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κοινῷ λόγῳ = ὁμοφρονήσαντες (inf.; cf. i. 141. 4, 166. 1; v. 63. 3, 91. 3, &c.).

ὀφθαλμιῶντες. The reed-cutters in the marsh near Thermopylae now suffer from ophthalmia (Grundy, p. 313).

τὸν εἵλωτα. Each Spartan was attended by a Helot, who carried his baggage and his shield (hence ὑπασπιστής, Xen. Hell. iv. 5. 14, and 8. 39). They were also employed as light-armed troops (ix. 10. 1, 28. 2, 29), and for menial duties (vi. 80. 1; ix. 80. 1). There is no reason to suppose there was a large number at Thermopylae, <*>hough some fell there (viii. 25. 1). The 4,000 slain (viii. 25. 2) are better explained as a misunderstanding (cf. ch. 202 n., 228. 1 n.), and light-armed Helots would be useless at Thermopylae owing to the nature of the ground, even if their fidelity were above suspicion.

ὅκως ... ἤγαγε=‘when he had led him’; cf. ix. 66. 2. Elsewhere it is iterative, as a rule with optative (i. 11. 1).

λιποψυχέοντα elsewhere (Thuc. iv. 12; Xen. Hell. v. 4. 58; Paus. iv. 10. 3) means ‘swooning’, hence φιλοψυχέοντα, ‘showing a faint heart’ (cf. inf.), is better (cf. vi. 29. 1 and Tyrtaeus, Fr. x. 18 μηδὲ φιλοψυχεῖτ᾽ ἀνδράσι μαρνάμενοι).


ἀλγήσαντα, ‘if Aristodemus alone had been ill (cf. iv. 68. 2; ix. 22. 1) and had returned to Sparta,’ i. e. but for his comrade. The infinitive of the apodosis (προσθέσθαι) depends on the parenthetical δοκέειν (Krüg. δοκέει; cf. ch. 3. 4; ii. 56. 1); and is by a usage common in H. (cf. i. 24. 7) extended to the protasis.

προσθέσθαι, ‘vented their wrath’; cf. iv. 65. 2; but it applies rather to the penalty imposed. Cf. vii. 11. 1; Eurip. Hec. 742 ἄλγος ἂν προσθείμεθα (αὐτῷ).

τῆς ... αὐτῆς ... προφάσιος, ‘he had only the same excuse as his comrade might have offered.’

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hide References (4 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (4):
    • Pausanias, Description of Greece, 4.10.3
    • Thucydides, Histories, 4.12
    • Xenophon, Hellenica, 4.5.14
    • Xenophon, Hellenica, 5.4.58
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