Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

τὸν δὲ ὅρκον κτἑ.: as Steup, Stud. I. p. 84, observes, c. 24. § 1 belongs to the document recording the treaty. The narrative begins again in 9, αὕτη ἡ ξυμμαχία. The same relation exists between c. 19 and c. 20.

Πλειστοάναξ κτἑ.: with the exception of some slight differences in the order (Τέλλις, Ἀλκινάδας, and Νικίας, Λάχης above) this list is identical with that of c. 19.

καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας: καί denotes immediate connexion: “and straightway.” — τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐκ τῆς νήσου: cf. c. 15. 2 f. and iv. 108. 38.

ταῦτα τὰ δέκα ἔτη: continues the idea of τοῦ ἑνδεκάτου ἔτους (in which the δέκα ἔτη are contained by implication), and therefore stands first, though these words belong grammatically, as acc. of duration of time, with ξυνεχῶς γενόμενος. This attrib. partic. is placed after its subst. in accordance with the usage discussed in the note on i. 11. 17. The more usual order would be: ὁ πρῶτος ταῦτα τὰ δέκα ἔτη ξυνεχῶς γενόμενος πόλεμος γέγραπται, i.e. “the history of the first (part of the) war which lasted without interruption for these ten years is finished” (pf.). With this ξυνεχῶς γενόμενος πόλεμος the period of uncertain and unquiet peace until the renewal of the φανερὸς πόλεμος is contrasted in c. 25, and in c. 26 we have a general retrospect of the whole twenty-seven years' war with its three divisions. This furnishes Thuc. an occasion to speak of his own relation to the war. The division introduced by the peace occasions a break in the continuous narrative of the war, and the great importance of this division calls forth these remarks from the author.