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

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ἔσοιτο . . . ἐνδέξονται. Cf. c. 51, § 2, ὡς . . . μέλλουσιν . . . καὶ πεπυσμένος εἴη; ii. 80, ὅτι . . . κρατήσουσι . . . καὶ . . . ἔσοιτο.

πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίωσιν ‘in view of the opposition shown in his own speech.’ πρὸς gives the consideration prompting his fear. Cf. c. 39, § 2, πρὸς τὰς ἐπιστολὰς . . . ὑπώπτευον αὐτόν.

πέμπει . . κρύφα ἐπιστείλας, ὅτι. ὅτι depends ἀπὸ κοινοῦ on πέμπει and ἐπιστείλας Cf. ἀποστέλλει . . ὅτι inf. § 5.

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ἔτι τότε ὄντα κ τ.λ, i.e. he had not yet removed to Cnidus and thence to Rhodes, as in cc. 41 and 44.

ξυγγνώμην κ.τ.λ ‘it is pardonable,’ he wrote, ‘for me to devise mischief for an enemy, even though it involves the injury of my country.’

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ἐς χεῖρας ἰόντα. Cf. Xen. Cyr. ii. 4, 15; Anab. i. 2, 26. The meaning is to ‘come to close quarters’ (comminus ire). The sense ‘putting himself in his power’ may be implied in a certain context, but forms no part of the expression. ‘Coming to close quarters’ may represent either close familiarity or close fighting. Here it is the former.

ἀνελθὼν The ναύαρχος leaves his fleet and makes a journey inland (ἀν-).

ἐς Μαγνησίαν This was the Ionian Magnesia (ἡ ὑπὲρ Μαιάνδρου), not the Lydian. It was about thirty miles from both Miletus and Samos. Themistocles had retired to this place (Diod xi. 57).

λέγει τε answered by προσέθηκέ τε . . . The clause καὶ . . . γίγνεται is exegetical.

αὐτὸς μηνυτὴς this is superior to αὐτοῖς μ. in so far as with αὐτοῖς the clause is purely tautological, while with αὐτὸς there is some exegetical emphasis.

προσέθηκε . . . ἑαυτὸν Cf. c. 46, § 5, προσθεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἐς πίστιν (Ἀλκιβιάδῃ).

κοινοῦσθαι i.e. ὥστε κοινοῦσθαι αὐτῷ περὶ κ.τ.λ, ‘to join interests with him both in this and in other matters.’

περὶ τῆς μισθοφορᾶς . . . ἀνθήπτετο Two MSS. omit περὶ. But ἀνθάπτεσθαί τινος has a different meaning from that required here. Thus c. 97, § 3, ἀνθάπτεσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων; Hdt. vii. 138, ἀντάπτεσθαι τοῦ πολέμου, etc, the meaning is to ‘take a hold upon,’ or ‘set about.’ Here it should be ‘to take a counter-grip,’ ‘to be tenacious on the other side’ (Hdt. iii. 137), i.e. to ‘resist.’ With this περὶ seems no less than necessary. Lit. ‘he was less tenacious in resisting in the matter of the incomplete payment of his troops also.’ ἀνθήπτετο like ἀντεῖχε, ἀντέτεινε, etc., with no object expressed, = ἀνθίστατο.

μαλακωτέρως Cf. c. 29, § 2, μαλακὸς ἦν περὶ τοῦ μισθοῦ. In c. 45, § 3, Hermocrates is the only general who does resist.

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πέμπει γράμματα . . . οἷα κ.τ.λ. = ἐπιστέλλει οἷα . . . καὶ ἀξιῶν as if (λέγων).

οἷα δέδρακε καὶ ἀξιῶν . . . καὶ πάνυ, with ἐν τῷ μεγ. κινδ. ὢν. It is difficult to understand why some editors join καὶ πάνυ to θορυβούμενος in an unparalleled position. καὶ is simply connective (though καὶ πάνυ is of course a recognised combination, e.g. ii. 11, 51), while πάνυ intensifies the following superlative; ‘and being in the very greatest danger.’ For the position of πάνυ cf. Plat. Euthyd. 305 C, πάνυ παρὰ πολλοῖς; 305 E, πάνυ ἐξ εἰκότος λόγου.

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καλῶς i.e. as should have been expected, — in a becoming and honourable manner.

ὅτι The second ὅιτ = ὡς after ἀποστέλλει, while the first =διότι with μεμφόμενος.

αὐτοῖς the Peloponnesians.

πράξειε the subject is Phrynichus, not Astyochus. αὐτὰ πράξειε, sc. betray the fleet. The suppressed protasis is ‘if they were willing.’

δι᾽ ἐκείνους sc. the Peloponnesians. More emphasis is required than αὐτοὺς would give. It was for their sakes and not his own that he had brought himself into danger.

αὐτὸν διαφθαρῆναι ipsum: ‘rather than lose his own life.’ The antithesis of the pronoun is not ἐκείνους above, but lies in the sense implied, viz. τοῦτο καὶ ἄλλο πᾶν βλάψαι τὴν πόλιν μᾶλλον ἢ αὐτὸν διαφθαρῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθίστων. The nominative αὐτὸς would be incorrect here, since αὐτὸν διαφθαρῆναι does not depend on the verb of saying, but is part of a clause dependent on ἀνεπίφθονον εἴη.