E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

103. 23. δεκάτῳ ἔτει—this year (see chron. table p. xxx) would be 456 B.C.; but there are several reasons for thinking δεκάτῳ wrong; e.g. (1) we know from [Xen.] Ath. Pol. that the Messenians were reduced before the battle of Tanagra, which occurred in 457 B.C., nor is it possible that Sparta should have sent a large army out of the Pel. unless this were so; (2) with δεκάτῳ the chronological order of events is here only in this sketch of the rise of Athens interrupted to notice an event that occurred after events that are still to be noticed. Hence Kruger proposed τετάρτῳ, supposing that Thue. wrote Δ which was taken for the initial letter of δεκάτῳ instead of the sign for four. Unfortunately, in view of the fact that Cimon was not sent to Sparta until after the capitulation of Thasos, and that then ἐμηκύνετο ο: πόλεμος, it is doubtful if four years is long enough.

28. εἶναι—the infin. in O.O. for ἔστω δοῦλος of O.R. This infin is particularly eommon in the terms of treaties.

[2] 3. Ἰθωμήτα—Doric ending, recalling the original.

[3] 5. κατ᾽ ἔχθος ἤδη—closely together,=κατά (‘in consequence of’) τὸ ἤδη γεγενημένον ἔ.

ἐς Ναύπακτον—the settlement proved most important to Athens in the Pel. War; they were expelled from Naupactus by Sparta at the end of it, and lived dispersed until Epaminondas befriended them in 370 B.C.

12. ἕσχον—ingressive. The possession of Megara and its ports was of the utmost value to Athens, hecause they thus blocked the roads from Pel. to Attica and Boeotia.