Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

οὐ πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν: only three years; for the first misunderstanding about Epidamnus occurred in 436. See c. 25.

τά τε κτἑ.: Corcyra, c. 24-55; Potidaea, c. 56-65.

καὶ ὅσα κτἑ.: beside these affairs the transactions in the Spartan assembly, c. 67-88.—πρόφασις: not ‘pretext,’ but occasion, as in c. 23. 23.

ταῦτα ξύμπαντα: c. 24-117.— πρός τε ἀλλήλους καὶ τὸν βάρβαρον: the later events, as nearer to the speaker, placed first, as in c. 97. 4. But in 6 the chronological order is observed in consequence of the express designation of time. This period, from 480 to 431, embraces what may with sufficient accuracy (μάλιστα, see on c. 13. 11) be said to have been 50 years, and so the old gramma rians applied the term πεντηκονταετία or πεντηκονταετηρίς to it.

ἐν οἶς: as in c. 89. 2, referring not merely to the period of πεντήκοντα ἔτη but to the events just summed up. —τὴν ἀρχήν: their empire regarded externally.—ἐγκρατεστεραν: with a firmer hold; pred. to κατεστήσαντο, as βεβαιότερα in iii.18.7. Cf. c. 76. 6, ἄρχειν ἐγκρατῶς. The process is described in c. 99.

αὐτοί: at home, by the development of their internal resources.—ἐπὶ μέγα δυνάμεως: see on c. 5. 10.

ἐπὶ βραχύ: to a trifling extent. See on c. 117. 11. The reference is to the invasion of Attica in 445 (c. 114. § 2) and to their opposition to the rebuilding of the walls, c. 90 ff.—μὴ ταχεῖς: the use of μή here seems so strange that Sh. writes οὐ instead, supposing, as Arn. had suggested, that οὐ was first lost because of the preceding τοῦ; and when it was missed was supplied by the copyist after the usage of his own time, perhaps influenced by c. 132. 26. But μὴ ταχεῖς may be defended by regarding it as = τῶν μὴ ταχέων ὄντες: A descriptive phrase such as οἱ μὴ ταχεῖς ὄντες when used as a pred. would lose its art. Cf. ἔξοιδα, παῖ, φύσει σε μὴ πεφυκότα, Soph. Phil. 79; ὃ χρὴ γὰρ οὐδεὶς μὴ χρεὼν θήσει ποτέ, Eur. H. F. 311; Antiphon, v. 82; ἐπεὶ ἔγνων ἐμαυτὸν μὴ ἱκανόν κτἑ., Xen. Cyr. vii.2.22. See Gildersleeve, Justin Martyr, I. c. 9. 4.

ἰέναι: see on c. 78. 7.

ἀναγκάζοιντο: opt. of repetition. Cf. c. 18. 28; 49. 14.—τὸ δέ τι: see on c. 107. 19.—οἰκείοις: see c. 101, 102. —ἐξειργόμενοι: sc. τοῦ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους κωλύειν. Cf. ii.13.35.

πρὶν δή: until at last. Cf. c. 132. 28; iii.29.5; 104. 42; vii.39.5. ἡσύχαζον in 10 is in effect a negative verb, “they took no actual steps,” and so πρίν takes the finite verbs regularly; here in the impf., “began to exalt itself,” “undertook to lay hands upon.”

ξυμμαχίας: in concrete sense, “the members of their alliance.” Cf. c. 19. 8; 119. 4; ii.7.15; 9. 13, 21; v.40.4.—οὐκέτι...ἐποιοῦντο : occurs again ii.21.11.— 15. ἐπιχειρητέα: see on c. 7. 2; 79. 6; ii.3.10. ἐδόκει is taken first impers. and then with subject ἡ ἰσχύς.

ἀραμένοις : agreeing with an under stood σφίσιν, agent to the verbal adjectives.

αὐτοῖς μὲν οὖν κτἑ.: resumption of the narrative broken off in c. 87. § 6. αὐτοῖς, dat. as in c. 46. 1; 48. 1; 50. 20. This refers to the Lacedaemonian assembly, without their allies, who are summoned to assist in c. 119, αὖθις δὲ τοὺς ξυμμάχους κτἑ.

ἐπηρώτων : often used of the consulting of oracles. Cf. c. 25. 3; ii.54.13; iii.92.19 (aor. ἐπήροντο); Hdt. i.53.9; vii.169.4.

ἄμεινον: the opposite possibility omitted. Cf. c. 73. 7; 102. 16; vi.9.4. So often in oracular utterances. Cf. ii.17.9; Hdt. i.187.8.—κατὰ κράτος: with all their might. Cf. c. 64. 14; ii.54.14 (referring to this passage); iv.23.10; v.116.10; viii.1.20.

αὐτός: goes with ξυλλήψεσθαι. Cf. ii.54.15; iii.27.9.

παρακαλούμενος καὶ ἄκλητος: in reverse order in vi.87.9, οὐκ ἄκλητοι, παρακληθέντες δέ. ἄκλητος is short for ἀπαράκλητος; cf. ii.98.12. Cf. also Hor. Car. ii.18.40, vocatus atque non vocatus audit.

LAST DEBATES AND NEGOTIATIONS AT SPARTA AND ATHENS BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR, Chaps. 119-146; WITH THE EPISODES OF THE END OF PAUSANIAS AND OF THEMISTOCLES, Chaps. 128-138.