E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

ἀναισθήτως—with ἐᾶν; a reply to the Corinthians; see c. 69. 3.

14. καταφωρᾶν—properly ‘catch (a criminal) in the act’; hence ‘detect,’ ‘discover.’

16. δηλοῦντας with πόλεμον implying a threat, and ὡς ἐπιτρέψομεν (for which cf. c. 71. 1) implying an admission; properly ‘explaining’; cf. c. 129. 1.

17. τὰ ἡμέτερ᾽ αὐτῶν—our own resources, both ξυμμάχων προσαγωγῇ and τῷ τὰ αὑτῶν ἅμα ἐκπορίζεσθαι The καί clause takes a new constn. after the long parenthesis. (Croiset thinks that τὰ ἡμέτερ᾽ αὐτῶν means our home resources only, and that τὰ ἡμέτερ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐξαρτύεσθαι is answered by τὰ αὐτῶν (sic) ἅμα ἐκ. which refers to the resources of the ξύμμαχοι. But τε after ξυμμάχων is much against this; and why should τὰ ἡμέτερ᾽ αὐτῶν be limited by ξυμμάχων προσαγωγῇ?)

19. καὶ βαρβάρων—efforts by Sparta (and perhaps Athens) to obtain the support of Persia are already heard of in the early part of the war.

22. ἐπιβουλευόμεθα—by attraction to the ὥσπερ-clause.

24. τὰ αὑτῶν = τὰ ἡμέτερα αὐτῶν, our own as distinct from those of our ξύμμαχοι This is awkward after τὰ ἡμέτερ᾽ αὐτῶν above in a wider sense, and the use of αὑτῶν, otherwise common, for ἡμέτερ᾽ αύτῶν does not occur elsewhere in Thuc. Hence αὐτοῦ (adv.) and αὐτόθεν have been proposed.

[2] 26. ἐτῶν δύο καὶ τριῶν—cf. δὶς καὶ τρίς, δύο καὶ τρία βήματα: καὶ (‘even’) δὶς καὶ τρίς (see crit. note) etc. is also used.

1. ἤδη with what follows: when they see that while negotiating we are preparing quietly for war and maintaining a firm tone.

[4] 6. μὴ γὰρ ἄλλο τι—Archidamus argues against invading Attica at once, that as long as it is unravaged it is a hostage for the conciliatory behaviour of Athens in the negotiations; when once it is wasted, they will know that they have nothing to lose.

7. ἔχειν (sc. ὑμᾶς), by an idiom common in Thuc.=εἶναι ὑμῖν.

οὐχ ἧσσον—the more so. The cultivation of the poor soil of Attica was necessarily carried on with great care.

[5] 12. ὁρᾶτε ὅπως μή—the result may be trouble for the confederacy (τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ). There is much difference of opinion about the transl.: Classen says, ‘see that it do not turn out for us as regards Pel. in a more disgraeeful and difficult fashion’; Krüger and others, ‘see that we may not bring about a more disgraceful and difficult state of things for Pel.’—making πράξομεν trans. and αἴσχιον καὶ ἀ. adjj.: so Steup, but he renders, ‘see that we do not do (something) too disgraceful and awkward for Pel.’ Some think that ἢ τῇ Ἀττικῇ is to be supplied to the comparatives, others—but wrongly—ἢ νῦν. I construe ‘see that we do not fare in a manner more humiliating and difficult for the confederacy,’ sc. than if we refrain from invading Attica now, spurred on by these accusations. These ἐγκλήματα against Athens, it may be said, if we do not take up the cudgels (see next sentence), may involve αἰσχύνη and ἀπορία to the confederacy; but they can be disposed of by negotiation. To go to war at once may involve us in worse difficulties.

[6] 16. ἰδίων—separate, or ‘individual,’ thinking of Corinth and Megara.

18. εὐπρεπῶς—contrasted with αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἀπόρως πράξομεν.

θέσθαι—cf. c. 25. 1.