is the act of running together and not being left behind. For example, it is a kind of homodromia running together. For they called the paths trochos a course/wheel. Harmatrochia is the track of the wheels. Both are present in Homer, with the poet explaining their distinct meanings. For that hamatrochia signifies "running together" is demonstrated here when he speaks of Menelaus:

B > "There Menelaus held his chariot-tracks hamatrochias running-together/keeping pace, avoiding."

He was being left behind because of the roughness of the ground, guarding against the collision of the race. Having exchanged this word, he explained it in other places, such as homostichiei marching in the same line. And concerning Eumaeus, as the foster-father was already coming and walking along with him, he says:

Γ > "For I nurse the son of a noble man in the halls.

Such a clever one, running-along-with-me hamatrochonta out of doors."

That is, he is already able to run together with me outside and travel on foot along with me from my little lap. The same as "running-along-with-me out of doors" is "she took me by the hand and led me out of the house." Hamatrochia, therefore, is as follows. But that harmatrochia signifies the track from the wheels, he himself illustrates again, saying:

Δ > "Thus then, great

Became the chariot-track harmatrochiē behind,
In the fine dust."

For because of the fine and scant nature of the dust, he says that the track of those following one another does not become large. He also explained how the track is formed. Because it is left behind the one rushing to the front. Callimachus, being ignorant of these things, says: "But of those running like the winds, no one saw hamatrochias." He wants to say that no one saw a track, because of the running like the winds. But hamatrochiai do not signify the tracks of running chariots, but those spelled with the "r," harmatrochia.

E