E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3

θῆκαι—‘coffins.’ Notice the not very common attraction of the antecedent into the case of the rel., though the antecedent is not placed in the rel. clause. Thompson2 § 50 D. In Latin this eonstr., familiar from urbem quam statuo vestra est, is an old colloquialism.

Πολυκράτης—he ruled 532-521 B.C. According to Herod. III. 164 Samos was πολίων πασέων πρώτη in his time.

Νήσων—the Cyclades.

ἄρξας is ‘making himself master of,’ ingressive.

τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι—Apollo was worshipped much earlier than the time of Polycrates in the rocky island of Rhenea; Hymn to Apollo 44—see on § 4—written not later than 600 B.C. Cf. Theocritus XVII. 70 ἶσον καὶ Ῥήναιαν ἄναξ ἐφίλησεν Ἀπόλλων.

τὴν πεντετηρίδα—the first celebration probably took place in March (Anthesterion) 425 B.C.

τὰ Δήλια—‘(namely) the Delia.’ The words are bracketed by some edd., but Diodorus, whose account is derived from Thuc. (through Ephorus), says ἑποίησαν πανήγυριν τὴν τῶν Δηλίων.