Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

ἡσσημένον: see on c. 30. 5.

διακινδυνεύσαι: the opt. of the Vat. Ms., instead of διακινδυνεύσῃ (Bekk., P., Kr., St.) or -σει (Sh.) of the other Mss., in deliberative sense, as in c. 25. 4. GMT. 71; H. 933. But c. 107. 25; ii.52.11; iii.112.22; v.65.21 show that the subjv. may be retained after a past tense. This verb generally = ‘to risk a decisive battle,’ here to force one's way through, as in iv.29.8; vii.1.7; 47. 11. χωρήσας is to be joined with ὁποτέρωσε. See App.

δ᾽ οὖν: with P. for γοῦν of the Mss. See on c. 3. 19; 10. 33.

ὡς ἐς ἐλάχιστον: a prep. regularly stands after ὅτι, ὡς thus used with a sup. See on c. 35. 10. Cf. ii.34.24; iii.46.4; and for a similar use in Latin, see Madvig on Cic. de Fin. v.9.26.—βιάσασθαι ἐς: cf. vii.69.29.

καὶ παρῆλθε: this position of the verb indicates the instant carrying out of his decision; the aor. its successful result.—χηλήν: a farprojecting mole or quay for the protection of the harbour and harbourwall. Cf. c. vii.53.5; viii.90.23. Schol. χηλὴ καλεῖται οἱ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πρὸς θάλασσαν τείχους προβεβλημένοι λίθοι διὰ τὴν τῶν κυμάτων βίαν, μὴ τὸ τεῖχος βλάπτοιτο.

βαλλόμενός τε καὶ χαλεπῶς : combination of unlike elements in the same relation. Cf. c. 39. 2; 65. 2; 67. 2. Kr. Spr. 59, 2, 3. He may probably have been exposed to missiles from the Attic ships.

τοῖς Ποτειδαιάταις: constructed with the noun βοηθοί, as it would be with the verb βοηθεῖν. Cf. c. 73. 1, Kühn. 424; Kr. Spr. 48, 12, 4.— ἀπεῖχε: i.e. Olynthus from Potidaea. The ‘geographical impf.’ (Bekk., Sh. have ἀπέχει with inferior Mss.), the local circumstances being referred to the time of the narrative.—καὶ ἔστι καταφανές: the change of tense and the position of the verb implies the result of personal observation: “and the fact is there is a clear sight all the way.” For a similar omission of subj., cf. vi.101.15; vii.84.16.— 11. τὰ σημεῖα ἤρθη: see on c. 49. 2. These signals were not for battle but for the movement of the distant troops; and as soon as it was seen that the purpose could not be accomplished, κατεσπάσθη.

διὰ τάχους : cf. ii.18.17; 85. 15; iii.18.7; vii.29.8.

πάλιν ἐπανεχώρουν ἐς τὸ τεῖχος: this is alluded to in the following lines of the sepulchral inscription presently referred to: ἐχθρῶν οἱ μὲν ἔχουσι τάφου μέρος, οἱ [δὲ φυγόντες] τεῖχος πιστοτάτην ἐλπίδ̓ ἔθεντο [βίου].

παρεγένοντο : i.e. took no part in the engagement just described.

τοὺς νεκροὺς...Ποτειδαιάταις : this was an acknowledgment of defeat on the part of the Potidaeans. Those who thus recovered their dead were said κομίζεσθαι τοὺς νεκρούς, ii.79.29; 82. 4; iii.7.17. In ii.22.15, the words ἀνείλοντο τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀσπόνδους show that the defeat was not decisive.

Ἀθηναίων αὐτῶν: for some of the allies and the Macedonian horse (c. 62. 16) had not been engaged. The monument erected to the slain Athenians in the Ceramicus is still extant with the greater part of the inscription, and is now in the British Museum. See Kirchhoff, C. I. A. 442; Hicks, Inscr. no. 42.