E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2

φυλακὰς—to give warning to the eountry people of any fresh invasion and to prevent ships sailing in or out of Megara. Cf. also c. 32, 69. See c. 93, 4. The arrangements were quite different when an enemy was in Attica. Cf. c. 13, 7.

δὴ—Thuc. thinks of the changes which were soon found necessary. Cf. c. 94, 5.

ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς—in the Ecclesia. The position of Pericles was now improved by the retreat of the enemy, and the departure of the country people. In the eity itself and in Piraeus he had a large majority. Both Diodorus and Plutarch call attention to this inerease of influence, but assign the wrong reason.

ποιησαμένοις—might have been aecus. (c. 7, 2), but Thuc. and Lysias keep the dat. more than other writers. Cf. v. 9 9.

ἀναλοῦν—old form of ἀναλίσκειν. εἰπῇ—of the proposer of a motion, ἐπιψηφίσῃ of the president for the day, who put the question. In VIII. 15, after the revolt of Chios early in 412, τὰ χίλια τ. εὐθὺς ἔλυσαν τάς ἐπικειμένας ζημὶας τῷ εἰπόντι ἢ ἐπιψηφίσαντι καὶ ἐψηφίσαντο κινεῖν. κινεῖν—only of things disturbed through neeessity.

ἐς ἄλλο τι—explained by what follows. Cf. c. 1 ἑξῆς. νηίτῃ—old word for ναυτικῷ in this phrase. Thuc. is giving the formal language of the ψήφισμα. θάνατον—‘the penalty they fixed was death.’ ζημίαν goes elosely with ἐπέθεντο, whieh is mid. beeause the motion then passed applied to themselves.

κατὰ τὸν—the addition of the article adds formal preeision to the language.

τριηράρχους—the ships were docked, so that the eaptains would have nothing to do unless there were an attack by sea. See c. 94. ὧν—goes baek to τριήρεις. χρῆσθαι—it is easy to supply ἔδοξε, but by no means certain that Thuc. intended this. See c. 13, 1 γίγνεσθαι and 5 οἷς χρήσεσθαι. ἢν δέῃ—the apod. is implied in τοῦ αὐτοῦ κ.