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Ἄρξομαι—here begins a subsidiary introduction, the object of which is to get rid of the conventional topics in few words, and lead up to the prothesis (see 4 below). προγόνων —dismissed with merely a respectful mention, as Pericles' real business is with the present, not the past. He begins with πρόγονοι, the θεοὶ χθόνιοι, as poets and orators begin with the gods. Plato does it sometimes at the beginning of a long discussion; cf. Livy's conclusion to his preface, and the opening of Demosth. de Cor. πρῶτον—not pleonastic, for the analysis shows that the ἀρχὴ of the speech contains three points. δίκαιον .. πρέπον—the former of one's duty towards others, the latter of one's duty towards oneself. αὐτοῖς—with δίδοσθαι. καὶ π. δὲ ἅμα—like non modo ... sed etiam. ἐν τῷ τοιῷδε—‘on such an occasion as this.’ οἱ αὐτοὶ—predicate with οἰκοῦντες. The Athenians prided themselves on being αὐτόχθονες. διαδοχῇ—instrumental.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 2. E.C. Marchant. London. MacMillan & Company. 1891.
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