Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

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The Argives march out to meet them. The Lacedaemonians effect a union with their allies at Phlius, after which they advance in three divisions by three roads into the plain of Argos.

Ἀργεῖοι δὲ προαισθόμενοι...ἐχώρουν, τότε δή κτἑ.: Ἀργεῖοι προαισθόμενοι τήν τε πρώτην τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων παρασκευὴν καὶ αὖθις προσχωροῦντας τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐπὶ Φλιοῦντος ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοῖς ἰδίοις συμμῖξαι συμμάχοις, Schol. Two members of a period are connected, of which one is expressed by a partic., while the other begins with ἐπειδή and ends with a finite verb. Cf. c. 44. § 1. See App.

προσμῖξαι: see App.

ἐβοήθησαν δ̓ αὐτοῖς...τρισχίλιοι ὁπλῖται : inserted parenthetically, so that the story begins again with καὶ προϊόντες. ἐβοήθησαν has therefore the force of the plpf., had joined them. See on c. 48. 3 and ii. 2. 12.

Μεθυδρίῳ: Methydrium in the highlands of Arcadia, at the junction of the brooks which form the Ladon. Curtius, Pelopon. I. p. 306 ff. Hence the name. The Lacedaemonians had turned considerably toward the west in order to avoid Mantinea. ἐν Μεθυδρίῳ as in c. 55. 1, ἐν τῇ Ἐπιδαύρῳ.

ἐπορεύετο: impf. he set out in a northerly direction through Orchomenus and Alea.

ἐχώρουν: also impf.; therefore ἐς Ἄργος: “on the road to Argos.” From this road they then turned more to the north toward Nemea, which lies between Argos and Phlius, but near Phlius.

ἔπειτα: without δέ. Cf. c. 7. 1.

ταύτην οὐκ ἐτράπετο: the acc. as in iii. 24. 1, ἐχώρουν τὴν ἐς Θήβας φέρουσαν ὁδόν, νομίζοντες ἥκιστα σφᾶς ταύτην αὐτοὺς ὑποτοπῆσαι τραπέσθαι. This is continued by the same case in the rel. clause (Cobet, Mnem. 14, p. 11, rejects ἣν προσεδέχοντο).

τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις καὶ Ἀρκάσι καὶ Ἐπιδαυρίοις: i.e. those troops with which he had set out (see c. 57. 8), with the addition of the Epidaurians. παραγγείλας intimates that Agis commanded this division of the army in person. The allies, who had met in the territory of Phlius (see c. 57. 10) and had been joined by the Pellenaeans of Achaea (see ii. 9. 6), the Megarians and the Sicyonians, pressed forward by two different roads into the plain of Argos.

ὄρθιον (less usual ending of the fem.) ἑτέραν: a road, which, like the one called χαλεπή just before, was also (that is the meaning of ἑτέραν, like ἑτέραν τοσαύτην, vi. 37. 13) steep. To the Boeotians, etc., on the other hand, since they had cavalry with them (see c. 57. 12), the more level road by Nemea had been allotted (εἴρητο, cf. iv. 77. 8; v. 10. 4; vi. 30. 4; viii. 11. 15). On the various roads from Phlius into the plain of Argos, see Curtius, Pelopon. II. p. 582, note 56. His explanation of ὄρθιον ἑτέραν as the straight road is, however, very doubtful.

ἐκάθηντο: see App.

ἐπὶ σφᾶς: i.e. against the main force under Agis.—ἐφεπόμενοι τοῖς ἵπποις χρῷντο: that they might following them use their horses, i.e. attack the Argives in the rear with their cavalry.

διατάξας: cf. iv. 31. 7.

Σάμινθον: its position is very uncertain; ‘it seems to be the name of a mountain,’ Curtius, Pelopon. <*>. p. 582. See Bursian, <*>. p. 49.