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δειλίᾳ δὲ κτλ—‘perhaps from cowardice you will regard your duty in relation to us and to the invaders by saying.’ Stahl and Fr. Muller think τὸ δίκαιον is ironical, since the plea of ξυμμαχία with Athens would not be justice to Syr. But Meyer points out that it would be just to both sides for Camarina to nrge ‘we have a ξυμμαχία with Athens, and only σπονδαί with Syr.’ See n. on c. 75, 3. The speaker contemplates Camarina supporting Athens on this ground of duty. ἥν γε—restrictive: ‘you only entered into it.’ ἐπὶ τοῖς φίλοις = κατὰ τῶν φ.: cf. c. 61, 1. τῶν δὲ ἐχθρῶν ἤν τις—‘but in case an enemy,’ the order being due to the antithesis. τοῖς γε Ἀ.—γε restrictive; βοηθεῖν of purpose: ‘to help the A. only when.’ The order is again modified to bring τοῖς Ἀ. into contrast with τοῖς φίλοις: otherwise ὅταν γε ὑπ̓ ἄλλων ἀδικῶνται βοηθεῖν τοῖς Ἀ. ὅταν ὑφ̓ ἄλλων—sc. ἀδικῶνται from the ἀδικῶσιν following. Bauer compares II. 11 τὴν τῶν πέλας δῃοῦν μᾶλλον ἢ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὁρᾶν, sc. δῃουμένην. Ῥηγῖνοι—see c. 44, 3.
καὶ δεινὸν εἰ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν . . ὑμεῖς δέ—the two inconsistent thoughts are frequently so placed after δεινόν, αἱσχρόν, δεινὸν ἂν εἴη, δεινὸν ἄν μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι, etc. The tense and mood are not necessarily the same in the two clauses as they are here —σωφρονοῦσιν . . βούλεσθε—and when a neg. is required either οὐ or μή can be used in the εἰ clauses. (Cf. Shilleto on I. 121; Gentsch in Com. Phil. Jcn. iv. p. 299.) The former clause must be made subordinate with ‘whereas.’ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ καλοῦ δ. ὑποπτεύοντες—‘suspecting the real meaning of the specious claim’ to their help on the ground of kinship. καλοῦ is ironical. δικαίωμα is a claim just in the eyes of those who put it forward, δικαίωσις the act of putting it forward. Cf. ἐπιτήδευμα, ἐπιτήδευσις: ἀξίωμα, ἀξίωσις. ἀλόγως—‘without reasonable cause,’ ‘show an unreasonable prudence,’ because abstract reason would require that as kinsmen they should help the Athemans. εὐλόγῳ προφάσει—‘urging a logical pretext,’ viz. that you have a ξυμμαχία with Athens. εὐλόγῳ, like ἀλόγως, is ironical, the contrast throughout being between logic and prudence. φύσει πολεμίους—they are only λόγῳ or ξυμμαχίᾳ φίλοι. ἔτι μᾶλλον—becanse besides being Dorians they were also close neighbours.
ἀλλ̓ οὐ δίκαιον—sc. διαφθεῖραι κτλ. Notice the commonplace argument from τὸ δίκαιον. ἀμύνειν δέ—sc. δίκαιον τοῖς φύσει ξυγγενέσι. ὅπερ οὗτοὶ ς—cf. c. 10, 4. τάναντία is adverbial. πρὸς ἡμᾶς μόνους—alluding to the previous battle, c. 65 ff.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 6. E.C. Marchant. London. MacMillan & Company. 1909. Professional Data Entry.
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