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δι᾽ ἐκείνου, sc. Alcibiades. There are two possible interpretations— (a) It was better policy for Endius to carry out these measures through the agency of Alcibiades (his own ξένος) and so reap personal glory, than to allow Agis to reap all the credit. (b) It was better for Endius that the Peloponnesians (supplying τινα as subject of ἀποστῆσαι) should gain these points through his (Endius') agency, than through that of Agis. The former is the better, the construction being less strained. In the sense (a), Alcibiades being the actual agent, Agis would get no credit, while Endius would get more credit than any other Spartan because of his special connection with Alcibiades. This view is shown to be correct by c. 17, § 2, καὶ ἑαυτῷ . . . καὶ τῷ ἀποστείλαντι Ἐνδίῳ, ὥσπερ ὑπέσχετο, τὸ ἀγώνισμα προσθεῖναι. ἐκεῖνος is the proper word for emphatic reference to the speaker in opposition to some other person. Cf. ii. 11, ὅταν ὁρῶσιν ἡμᾶς τἀκείνων φθείροντας; and inf. c. 45, § 4, ἀξιοῦσι ἄλλους ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνων ἐλευθερίας κινδυνεύειν. The subject to ἀποστῆσαι is naturally Ἔνδιον. αὐτὸς sc. ὁ Ἀλκιβιάδης. Cf. c. 45, § 1, ἦν γὰρ καὶ τῷ Ἄγιδι ἐχθρός. Alcibiades had intrigued with Agis' wife (Plut. Alc. 23).
Commentary on Thucydides Book 8. T.G. Tucker. London. MacMillan & Company. 1892.
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