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ὀνομαστότατοι: in the positive 8. 89, 6. 114; in the comparative 6. 126. τῶν ἐν Πλαταιῇσι seems = τῶν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ ἀποθ ανόντων: cp. note above.
Καλλικράτης γάρ gives the reason for his not being oue of the όνομαστότατοι — he died, perforce, a passive death, ἔξω τῆς μάχης, without having been able to strike a blow. It seems a restricted idea of the μάχη which regards Kallistratos as hors du combat; yet he was not actually slain in the ranks but apparently carried to the rear, and he was unable to strike a blow cominus: the passive virtues, and even the passive states of active virtues (e.g. courage) were less highly esteemed in Sparta than with us. The name Kallikrates is not an uncommon one. Plutarch, Agesilaos 35, mentions a Spartan of his own time so named, a descendant of the man, Antikrates, who had dealt Epameinondas his death blow. Who would not fain believe that Kallikratidas, the typical Spartan of the old school (Xenophon, Hell. 1. 6. 1-36) towards the eud of the fifth century, was a relative of the Plataian hero, who was remembered for his good looks and his last bon mot?
κάλλιστος ... τῶν τότε Ἑλλήνων: like Nireus to Ilion, Il. 2. 673; like Philippos of Kroton to Segesta, 5. 47. Size was an element in the Hellenic conception of κάλλος, whether male or female (cp. 3. 1 κάρτα μεγάλη τε καὶ εὐειδής, 5. 12 μεγάλην τε καὶ εὐειδέα, 1. 60 Phye); cp. the description of Xerxes 7. 187, κάλλεός τε εἵνεκα καὶ μεγάθεος. Plutarch, Aristeid. 17, specifies the size as well as the beauty of Kallikrates.
ἐπειδὴ ἐσφαγιάζετο Παυσανίης: cp. c. 61 supra; έπεί is used with the imperf. c. 56 supra. The verb is a ‘deponent’ (L. & S.), but why not ‘middle,’ as σφαγιάζω is found in Aristophanes (bis) Birds 569 f. (σφαγιαζομένῳ passive) and in later writers (cp. σφαγιασθέντι 7. 180 supra)? κατήμενος ἐν τῇ τάξι. The hoplites sat on the ground in the battlearray, crouching under their shields, to avoid the arrows and other missiles, cp. cc. 61, 62 (especially προεξαναστἁντες). Wesseling refers to Plutarch Aristeid. 17 ὡς δὲ θυόμενος οὐκ ἐκαλλιἑρει προσἑταξε τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις τὰς ἀσπίδας πρὸ τῶν ποδῶν θεμένους ἀτρέμα καθέζεσθαι. The idea that the shields were put out of use for the time is hardly to be entertained. The passages quoted from Euripides, Suppl. 357, 664, 674 (παῤ ὅπλοις ἧσθαι, ἐφ᾽ ὅπλοις ἧσθαι, or ἧσθαι simpliciter), are not really to the point, as they do not describe a tactical position. More to the point were Tyrtaios, 11. 35 (ὑπ᾽ ἀσπίδος ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος πτώσσοντες), but that it applies only to γυμνῆτες, cp. c. 48 supra.
τὰ πλευρά: cp. c. 22 supra, an accusative ‘of reference’ or limitation; a plural of extent or abstraction (it takes a plurality of ribs to make one side). On which side he was wounded Hdt. does not say; probably the right. ἐμάχοντο: the μάχη is in progress, though Kallikrates dies ἔξω τῆς μάχης, having been carried to the rear; or perhaps the imperfect is used to denote their ability and mind for battle, as compared with his disqualification. καὶ δή, concessive, cp. cc. 6, 8, 48 supra.
ἐξενηνειγμένος: he was carried out of the ranks by his helot, with or without assistance; cp. the narrative of the destruction of the Spartan mora in 390 B.C., Xenoph. Hell. 4. 5. 14 οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἐπεὶ ἠκοντίζοντο καὶ ὁ μέν τις ἐτέτρωτο ὁ δὲ καὶ ἐπεπτώκει, τούτους μὲν ἐκέλευον τοὺς ὑπασπιστὰς ἀραμένους ἀποφέρειν εἰς Λέχαιον: καὶ οὗτοι μόνοι τῆς μόρας τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἐσώθησαν (ὑπασπισταί, i.e. γυμνῆτες, i.e. helots). ἐδυσθανάτεε, ‘was dying hard,’ i.e. kept death at bay for some time; cp. Plato Rep. 406 B δυσθανατῶν δὲ ὑπὸ σοφίας εἰς γῆρας αφἱκετο (anticipated just before in μακρὸν τὸν θάνατον αὑτῷ ποιήσας). How long the struggle lasted in the case of Kalhkrates is not stated. Ἀείμνηστον ἄνδρα Πλαταιέα. This can hardly be any other than the ἀνὴρ ἐν Σπἀρτῃ λόγιμος who had the credit of dealing Mardonios his deathwound, cp. c. 64 supra, perhaps one with ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν Πλαταιἐων of Plutarch Aristeid. 11. How the dying Kallikrates comes to be conversing with him ἔξω τῆς μάχης is not very clear. Were there Plataians attached to the staff of Pausanias, or working with the Spartans (as well as those with the Athenians); or had the Plataians been shifted wholesale to the right wing; or did the interview between Aeimnestos and the dying man take place after the battle?
πρό. ‘on behalf of . .’ = ἕνεκα, ὑπέρ. Cp. c. 22 supra.
οὐκ ἐχρήσατο τῇ χειρί: cp. 3. 78 ὁρέων δέ μιν ἀργὸν ἐπεστεῶτα ὁ Γοβρύης εἴρετο ὅ τι οὐ χρᾶται τῇ χειρί.
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