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

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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).