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φοβηθέντες γάρ—‘fearing the greatness of the lawlessness with which he indulged his whims in private life, and of the spirit that he showed in his behaviour in whatever situation he might find himself.’ καὶ κράτιστα διαθέντι—‘and though he administered the war (in Sicily) excellently, yet the citizens became indignant with him because of his behaviour.’ (So Bohme-Widmann, rightly, I think, supposing the text be sound. Stahl takes καὶ . . ἀχθεσθέντες with πολέμιοι καθέστασαν, and explains καί as concessive. Stein reads ἀχθεσθέντες <κατέπαυσαν>. Only Stahl is satisfied. Kruger thinks that after πολέμου some word like εὖνοι has fallen out. Herbst, keeping διαθέντα, thinks that ἀφελόμενοι is lost after ἀχθεσθέντες, and that the construction is δημοσίᾳ ἀφελόμενοι τὰ τοῦ πολέμου (αὐτὸν) κράτιστα διαθέντα.) ἰδίᾳ—his ability as a statesman is contrasted with the disgust that he caused as an individual. Cf. Bolingbroke. ἐπιτρέψαντες—sc. τὴν πόλιν. The Schol. says τὰ τοῦ πολέμου, but (1) this would be a charge against the other generals in Sicily such as Thuc. nowhere makes; (2) the sense is not so forcible; (3) the order of words is against it. οὐ διὰ μακροῦ=δι᾽ ὀλίγου, i.e. ὕστερον of § 3. It should be noticed that Thuc. traces the ruin of Athens, not to the incapacity of Nicias, but rather to the measures taken by the Ecclesia after the departure of the Expedition.
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