This text is part of:
90.
1. ἦλθον πρεσβείᾳ = ἐπρεσβεύσαντο, the sociative dat. as in naval and military expressions; but there is no other example of this phrase and hence the variant readings.
τὰ μὲν κτλ.—partly because etc. μήτε not οὔτε because apprehension is implied.
5. τὸ πλῆθος ὅ—see c. 14. 2.
6. γενομένην—for the order see c. 11. 3.
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8. εἱστήκει—sc. τείχη.
9. τὸ βουλόμενον (= τὴν βούλησιν) καὶ ὕποπτον — see c. 36. 1. ἐς τοὐς Ἀ. certainly belongs to δηλοῦντες and means before the assembly. For δηλοῦν in this use cf. c. 82. 1.
11. ὠς δὲ τοῦ β.—but on the ground that, still depending on ἠξιουν.
13. ἀπὸ ἐχυροῦ ποθεν ... ὁρμᾶσθαι—to use any stronghold as a base of operations. ποθεν by attraction for που.
νῦν—lately. Herod. 9.33 fol. tells us how the Persian general Mardonius made Thebes his headquarters.
15. ἀναχώρησίν τε καὶ ἀφορμήν—as a place to retreat to or advance from, abstract for concrete.
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24. ἱκανὸν ἄρωσιν—for the pred. adj. cf. 2.75 ᾔρετο τὸ ὕψος τοῦ τείχους μέγα. The aor. (see crit. note) is necessary: the pres. would mean so long as.
25. ἀναγκαιοτάτου—cf. c. 2. 2.
πάντας—on this the Schol. notes αὐτοὐς καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας. It is therefore evident that he did not find these words in the text. Mr. Forbes defends the words as ‘forcible,’ and adds that the note may only mean that the words καὶ ... παῖδας in the text themselves explain παντας. Steup finds something wrong with their ‘force,’ rightly saying that καὶ οἰκέτας is missing after παῖδας: e.g. Diodorus xi. 40 says συνελαμβάνοντο τῶν ἔργων οἵ τε παῖδες καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες καἱ καθόλου πᾶς ξένος καὶ δοῦλος; but the details of his account are not drawn wholly from Thuc. The second point raised in defence is not borne out by the scholia to Thuc.
26. τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει—cf. c. 64. 2: in contrast with those away from Attica.
3. τἆλλα ... τἀκεῖ—the rest, namely what was to be done there: an intentionally vague and mysterious suggestion of cunning, both being object of πράξοι. The order throws emphasis on both. The Athenians liked such oracular remarks from those whom they regarded as ξυνετοί: this style reflected the manner of the Delphic oracle, the gnomic poets, the sages and early philosophers.
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6. ἀρχάς—magistrates.
11. ὡς—for ὅπως, how (not ‘that’).
Commentary on Thucydides Book 1. E. C. Marchant. 1905. London. MacMillan and Company, Ltd.
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