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When the Argives are already surrounded by the three divisions of the enemy, two prominent citizens enter into negotiations with Agis. ἡμέρας ἤδη: equiv. to ἐπεὶ（ἤδη）ἡμέρα ἐγένετο (cf. iii. 24. 18), not long after the ἅμα ἕῳ of c. 58. 12. The gen. followed by ἤδη, as in i. 30. 20, χειμῶνος ἤδη. Cf. c. 17. 7, πρὸς τὸ ἔαρ ἤδη. αὐτοί : on their side. ὥσπερ εἴρητο αὐτοῖς: cf. c. 58. 20. οὐκέτι κατέλαβον: sc. κατὰ χώραν ὄντας. Cf. ii. 56. 20, οὐκέτι κατέλαβον ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ ὄντας, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνακεχωρηκότας. Everywhere else καταλαμβάνειν in the sense of find, come upon is used with a partic. or an expression denoting place. Cf. i. 59. 2; 61. 6; ii. 18. 17; 56. 20; 94. 19; iii. 69. 5; 115. 6; iv. 70. 7 (ἀνάλωτον as pf. partic.); 92. 3; 129. 2; vi. 53. 1; 94. 17; vii. 2. 5; 33. 24; viii. 55. 3.— 8. καταβάντες: sc. οἱ Ἀργεῖοι. Change of subj. after ἀλλά, as in i. 26. 17.— τὰ ἑαυτῶν δῃούμενα: cf. c. 58. 24. ἐκ τοῦ πεδίου: into this plain Agis himself with his Lacedaemonians ἐσέβαλε, c. 58. 23. They were drawn up between the Argive army and Argos, which is about fifteen miles south of Nemea. This position the Argives thought would be for their own advantage (18, ἀπειληφέναι ἐν τῇ αὑτῶν τε καὶ πρὸς τῇ πόλει), for the Lacedaemonians would be harassed from the city, to which special reference is made in c. 60. 26. The expression ἀπειληφέναι (18) is intentionally repeated from 10, not without irony. Each party thought it had caught the other in a trap. καθύπερθεν: for they had followed the ὄρθιος ὁδός of c. 58. 19. τὸ πρὸς Νεμέας: from the direction of Ne mea, after they had marched ἐπὶ Νεμέας. οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι : upon their cavalry the Argives had relied; but they did not come until c. 61. 2. οὐχ οὕτω δεινόν: not so very dangerous. See on ii. 11. 24 and c. 104. 8.—ἐν καλῷ: under favourable circumstances here and in c. 60. 11. Similarly καλῶς, c. 36. 18. τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀπειληφέναι: acc. and inf. with ἐδόκει in spite of the nom. ἡ μάχη, ἐδόκει being equiv. to ἐνόμιζον. τῶν δὲ Ἀργείων δύο ἄνδρες: opp. to τὸ μὲν πλῆθος, 16. τῶν πέντε στρατηγῶν : there were in Argos five generals, as in Athens ten; possibly the number at Argos has some such connexion with the πέντε λόχοι of c. 72. 21, as that at Athens has with the ten tribes. πρόξενος: diplomatic representative. This title was an honour bestowed upon foreigners, who then represented the state in their own cities. See on ii. 29. 4, and Schömann, Griech. Alt. <*>. p. 25. ὅσον οὐ: cf. i. 36. 8, and ὅσον οὔπω, iv. 125. 9.—ξυνιόντων: confligere, also iv. 94. 11; v. 69. 2.—προσελθόντε: see App. ποιεῖν μάχην: bring on a battle, or “allow it to take place.” See on ii. 86. 22. Ἀργείους: the two men evidently claim to be representatives of the state.—ἴσας καὶ ὁμοίας: as in c. 27. 12.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 5. Harold North Fowler. 1888. Boston. Ginn and Company.
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