T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8

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τέσσαρσι ναυσὶν, though there were twenty at Cenchreae when he joined them.

ὥσπερ ὥρμητο ‘as he had proposed,’ implying that no accident changed his plans or prevented their execution. Cf. ὥσπερ ἔπλεον, inf. § 3. For the meaning of the word cf c. 8, § 2, ὡρμημένους; c. 11, § 3, ὡρμημένων.

πέντε καὶ εἴκοσιν In c. 19, § 2, Diomedon brings sixteen ships. Leon comes with ten more. One is left unaccounted for, as in c. 17, § 3.

ἦρχε For singular see Madvig, Gk. Synt. § 2, b.

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ἐς ὀψέ. The same expression is generally read from a number of MSS. in iii. 108, instead of ἕως ὀψέ of Vat. and others. Cf. εἰς ἑσπέραν ἥκειν Arist. Plut. 998, ἐς αὐτίκα, etc.

Πύρραν . . . Ἔρεσον which had previously revolted from Athens and been subdued (iii. 18, 25, 35).

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ὥσπερ ἔπλεον. Cf. ὥσπερ ὥρμητο, § 1, ‘sailed right into . . .’ (J.)

νεῶν ἐκράτησαν potiti sunt (Krug.) His rule that κρατεῖν with gen. means in potestatem suam redigere, as opposed to the accus. use = superare will scarcely hold in view of e.g. i. 69, ὁ λόγος τοῦ ἔργου ἐκράτει, ‘surpassed’; Lys. 156 (53), τῆς διαβολῆς προσεδοκῶμεν κρατήσειν (‘get the better of’), etc.; and on the other hand, Aesch. Suppl. 255, καὶ πᾶσαν αἶαν κρατῶ (‘hold in my power’). Yet the Thucydidean use is mostly for Kruger's view. Cf. iv. 98, εἰ . . . δυνηθῆναι τῆς ἐκείνων κρατῆσαι.

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πυνθανόμενος, rather than πυθόμενος, as he was told the news more than once, and gradually had it confirmed, ‘getting to know of it.’

τότε ‘on the occasion above stated,’ viz. c. 22 (fin.) Cf. c. 20, § 1, καταδιωχθεῖσαι τότε.

καὶ ὁπλίσας ‘and having equipped them (τοὺς Ἐρεσἰους to be supplied from τὴν Ἔρεσον) with heavy armour.’ Cf. iii. 27, ὁπλίζει τὸν δῆμον πρότερον ψιλὸν ὄντα, and inf. c. 25, § 1. Arnold remarks that under the Athenian rule there would be little use of heavy arms at Eresus.

ὁπλίτας There were no necessary hoplites, properly so called, on board ships, though each trireme usually carried from seven to ten ἐπιβάται (see Arnold on iii. 95). The ἐπιβάται, however, are sometimes reckoned among hoplites, e g. vi. 43, ὁπλίταις τοῖς ξύμπασιν ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντακισχιλίοις, καὶ τούτων Ἀθηναίων μὲν αὐτῶν ἦσαν πεντακόσιοι μὲν καὶ χίλιοι ἐκ καταλόγου, ἑπτακόσιοι δὲ θῆτες ἐπιβάται τῶν νεῶν; and on the other hand ὁπλῖται were sometimes used as ἐπιβάται, cf. inf. c. 24, § 3, εἶχον δ᾽ ἐπιβάτας τῶν ὁπλιτῶν ἐκ καταλόγου ἀναγκαστούς. Astyochus may have taken more than the usual number of fighting men, seeing that he was going to land in Lesbos.

παραπέμπει of Vat. is plainly right. παρέπλει of most MSS. is from the next sentence, and is of course impossible with the same word following. Trans. ‘but having caused Eresus to revolt, and having supplied it with heavy arms, he also sends by land along the coast the hoplites from his own ships (i.e. as well as the said Eresians).’ Dobree struck out ὁπλίτας, rendering ‘having caused E. to revolt, and having also armed the men from his own ships, he sends them along the coast.’ But τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν would be too comprehensive (=‘all his crews’): either τινας or τοὺς ἐπιβάτας would be required.

Ἄντισσαν which had also revolted from and been reduced by Athens B. C. 428 (iii. 18, 28).

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ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν Αἰολέων. MSS. give ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν. Haase made an attempt to render this by ‘the force apart from the ships,’ but this with the article cannot be, however much ἀπὸ with verbs like οἰκεῖν may=‘away from.’ I copy the following note written by me in the Classical Review for Dec. 1889:— ‘Astyochus has been endeavouring to secure Lesbos by means of his fleet and a small land-force. His failure is recorded in the preceding sentence. Meanwhile Eualas with the main body has set out along the mainland (c. 22, § 1) for the Hellespont by way of Cume. The return of this force is stated in the present sentence. In this view all commentators agree, but all admit that ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν is unintelligible. The only meaning possible in Thucydides for these words is “the land-force which had been disembarked from the ships,” as this force had not. Jowett's discussion ends in despair. ‘The land-force in question had been first operating in Ionia, which was the seat of war. In c. 22, § 1, it leaves Ionia for the first time and marches to Cume and along that coast. From that neighbourhood it now returns, because of the failure of the simultaneous expedition to Lesbos. But Cume is the chief city of Aeolis. It is “from Aeolis” that the said army returns. Read therefore ὁ ἀπὸ ΤΩΝΕΟΛΕΩΝ instead of ΤΩΝΝΕΩΝ, i.e. ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν Αἰολἐων (by the frequent error ε for αι, due to pronunciation) with the usual pregnaney of construction.’

ἐμέλλησεν ‘had intended.’ The aorist for our pluperfect is regular in relative clauses.

Κεγχρειᾷ So all MSS., as in iv. 42, though plural elsewhere. A similar vacillation of number occurs in Πλάταια and Πλαταιαί, Νέων and Νέωνες (v. Shilleto on Dem. De F. Leg. 387).

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τειχιζομένην, ‘as it was being fortified.’ though the participle in this position is often simply attributive.

Δαφνοῦντα unknown except from this place, and c. 31, § 2 (where it is seen to be situated inland).