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οἷς ἔσπειστο—see c. 109, 2.

πρόφασιν—the so-called accus. in apposition to a sentence, best regarded as a free use of the internal or adverbial accus. The actions described are the πρόφασις (Bayfield on Soph. El. 130, Hardie, Latin Prose, p. 7).


οἱ ἄλλοι—i.e. the Peloponnesians who were not included in the secret agreement.

ὅσοι . . ξυνεξελθόντες—‘as many, that is, who had chanced to go out (from Olpac) in a body fortuitously with the others.’ This is the best interpretation of a passage that has been very much discussed. Notice (1) μέν. with no corresponding δέ, implies a contrast: part remained behind in Olpae; (2) οὕτως=ὡς εἶχον, ‘just by chance’; (3) the aorist partic. with ἐτύγχανον is unusual, the rule being ἐτύγχανον+ pres. or perf. partic. ἔτυχον+aor. partic.; (4) ξυνελθόντες, the other reading, would mean, ‘to have met together in Olpae.’ A great number of emendations have been proposed, but the reading of the MSS. gives a satisfactory sense. If (3) is a fatal objection, then (a) a comma must be placed at οὕτως, and the latter must be considered to point forward to ξυνεξελθόντες— then ἐτύγχανον οὕτως without a partic. is strange; or (b) μέν must be altered to μεμονωμένοι or μένοντες; or (c) a comma must be placed at ἁθρόοι, so that ἐτύγχανον οὔτως ἁθρόοι sc. ὄντες=‘happened by chanee to be together.’ Such an omission of a partic. with τυγχάνω is not impossible where an adj. is added.


οἱ δὲ Ἀκαρνᾶνες—only their leaders knew of the secret compact.

τις—often explained as collective for τινες: this is doubtful, because of the sing. νομίσας following. § 4 l. 22.

ἐς τὴν Ἀγραίδα—the Agraei were independent and friendly to the Pcloponnesians. Woodhouse thinks that they were not Aetolians.

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    • Sophocles, Electra, 130
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