E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 6

ἧκον—‘returned,’ as often.

ὡς—with μισθόν. According to the figures, each member of the crew of 200 is to receive one drachma a day, which was double the ordinary pay.

ἐκ. ποιήσαντες—cf. Andoc. I. 82 ἐκ. ποιήσαντες ἐβουλεύσασθε καὶ ἐψηφίσασθε. Technically only the πρυτάνεις could summon the Assembly, the technical phrase being προγράφειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. (Aristot. Ath. Pol. c. 43; Schomann de Com. Ath. p. 53; Gilbert, II. p. 269.)

πρέσβεων—this must have oceurred either at the third or the fourth Ecclesia of the seventh Prytany, in the latter part of the month Anthesterion, Ol. xcii. (Cf. Aristot. l.c.) Four meetings of the Eeclesia were held in each Prytany.

Ἀλκιβιάδην—Intr. p. xii. αὐτοκράτορας does not, as is often asserted, imply that the generals were released from the obligation to render accounts (εὔθυναι), but only that the details were left to them. It was apparently—and quite naturally— usual to give to one or more generals such extended powers for distant and important expeditions (Gilbert, Bcitrage, p. 39). Aristot. Ath. Pol. c. 61, speaking of the Strategi gencrally, says κύριοι δέ εἰσιν, ὅταν ἡγῶνται, καὶ δῆσαί τιν᾽ ἀτακτοῦντα καὶ ἐκκηρῦξαι (expel) καὶ ἐπιβολὴν ἐπιβάλλειν (fine). Lys. 13, 67, says that Lamachus during the expedition executed a soldier who was deteeted signalling to the enemy. This may have been an exercise of his special powers.

ξυγκατοικίσαι—inf. of purpose, M T. § 770.

ἤν τι περιγίγνηται—observe the tense: the aor. would express the sense, but the pres. gives the meaning ‘if they should find that they were succeeding.’ M.T. § 88. τι goes with τοῦ. π. Stein renders ‘if they had anything left from.’

ἐκκλησία . . καθ᾽ ὅ τι—for καθ᾽ ὄ τι=how cf. I. 69 σκοπεῖν καθ᾽ ὅτι ἀμυνούμεθα.

τοῖς στρατηγοῖς—another object of the mecting. This dat. depends directly on ἐκκλησία ἐγίγνετο—cf. Andoc. I. 11 ἦν μὲν γὰρ ἐκκλησία τοῖς στρατηγοῖς τοῖς εἰς Σικελίαν—and the inf. ψηφισθῆναι, subject εἴ του προσδέοιντο, is added as an epexegcsis. (It is absurd, as Hude points out, to make ψηφισθῆναι depend on χρή, as though they were to discuss ‘how’ to vote. But the insertion of τοῦ is unnecessary.) ψηφισθῆναι is not inf. of purpose, but depends on ἐκκλησία ἐγίγνετο, which is constructed like ἔδοξε: it gives the terms of the resolution proposed.

βραχείᾳ—‘slight.’

μεγάλου ἔργου—this is taken as in apposition to Σικελίας, though in sense belonging to ἐφίεσθαι τῆς Σικ. Stahl refers to Eur. Herc. 323 ὡς μὴ τἐκν᾽ εἰσίδωμεν, ἀνόσιον θέαν, ψυχορραγοῦντα, which is quite different, because τέκνα ψυχορραγοῦντα=θέα α:νόσιος is possible, whereas Σικελία=ἔργον μέγα is impossible except as a brachylogy. Hence perhaps ἔργου μεγάλου was in apposition to <ἄρξαι> (ingressive) τῆς Σικελίας.

ἀποτρέψαι—on the action of Nicias see c. 14.