They spoke in a debate.
This entry is from
Lexicon Ambrosianum (
Ambrosianus B 12 sup. 45 and
Laurentianus 59,16 fol. 187r) and its origin is in a scholion to
Homer, Iliad 4.1: “and the gods, seated near
Zeus, discussed in assembly”.
The headword verb is an epic form of the imperfect of
ἀγοραόμαι which occurs not only in
Homer but also in several post-classical epic poets (Apollonius of
Rhodes, Quintus,
Nonnus) who take
Homer as their model. This same form is to be found also in
Herodotus.
There is no agreement on the meaning of the verb in the Homeric passage because of its double use: to meet (intransitive) in assembly, and to speak in assembly. See e.g.
Porphyrius,
Questionum Homericarum ad Iliadem pertinentium reliquiae 4.1: “
Aristarchus considered
ἠγορόωντο as meaning
they gathered together, but is better to say
they discussed… If indeed [
Homer] meant
they gathered together, would have written
οἱ δὲ θεοι πὰρ Ζηνὶ καθήμενοι ἠγερέθεντο ;
and the gods, seated near Zeus, ἠγερέθεντο [gathered together]” (as in Iliad 11.770, 24.790 and elsewhere).
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