Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7

2. ἔξω τῶν σταυρωμάτων: cf. c. 38. § 2; vi. 66. § 2.—καὶ τοῦ ἑαυτῶν στρατοπέδου: see on c. 23. 8.

καταφερομένας: driven to shore, as in c. 71. 31.

ἀφέλκειν: cf. c. 74. 12 ff.; ii.93.25. Cl. is clearly wrong in writing ἀνέλκειν for ἀφέλκειν, and Grote's view is right: “Gylippus marched down his land force to the water's edge, in order to prevent the retreat of the crews, as well as to assist the Syracusan seamen in hauling off the ships as prizes.” So also Thirlwall understands it. The ταύτῃ of 7 shows that that part of the shore was rather in the possession of the Athenians, and τῆς γῆς φιλίας οὔσης (St. si ab amicis teneretur) means that Gylippus expected to make that part of the shore friendly by the aid he brought, not that it was then so. Besides, the issue, as related in § 3, shows how dangerous it would have been for the Syracusans to draw the ships up on shore at that point. After the great sea-fight, they did without opposition what they now wished to do, namely, took the ships in tow, and brought them to the city (c. 74. fin.).

ἐπὶ τὴν χηλτ́ν: to the causeway. This was a quay which ran along by the swamp Lysimelea toward the Athenian camp. See the map.

6. οἱ Τυρσηνοί: an Etruscan auxiliary corps which acc. to promise (vi.88.34) had joined the Athenians, with three fifty-oared boats (vi.103.10).

οὗτοι γὰρ ἐφύλασσον τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ταύτῃ: for these had been stationed by the Athenians on guard in that quarter, i.e. on the northern side of the camp.

προσφερομένους: sc. τοὺς Συρακοσίους.

ἐπεκβοηθήσαντες : cf. viii.55.18.

τὴν Λυσιμέλειαν καλουμένην: cf. c. 80. 20. The place is called τὸ ἕλος in vi.101.2. See Holm, I. p. 12.

11. παρόντος: partic. from παρῆν in sense of the aor. Cf. c. 50. 1; i.47.5.

ἐπιβοηθήσαντες καὶ δείσαντες περὶ ταῖς ναυσίν: the effect and the cause (δείσαντες) placed co-ord., as in i.1.3, ἀρξάμενος . . . καὶ ἐλπίσας.

ἐς μάχην κατέστησαν : = καταστάντες ἐμάχοντο (i.49.10), i.e. it came to a regular battle.

ξυνήγαγον κατὰ τὸ στρατόπεδον: i.e. they brought them again into safety behind the σταυρώματα (2) in front of the camp.—δυοῖν δὲ δεούσας εἴκοσιν...ἔλαβον αὐτῶν : Grote thinks that these 18 ships had belonged to the division, which was out of reach of all help, in the bay of Dascon. But Cl. is doubtless right in considering this loss of 18 captured ships to be different from that of the (seven) ships of Eurymedon that were destroyed (διαφθείρουσι) as stated in c. 52. 11. The μυχὸς τοῦ λιμένος at the foot of Dascon was on the opposite side of the Lysimelea from the Athenian camp.

19. δᾳδός: collective sing., as κέραμος in ii.4.7; ἄμπελον, iv.90.9. Kühn. 347, 1. Cf. Diod. xiii. 13, κληματίδων καὶ δάδων, ἔτι δὲ πίττης πληρώσας.

ἦν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ὁ ἄνεμος οὔριος : = ἄνεμος（πνεῦμα）ἐπίφορος with dat., as in ii.77.20; iii.74.11.

[τὴν ναῦν]: Cl. follows Badham (Mnem. 1876) in considering these words as a gloss after ὁλκάδα παλαιάν. There seems to be no reason, however, why Thuc. should not have repeated the obj. after the parenthesis.

σβεστήρια κωλύματα: the general term κωλύματα (i.16.1; v.30.11, 24) is explained by the unusual σβεστήρια. Cf. Poll. i. 168, σβεστηρίοις κωλύμασιν ἐχρῶντο, which seems to be an imitation of this passage. The effect of σβεστήρια is expressed in παύσαντες τὴν φλόγα; of κωλύματα in (παύσαντες）τὸ μὴ προσελθεῖν (cf. iii.1.7) ἐγγὺς τὴν ὁλκάδα. The two effects are co-ord. by τε (after τήν, Vat.), καί. The plan (ἀντεμηχανήσαντό τε . . . κωλύματα) and its execution and result (καὶ παύσαντες . . . ἀπηλλάγησαν) are co-ord. in parataxis, and hence there is no need to omit τε after ἐμηχανήσαντο, as St. does. On τὸ μή with inf. after παύσαντες, see GMT. 95, 3; H. 1029; Kühn. 516, note 91.