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The attack on Epipolae having failed, and the Athenian army suffering severely from sickness, Demosthenes proposes as hasty a departure as possible, in order that they may at least bring help to the hard-pressed mother-city. 2. πρὸς τὴν...ξυμφοράν : in view of the misfortune that had befallen them. See on ii.22.1. ἀρρωστίαν: as in iii.15.11, despondency. Cf. viii.83.7, ἀρρωστότερον.— 5. ἀχθομένους τῇ μονῇ: cf. v.7.3, ἀχθομένων τῇ ἕδρᾳ. νόσῳ τε γὰρ ἐπιέζοντο...ἐφαίνετο : this sent. contains the reasons why the troops were displeased at remaining longer (ἤχθοντο τῇ μονῇ), of which there are two: the prevailing sickness and the utter hopelessness of success. The first reason, which is introduced by γάρ, rests in turn on two grounds, of which the first is expressed in gen. abs., the second (τὸ χωρίον . . . ἦν) in independent const. (cf. c. 13. 7 ff.). The second main cause, however (τὰ ἄλλα ἀνέλπιστα ἐφαίνετο), is connected by ὅτι directly with ἀχθομένους τῇ μονῇ, on account of the interposition of the irregular τὸ χωρίον ἦν. The two reasons, the material one (sickness) and the moral one (hopelessness), are co-ord. by τε, τε as equally influential. In accordance with this view, Cl. puts a colon after μονῇ and a comma after ἦν. So Arn. explains, but without altering the punctuation. Kr., St., and Bm. follow Reiske in omitting ὅτι. κατ̓ ἀμφότερα : for two reasons, as in viii.65.8.—τῆς ὥρας τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ: cf. Plut. Nic. 22, μετοπώρου γὰρ ἦν ἡ ἀρχή. Thue. says in c. 79. 10, only a few weeks later, τοῦ ἔτους πρὸς μετόπωρον ἤδη ὄντος. Cf. c. 50. § 4. ἄνθρωποι: on the omission of the art., see Kr. Spr. 50, 3, 6. χαλεπόν: hard to bear, i.e. unhealthy. 10. ἄπερ καὶ διανοηθεὶς...διεκινδύνευσεν : so with Vat., for as the remark belongs to Thue., not to Demosthenes, διακινδυνεῦσαι (sc. ἔφη, referring to Demosthenes) is impossible. Thuc. recalls the views which Demosthenes had held from the beginning. Cf. c. 42. § 5. ἐς τὰς Ἐπιπολὰς διεκινδύνευσε: risked (the attack) on Epipolae. Cf. iii.36.11, ἐς Ἰωνίαν . . . παρακινδυνεῦσαι. Kr. Spr. 68, 21, 4.— 12. ἐψηφίζετο: i.e. in this council of the commanders only; ψηφιζομένους μετὰ πολλῶν in c. 48. 5 refers to a general council to be held later.—τὸ πέλαγος οἷόν τε περαιοῦσθαι: i.e. before Nov.— 13. τοῦ στρατεύματος...κρατεῖν : the part. gen. depending on ταῖς . . . ναυσί, κρατεῖν on οἷόν τε, “while it was possible, at least with the newly arrived ships of the armament (even if little dependence was to be placed on the remainder) to prevail at sea.” The Schol. wrongly explains, τοῦ πολεμίου στρατεύματος. 16. ἢ Συρακοσίους: i.e. ἢ πρὸς τοὺς Συρακοσίους. On the omission of the prep., see Kr. Spr. 68, 9. Cf. i.6.21; 21. 5; vi.78.4; viii.96.10. In iii.44.3, the prep. is repeated.—οὓς...εἶναι : inf. by assimilation. G. 260, 2, N. 2; H. 947. οὐδ᾽ αὖ: neque vero, as in i.10.31; iv.87.19, and freq. The thought of c. 42. § 5 is repeated in this passage with more emphasis. προσκαθῆσθαι: of persistent siege, as in c. 48. 10; 49. 7; iv.130.9; vi.89.30.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 7. Charles F. Smith. 1886. Boston. Ginn and Company.
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