Chapters 1-24: The tenth year of the war
The Athenians for religious reasons drive the Delians from their island.
αἱ σπονδαὶ διελέλυντο: the truce was at an end, but no warlike operations are recorded until Cleon led the expedition to Thrace, after the Pythian festival (Metageitnion, Ol. 89, 3, i.e. Aug., 422 B.C.). See App. —
ἐκεχειρίᾳ: here and in
c. 2. 2; 49. 14, the
truce in consequence of the festival. See App.
ἱερῶσθαι: pf. pass., depends upon
ἡγησάμενοι. It refers to the purification and consecration of Delos which had taken place four years before (cf. iii. 104). The Athenians now thought that the Delians had at that time been consecrated (again) to Apollo when they were not yet entirely purified and cleansed from an ancient pollution; that is, that the re-consecration had taken place too soon. But besides (
καὶ ἅμα), they thought that the manner of purification (by removal of the coffins) had not been sufficiently thorough.
ᾗ πρότερόν μοι δεδήλωται: upon this depends the indir. disc.
ὡς . . . ἐνόμισαν ποιῆσαι: “In which I have before related that they believed,” etc. See App.
ποιῆσαι: inf. aor. after
ἐνόμισαν, refers to past time like
νομίσαντες . . . ποιήσασθαι in
vii. 17. 9:
they believed that in removing the coffins they had acted rightly. GMT. 23, 2; H. 854.—
Ἀτραμύττειον (not
-τιον; here and in
viii. 108. 19 with Vat.): an important place on the coast of Mysia, near the foot of Mt. Ida.
Φαρνάκου: Pharnaces was at that time still satrap on the Hellespont. He was succeeded in this office by his son Pharnabazus. Cf.
viii. 6. 3.—
ὥρμητο: with ellipsis of
οἰκῆσαι. So we might say
as each man chose. Cf.
ii. 67. 10;
iv. 48. 26; 74. 4;
viii. 23. 2.
The expulsion of the Delians is regarded by Boeckh (Abh. d. Berl. Akad., 1834, p. 6 ff.) and Curtius (
Hist. of Greece, III. p. 200) as an unjust and tyrannical measure. But perhaps the scrupulousness in matters of religion which is expressed in the beginning of the treaty of peace (
iv. 118. 1), and which caused the Delians to be brought back the very next year (
c. 32. 4), was really the motive of the action of the Athenians.
