C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5

αὐτοῖς—referring to both states. An oligarchical revolution had been effected at Megara in 424 (iv. 74). πολιτείας—form of government; i. 18, 1: ii. 37, 1: in both cases with χρῆσθαι.

Σκιωναίους—ch. 2, 6. ἀπέκτειναν—see iv. 122 fin. ψήφισμα ἐποιήσαντο Σκιωναιους ἐξελεῖν τε καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι. Classen points out that Brasidas is said to have removed the women and children from Scione and Mende to Olynthus (iv. 123, 4). The removal must have been incomplete. Similarly it is said of the Spartans at Plataea, in 427, γυναῖκας ἠνδραπόδισαν (iii. 68, 3), though the women and children were removed by the Athenians in 431 (ii. 6 fin.). In the case of Plataea the women were probably the 110 γυναῖκες σιτοποιοί (ii. 78, 3) who remained in the city. The absence of the article proves nothing, as it is regularly omitted in these phrases.

Πλαταιεῦσιν—some Plataeans (οἱ ἀχρειότατοι) had been removed to Athens in 431 (ii. 6), while 212 cut their way out in 428 (iii. 28, 2).

Δηλίους δέ—see ch. 1. This statement agrees with Arnold's note, there cited, as to the anxiety of the Athenians to propitiate Apollo. ἐνθυμούμενοι—i. 42, 1, ὧν ἐνθυμηθέντες: i. 120, 6: see note on ἐνθυμίαν ch. 16, 22. In meaning the force of the word extends to the end of the sentence. Two considerations determined the Athenians, which are connected by τε and καί with the usual variation of construction. τοῦ θεοῦ χρήσαντος is genitive absolute.

καὶ Φωκῆς—nothing more is said of this war. μέγα μέρος—lit. ‘a considerable fraction’ (of the Peloponnesian powers): so ii. 20, 3, οἱ Ἀχαρνῆς μέγα μέρος ὄντες τῆς πόλεως. Tegea was of importance, being an independent state on the borders of Laconia. For the attraction of the participle ὄν cf. Plat. Protag. 354 c, τὴν ἡδονὴν διώκετε ὡς ἀγαθὸν ὄν, where Wayte cites numerous instances.

ἀνεῖσαν τῆς—‘slackened in’, partitive genitive; vii. 43, 7, ἀνέντων τῆς ἐφόδου: Dem. etc.: so i. 112, 1, πολέμου ἔσχον οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι: viii. 31, 1, τούτου ἐπέσχεν, Compare the twofold use of μεθίημι.

ἐς τοὐς Βοιωτούς—‘into Boeotia’; ch. 33, 4: iv. 108, 5, ἐν τοῖς Βοιωτοῖς πεπληγμένων.

ἐπισπονδα:ς—only found here. It appears to mean a subsequent or renewed truce; cf. ch. 22, 11, ἐπισπένδεσθαι. The same truce is called δεχήμεροι σπονδαί in line 29, and ἐκεχειρία here and ch. 26, 16.

καὶ σφίσι ποιῆσαι—‘to effect, or obtain it for them too’, not=ποιεῖσθαι. ἀπειπεῖν—ch. 43, 13. ἄνευ αὐτῶν— αὑτῶν refers to the primary subject οἱ Κορίνθιοι: cf. ch. 40, 14, αὑτοῖς: and see note on iv. 50, 2; and Poppo on i. 17.

ἐπισχεῖν—viii. 5, 2, Εὑβοίας μὲν πέρι ἐπισχεῖν: also absolutely, and as transitive, ch. 63, 15: iv. 5, 1. ὁ στρατὸς ἔτι ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις ὢν ἐπέσχεν. εὔροντο—of obtaining what one desires: i. 31, 2, ὡφελίαν τινὰ εὑρίσκεσθαι.

εἶναι σπονδάς—see ch. 18, where the peace is made between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies. We see from ch. 36, 6, that the Corinthians and Boeotians still stood in the position of Lacedaemonian allies. ἀξιούντων .. σφίσιν—‘though the Corinthians called on them to do so, and said in expostulation that they had so covenanted with them’.