ABSTRACT
The most controversial issue in these lines concerns the authenticity of 363 post mortem bello Rutuli pugnaque potiti.2 To heroic poetry belong by right of tradition accounts of the ownership of special objects. The closest parallel in Homer is presumably the description of the special helmet with boar's tusks given to Odysseus in the Doloneia (Il. 10. 261ff.).3 It has a long history of different owners (266-70): Autolycus (b) had first taken it by force from Amyntor (a), the king of Eleon; Autolycus had then given it as a gift to Amphidamas (c) who in turn gave it to his guest Molus (d). And Molus had again bequeathed it to his son Meriones (e) who is presenting Odysseus (f) with it in the epic situation. It had accordingly been through five pairs of hands before it had at last passed to Odysseus.
