Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

καὶ αὐτός: these words indicate reciprocity in the movements of the two parties. Brasidas returned to the city which Cleon had approached. Cf. c. 7. 8 ff. εὐθὺς ὡς εἶδε κινουμένους τοὺς Ἀθηναίους is the natural consequence of κατεφαίνετο πάντα αὐτόθεν in c. 6. 12.

δεδιὼς τὴν αὑτοῦ παρασκευήν: οὐ θαρρῶν τῇ ἰδίᾳ παρασκευῇ, Schol. His force consisted mainly of mercenaries. Cf. iv. 80. 22.—ὑποδεεστέρους: refers in accordance with frequent usage to παρασκευήν (G. 138, N. 3; H. 615 a), and is therefore not to be changed (with Portus) to ὑποδεέστερος.

ἀντίπαλα : without reference to a definite subj. Cf. i. 7. 8; ii. 56. 4; iii. 88. 4; iv. 117. 13.—ἀξιώματι: almost with the meaning of excellence, efficiency (τῇ δυνάμει, Schol.); but their reputation, with the respect arising from it, is also expressed by this word.

καθαρόν: οὐχὶ συγκλύδων οὐδὲ ἐπικούρων, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτῶν τῶν πολιτῶν, Schol. Cf. χρηστοῖς καταλόγοις ἐκκριθέν, vi. 31. 28. Similarly Hdt.i. 211. 3 and iv. 135. 10, τὸ κα- θαρὸν τοῦ στρατοῦ. Plut. Aem. P. 8, αὐτῶν τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀρετῇ καὶ ἡλικίᾳ τὸ καθαρώτατον.—Λημνίων καὶ Ἰμβρίων: Attic cleruchi, often mentioned together as trusty followers, iii. 5. 5; iv. 28. 18; vii. 57. 8.— 8. τέχνῃ: by artifice. Cf. c. 18. 16. Const. with ἐπιθησόμενος, which is fut. partic. without ὡς expressing purpose after παρεσκευάζετο. Similarly ii. 91. 8; vi. 54. 18; vii. 17. 2; viii. 59. 2.

ἀναγκαίαν οὖσαν: barely sufficient, such as had been obtainable under the circumstances. Cf. vi. 37. 17. A similar use of the superl. occurs in i. 90. 21; 82. 10.

αὐτῶν: objective gen. referring to Brasidas's own forces. ἄνευ προόψεως αὐτῶν is equiv. to εἰ μὴ αὐτοὺς προίδοιεν. What follows carries out the same idea, the emphasis upon the consequence which was to be avoided being made stronger by the use of μὴ ἀπὸ instead of ἄνευ (for similar phrases, cf. i. 91. 28; iii. 40. 28, 30; iv. 130. 26; vii. 15. 12; 70. 49). καὶ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄντος καταφρονήσεως is equiv. to καὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦ ὄντος (i.e. their real weakness which would then appear) καταφρονήσειαν. “If he showed his weakness to the enemy, he thought he should be less likely (οὐ μᾶλλον for ἧττον) to gain a victory than if they did not see his forces and learn to despise them.” This explanation is adopted from that of Schütz, Ztschr. f. d. Gymn. Wesen 12, p. 406, and St., Symbola Philologorum Bonnensium, p. 387 f.

προστάξας: προστάσσειν, hand over to, place under the command of. Cf. vi. 42. 8, κατὰ τέλη στρατηγῷ προστεταγμένοι.

ἀπολαβεῖν : cut off, get into his power, as in ii. 90. 20; iv. 14. 19.

τύχοι ἐλθοῦσα: equiv. to τύχῃ ἔλθοι.

φράσαι: tell accurately. Cf. i. 145. 4 and note; iii. 42. 10 and note.