Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3

ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν πλεῖν ἡμᾶς: unusual change of subj., as in iv. 118. 2; vi. 22. 1. For the usual const., cf. i. 31. 9; iv. 15. 2; 71. 6; v. 53. 5; vii. 4. 15; 74. 3.—3.

πρὶν ἐκπύστους γενέσθαι: as in iv. 70. 14; viii. 42. 2. This expression is used of persons also by Dio C. xli. 44; xlviii. 39; elsewhere of things. Cf. καταγγέλτους γίγνεσθαι, vii. 48. 6; ἐξάγγελτοι γενέσθαι, viii. 14. 2; ἐπάϊστος ἐγένετο, Hdt. ii. 119. 10.—

ὥσπερ ἔχομεν: just as we are, i.e. without delay. See on i. 134. 14.

ἀνδρῶν: grammatically dependent on τὸ ἀφύλακτον, in the loose connexion which is close akin to the gen. abs., on the part of men who—. —

πολὺ τὸ ἀφύλακτον εὑρήσομεν: for similar const., cf. viii. 66. 18 ἢ γὰρ ἀγνῶτα ἂν εὗρεν ᾧ ἐρεῖ ἢ γνώριμον ἄπιστον. πολύ is pred. with the same position and effect as ἐλαχίστας, i. 34. 10; ἄμικτα, i. 77. 24. The use of a neut. partic. or adj. for an abstract noun is common in Thuc. It presents to the mind the abstract quality in operation. See on i. 36. 3. GMT. 829 a; H. 966 b; Kühn. 403 γ. —5. καὶ πάνυ: vel maxime, as c. 93. 10; i. 3. 5; ii. 11. 26; 51. 6; 65. 61; vi. 17. 32.—6.

ἀνέλπιστοι: active, as also vi. 17. 31; viii. 1. 15; and τὸ ἀνέλπιστον, ii. 51. 13; elsewhere in Thuc. with passive force, iv. 55. 8; vi. 33. 24.—

ἐπιγενέσθαι: of unexpected attack, as c. 108. 3; iv. 25. 52; 93. 12; vii. 32. 12.—7.

ἡμῶν ἡ ἀλκὴ τυγχάνει μάλιστα οὖσα: “and where defence happens to be chiefly our role.” This interpretation of Junghan's (N. Jahrbb. cxix. p. 358) is adopted by Steup. See also Amer. J. of Phil. x. p. 210, where the same explanation is given by C. F. Smith, independently of Junghahn. Cl. follows Herbst (Philol. xvi. p. 305), “where our strength at present chiefly lies.” ἀλκή as in c. 108. 5; ii. 84. 24; Hdt. ii. 45. 7; iii. 78. 5; iv. 125. 21; ix. 102. 18. On Thuc.'s use of ἀλκή, see Diener, De Sermone Thuc. p. 12, and C. F. Smith, Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. vol. xxii. p. xvii.—

εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ τὸ πεζόν: opp. to κατὰ μὲν θάλασσαν καὶ πάνυ.—8. ὡς κεκρατηκότων: “in the confidence of victory.”

ἐλπίζω: with inf. (pres. or aor.) and ἄν = think or expect. Cf. i. 127. 5; ii. 20. 4; v. 39. 5; vii. 61. 12, and ἀνέλπιστοι ἐπιγενέσθαι ἄν above. Cf. Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, 1. 109, ‘I hope he wil be deed.’—

μετὰ τῶν ἔνδον: in agreement with those within (cf. v. 44. 2; vi. 28. 11), as if an act. inf. clause were to follow; but the interposition of the εἰ clause has caused a slight anacoluthon. For καταλαμβάνειν τὰ πράγματα, see on c. 11. 10. —

εἴ τις ἄρα . . . εὔνους: intended not to express doubt, but to be as comprehensive as possible, whoever is left well-disposed toward us. For ἄρα, see on c. 56. 15.

ἀποκνήσωμεν τὸν κίνδυνον: see on c. 20. 10.—

νομίσαντες οὐκ ἄλλο τι εἶναι: this const. with νομίζειν or ἡγεῖσθαι gives to an ambiguous expression a definite, and, in the view of the speaker, correct sense. This is the case with ἑορτή, i. 70. 29; τὸ ξυμφέρον, c. 56. 25; and here with the proverbial or formulary expression, τὸ κοινὸν τοῦ πολέμου. See App. —13.

τὸ τοιοῦτον: i.e. lack of precaution.—

ὃ εἴ τις στρατηγὸς . . . πλεῖστ̓ ἂν ὀρθοῖτο: which, if a general both guard against in himself, and when he sees it in the enemy attacks, he would be most likely to succeed. Cf. v. 9. § 4.—14.

τοῖς πολεμίοις: belongs both to ἐνορῶν and ἐπιχειροίη, but ὅ, which is obj. of φυλάσσοιτο in the first clause, belongs only to ἐνορῶν in the second.— 15.

πλεῖστ̓ ἂν ὀρθοῖτο: cf. c. 37. 26; 42. 20; v. 9. 14.