οὔτ’ ἂν μνησαίμην οὔτ’ ἐν λόγωι ἄνδρα τιθείην
οὔτε ποδῶν ἀρετῆς οὔτε παλαιμοσύνης,
Neither would I remember nor speak of a man who is either an excellent racer or wrestler,
I thought that he might be talking about writing praise poetry (like Pindar), and “memorialize” & “set down in speech” might be better. But having read through 10-12 (so far), it may be that the setting is a general talking about who he wants in his army, not a poet talking about who he likes to write poetry about?
I think that I understand the οὔτε/οὐδὲ construction here. The first οὔτε corresponds to the four οὐδὲ line beginnings of the following odd numbered lines. The οὔτε/οὔτε on line two is its own thing.
οὐδ’ εἰ Κυκλώπων μὲν ἔχοι μέγεθός τε βίην τε,
νικώιη δὲ θέων Θρηΐκιον Βορέην,
Nor if he should have the stature and the strength of a Cyclops or running defeat the Thracian North Wind,
οὐδ’ εἰ Τιθωνοῖο φυὴν χαριέστερος εἴη,
πλουτοίη δὲ Μίδεω καὶ Κινύρεω μάλιον,
Nor if he should be more graceful of form than Tithonus, or more wealthy than Midas and Cinyras,
οὐδ’ εἰ Τανταλίδεω Πέλοπος βασιλεύτερος εἴη,
γλῶσσαν δ’ Ἀδρήστου μειλιχόγηρυν ἔχοι,
Nor if he should be more kingly than Pelops son of Tantalus, or have the honey-voiced tongue of Adrastus
If I didn’t look up the mythology, I would have thought Tantalus son of Pelops, from the word order, which is generally the opposite?
οὐδ’ εἰ πᾶσαν ἔχοι δόξαν πλὴν θούριδος ἀλκῆς·
οὐ γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς γίνεται ἐν πολέμωι
εἰ μὴ τετλαίη μὲν ὁρῶν φόνον αἱματόεντα,
καὶ δηίων ὀρέγοιτ’ ἐγγύθεν ἱστάμενος.
Nor if he has all repute but that for voracious courage. For a man does not become serviceable in battle, if he should not indeed dare to see blood-red slaughter and strive to to stand closer to battle.
Campbell recommended reading Goodwin’s Moods and Tenses 501 (c) for a discussion of the optative following a present apodosis, as with τετλαίη. It makes the possibility more remote, he seems to say.