E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2

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γὰρ—takes up ἄρχεται and introduces the narrative. So c. 49, τὸ μὲν γαρ ἔτος takes up δηλώσω. ἐνέμειναν—the aor. of a single historical fact. M. T. 56, 57 (sometimes called ‘complexive).’

Εὐβοίας ἅλωσιν—Euboea revolted at the same time as Megara, 445 B.C. See I. 114, 115. The place of the article is taken by the gen., as often. Cf. I. 1 διὰ χρόνου πλῆθος. Comparing this phrase with c. 49, 4 μετὰ ταῦτα λωφήσαντα, VI. 3, 3 μετὰ Συρακούσας οἰκισθείσας, II 68 ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀμπρακιωτῶν ξυνοικησάντων, VI. 80, 2, and similar predicative uses of the partic. collected by Stahl, Quaest. Gram. p. 28, we might suppose that Thuc. could have written μετὰ Εὔβοιαν ἁλοῦσαν, just as below we have ἐπὶ Χρυσίδος ἱερωμένης, but, with the solitary exception of ἅμα with expressions of time, as ἄμα τῷ σίτῳ ἀκμάζοντι, it is improbable that this convenient use of the partic. was ever employed unless the expression made sense without the partic., which would not be the case here. This convenient use is of course much commoner in Latin than in Greek.

ἐπὶ Χρυσίδος —Argos, though humbled by Sparta, 495 B.C., was still the third state in Greece. The Argives reckoned by the number of years during which the priestess of Hera had held office. Hellanicus had written a work on the Priestesses of Argos, using them as marks for the dates.

Αἰνησίου—sc. ἐπί: so with Πυθοδώρου. ἐφόρου—i.e. the Ephor ἐπώνυμος. The omission of ὄντος, for which cf. v. 25, 1, is rare except in dates. ἐφόρου ὄντος = ἐφορεύοντος. τέσσαρας μῆνας—the archons entered on office on the 1st of Hecatombaeon, which in 431 B.C. fell on August 1st. To express a period of time, the pres. (or imperf.) or perf. (or pluperf.) participle is used: to supply the reference to the completion of the period, (a) ἤδη is added, in primary sequence, which becomes τότε in secondary sequence: both refer to a period past at the time of speaking: (b) ἔτι referring to the completion of a period in the future. Thus v. 112, 2 οὔτ᾽ ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πόλεως ἑπτακόσια ἔτη ἤδη οἰκουμένης τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀφαιρησόμεθα, and observe τότε ἱερωμένης and ἔτι ἄρχοντος here. The four months are Elaphebolion, Munychion, Thargelion, Scirophorion.

Ἀθηναίοις—cf. 1. 93 ἀρχὴν ἄρχειν Ἀθηναίοις, but in v. 25 ἄρχοντος Ἀθήνησι. The dative is probably local. Cf. c. 86 and 92 ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων for ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν. [

μετὰ τὴν μηνὶ ἕκτῳ]. Reasons for regarding these words as a later addition to the text are 1. Nearly a year (I. 125) intervened between the day on which the allies of Sparta decided to go to war and the first invasion of Attica (c. 19). Between the battle of Potidaea and the decision came the events recorded in I.63-88, 118-125. The invasion was 80 days after the attempt on Plataea (c. 19). So for the period between the battle at Potidaea and the attempt on Plataea we get nearly a year minus 80 days and the time occupied by the events of I. 63-88, 118-125. The result must clearly be more than six months But Lipsius' ἕκτῳ καὶ δεκάτῳ probably gives too much time: thus, from battle at Potidaea to attempt on Plataea = 15 months; from attempt on Plataea to invasion of Attica = 80 days. Total about 17 1/2 months. Deducting nearly a year for the time between the decision of the allies and the invasion, we get about 6 1/2 months, at least, for the events of I.63-88, 118-125. These events were as follows: the Athenians built a wall on the north side of Potidaea and garrisoned it. After a considerable interval (χρόνῳ ὕστερον) Phormio was sent from Athens with 1600 hoplites. He spent some time on the road (κατὰ βραχὺ προιών). On arriving, he built a wall south of Potidaea. The Corinthians called a meeting of allies at Sparta. The Spartans sent to Delphi. Then a general meeting of allies was held at Sparta. at which the decision was come to. It is not clear whether the Corinthians proposed the first meeting after the north wall was built, or only after the south wall was finished. It is however highly improbable that they waited to take action till Potidaea was completely shut in; for they were most anxious about Potidaea, and were anxious to force on war. The Athenians would occupy about a month in building the north wall. Thus the Corinthians probably suggested the meeting about 40 days after the battle. Thus, the whole time would only be about 40 days + the time taken in the mission to Delphi and the calling of the second meeting. 2. The bracketed words give no additional indication of the date of the attempt on Plataea. Thuc. wishes to be precise here, but he has given no definite indication of the date of the battle at Potidaea, nor was it necessary to do so. He says (1) the decision of the allies was some 11 months before the invasion, (2) the invasion was 80 days after the attempt. All that could be found from μηνὶ ἕκτῳ would be the date of the battle of Potidaea. If any event were here referred to it would rather be the decision of the allies.

ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ—the last day of Anthesterion, in 431 April 4th. See c. 4, 2

βοιωταρχοῦντες—the 11 chiefs of the Boeotian confederacy, of whom Thebes elected two, the other cities one each.

περὶ πρῶτον ὕπνον—cf. VII. 43 ἀπὸ πρώτου ὕπνου. When the article is omitted with expressions of time, a preposition is usually present, except with ἡμέρας and νυκτός. See Rutherford, Syntax, p. 4. There were three watches, the first beginning about 10 o'clock.

ξὺν ὅπλοις—in later Attic, except Xenophon, σὺν has only two uses; (1) the old phrase σὺν (τοῖς) θεοῖς, (2) in enumerating things which are thrown together in a sum total; so that σὺν is very rare with persons, and it never implies a willing connection. Andoc. II. 7 τὸν πατέρα σὺν ἐμαυτῷ ἀποκτεῖναι. Of (1) Thuc. has 1 example, II. 86; of (2) 11 examples, e.g. (a) with things—c. 13, 77,; v. 26 ξὺν τῷ πρώτῳ πολέμῳ τοσαῦτα ἔτη. Cf. VII. 42; VIII. 90, 95: (b) with persons, comparatively common in Thuc., I. 12; II. 6, 13; IV. 124; v. 74. Besides these, Thuc. has the old military phrase, ξὺν (τοῖς) ὅπλοις, 8 times. Cf. Eur. Hec. 112. Aristoph. Nub, 560. In the same class fall ξὺν ἑνὶ ἱματίῳ, II. 70, ψιλοὶ ξὺν ξιφιδίῳ and ξὺν δορατίοις III. 22. Cf. the Homeric σὺν τεύχεσι. Further, 6 cases of verbal nouns which modify the meaning of a verb, viz.: ξὺν ἐπαίνῳ ἐξοτρύνειν I. 84, ξὺν κατηγορίᾳ παροξύνειν ib., ξὺν χαλεπότητι παιδεύεσθαι ib., ξὺν φόβῳ ἔχειν τι I. 141, ξὺν ἀνάγκῃ τι παθεῖν III. 40, ξὺν προφάσει κακῶς ποιεῖν ib. The absence of this archaic idiom from the later books is remarkable. Lastly, 3 cases of a connection willingly formed, viz.: II. 58; III. 90; VII. 57. This is common in Tragedy and Xenophon. In inscriptions of the classical period only the Attic use marked (2) above is found, and that never with persons.

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ἐπηγάγοντο—the τάξις (see on c. 1) of this c. is dramatic, the causes which led to the attempt being given parenthetically in 2 and 3, while the narrative is continued at 4.

Πλαταιῶν ἄνδρες—the Thebans call them, III. 65, ἄνδρες οἱ πρῶτοι καὶ χρήμασι καὶ γένει. These leaders of the aristocratic party represent the great land-owners as distinct from the merchants.

ἄνδρας τοὺς ὑπεναντίους—the order, noun, art, adj., puts emphasis on the adj. Cf. c. 34, 4.

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ἔπραξαν—of manipulation or diplomacy, as often. Cf. c. 5, 7. An abuse of the meaning ‘to succeed.’

ἔσοιτο —was certain. Cf. c. 13, 1.

ἔτι ἐν εἰρήνῃ—cf. III. 13 ἔτι ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ, and c. 5, 4. Here τε καὶ joins a positive to a negative expression which merely repeats it from another point of view. Cf. v. 9, 2 τῷ τε κατ᾽ ὀλίγον καὶ μὴ ἄπαντας κινδυνεύειν.

μήπω—the sentence expresses a wish.

ᾗ καὶ ρᾷον—cf. ᾗ καὶ μᾶλλον I. 11, 25; III. 13; IV. 1, 103. ᾗ καὶ before a comparative adverb emphasizes an inference.

ἔλαθον ἐσελθόντες—see M. T. 144, 146, 887.

προκαθεστηκυίας —Pp. compares anteponere vigilias, Tac. An. I. 50.

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θέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα—cum in foro constitissent, lit. ‘having grounded their arms.’

τοῖς ἐπαγομένοις—the temporal force is lost, and the partic. becomes a substantive, as in οἱ προδιδόντες c. 5.

ἐπείθοντο ὥστε—cf. c. 101, 5.

ὥστε is often inserted with verbs which take simple infin., the main emphasis is transferred from the finite to the infin. M. T. 588.

ἔργου ἔχεσθαι —rem aggredi. Cf. 1.49, 7, 78, 3.

ἰέναι ἐς—for the hostile sense of ἰέναι cf. v. 69 ἐς τὴν γῆν ἐλθεῖν, ‘to attack.’ ἐπὶ is commoner than ἐς, as I. 58 ἢν ἐπὶ Ποτείδαιαν ἴωσιν. Cf. c. 3, 4. ἔρχομαι, εἶμι, ἥκω, ἦλθον and synonyms are far more supple in sense than our ‘to come.’ Note that the moods of εἶμι are usually present in meaning, except in Oratio Obliqua.

γνώμην ἐποιοῦντο—i.e. ἐγίγνωσκον, ‘came to a decision.’

ἐπιτηδείοις—so c. 18, 3.

καὶ ἀνεῖπεν—‘and in fact,’ καὶ introducing the parenthesis and emphasizing the word following. Cf. c. 49, 5, 51, 5.

εἴ τις βούλεται—in a protasis to a condition in Oratio Obliqua, probably only the future indicative is ever changed into optative, so that the optative in protasis in Or. Obl., except in the future, represents either ἢν and subjunctive or εἰ and optative of the Recta.

κατὰ τὰ πάτρια—in Iliad II. 504 Plataea is enumerated among the Boeotian confederate cities.

ξυμμαχεῖν—this may be a gloss on τίθεσθαι κ.τ.λ. Cf. IV. 30 προκαλούμενοι, εἰ βούλοιντο, τὰ ὅπλα κελεύειν παραδοῦναι, and so 37; v. 115 ἐκήρυξαν, εἴ τις βούλεται, λῄζεσθαι, VII. 82 κήρυγμα ποιοῦνται, εἴ τις βούλεται, ὡς σφᾶς ἀπιέναι. With βούλομαι an infinitive has often to be supplied from the context.