C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5

περιέπλει—by this use of the imperfect Thucydides leaves Cleon on his way to Amphipolis, and passes to another subject. A summary of events in Sicily, which has not been mentioned since iv. 65.

Φαίαξ—Phaeax is mentioned by Plutarch, Alc. 13, as a contemporary and opponent of Alcibiades: Ar. Eq. 1377, σοφός γ᾽ ὁ Φαίαξ δεξιῶς τ᾽ οὐκ ἀπέθανε.

τρίτος αὐτός—i. 46, πέμπτος αυ:τός: so Hdt. iv. 113, δευτέρην αὐτήν, ‘with one companion’. Ἀθηναίων πεμπόντων— cf. ch. 39, 2: i. 89, 2, Σηστὸν ἐπολιόρκουν Μήδων ἐχόντων, etc.

μετὰ τὴν ξύμβασιν—the general peace made by the Sicilian Greeks, two years before, on the advice of Hermocrates (iv. 65). πολίτας ἐπεγράψαντο—‘enrolled many new citizens’; cf. ascribere, ascriptus. For ἐπί in composition implying sequence and addition, see note on iv. 36, 2.

ἐπενόει ἀναδἀσασθαι—‘contemplated a redistribution of the land’. ‘So when an additional number of citizens was wanted at Cyrene, settlers were invited from all parts of Greece, ἐπὶ γῆς ἀναδασμῷ (Hdt. iv. 159）’. It was regarded as a revolutionary measure, as shown in Arnold's interesting note, from which this is quoted. Arnold assumes that the ager publicus of the state is meant, but Grote doubts if there would be such lands belonging to a state like Leontini (ch. 57, p. 123).

οἱ δυνατοί—here the oligarchical or aristocratical party, who were threatened with the loss of some of their possessions or holdings; i. 24, 3, ὀ δῆμος έξεδίωξε τοὺς δυνατούς. In ii. 65, 1, οἱ δυνατοί is used to denote men of wealth and position, as contrasted with the δῆμος or mass of the people, without implying political partizanship. αἰσθόμενοι—sc. the matter; cf. note on iv. 14, 1, γνόντες. ἐπἀγονται—so ii. 2, 2, ἐπηγάγοντο.

ὡς ἕκαστοι—so i. 3, 4 etc.: see note on iv. 32, 2. ἐρη μώσαντες—‘abandoning’; Aesch. Ag. 1070, τόνδ̓ ἐρημώσασ᾽ ὄχον. ἐπὶ πολιτείᾳ—‘on condition of receiving citizenship’; ch. 31, 9: for ἐπί implying conditions cf. ἐπὶ τοῖσδε, ἐφ̓ ᾧ, etc.: also Hdt. cited on line 7.

ἀρέσκεσθαι—so ch. 37, 23, οἱ βοιωτάρχαι ἠρέσκοντο: also with dat. ‘to be pleased with’. ἀπολιπὀντες ἐκ—so iii. 10, 1, with ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου: this usage is rare. Krüger cites Hdt. vii. 221, αὑτὸς οὐκ ἀπέλιπε, ‘did not depart’.

καταλαμβάνουσι—occupant; iv. 1, 1, note. ον—agreeing with the predicate; i. 96, 2, Ἑλληνοταμίαι κατέστη ἀρχή. τότε=‘as related’; ch. 6, 1, etc.

καταστάντες—probably to be connected with ἐπολέμουν, of ‘settling down to’ a course of warfare: cf. i. 59, 2, καταστάντες ἐπολἐμουν: so ii. 1. In i. 49, 2, however, καταστάντες ἐμάχοντο is used of soldiers who were ‘firmly posted’ on shipboard. Some editors therefore take the meaning here to be, ‘when they had established themselves’. ἐκ τῶν τειχῶν—from the strongholds in question, each of which was a τεῖχος (Classen).

ξυμμάχους—we find in iii. 86 that the Chalcidian cities and the Dorian colony of Camarina were in alliance with Leontini and joined in appealing to Athens. Σικελιώτας— Greek colonists, as opposed to the Σικελοί, the general name for the non-Greek inhabitants: cf. vi. 2, 5. κοινῇ is to be taken with ε:πιστρατεῦσαι.

ἀντιστάντος.. πράγματος—so ch. 38, 23, ὡς ἀντἐστη τὸ πρᾶγμα, ‘went against them’. πρᾶγμα has no doubt the notion of political intrigue which is so often conveyed by πράσσω: e.g. i. 128, 3, πρὸς βασιλἐα πράγματα πράσσειν.

οὐκέτι—=he gave up his intention ἐπί—in a friendly sense, iv. 85, 3, ἐπὶ οὓς πρῶτον ἦλθον. For inf. with αἰσθόμενος cf. vi. 59, 3, αἰσθανόμενος .δύνασθαι.