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

πολλὰ μὲν . . ἠδίκησαν, τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον . .

ξύνιστε—the form of the sentence shows that Θηβαῖοι is purposely placed in a prominent place; cf. what the Plataeans say at II. 71 μετὰ Θηβαίων τῶν ἡμῖν ἐχθίστων ἐπὶ δουλείᾳ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ἥκετε.

καταλαμβάνοντας—conative.

ἱερομηνίᾳ—the attack occurred τελευτῶντος τοῦ μηνός (II. 2), but whether the holiday was connected with the new moon is unknown. The attempt was made at about ten o'clock (περὶ πρῶτον ὕπνον) on the night, probably, of April 4, 431.

εἰ γάρ—‘if you are going to base your estimate of Justice on your present interest (which is, to favour Thebes) and their hostility.’ The repetition of the art. before ἐκείνων would be more usual; but it is not necessary. The position of τε is defended by the contrast between ὑμῶν and ἐκείνων. λαμβάνειν is here ‘to feel about’ a thing. (Stahl and Classen agree in this explanation, which is no doubt correct) For λαμβάνειν, ‘to feel about’ in a certain manner, cf. δι᾽ οἴκτου λ. (Eur. Suppl. 194), and c. 59, 1.

ἠμεῖς—sc. ἦμεν, as the sense shows.

μείζονι—viz. than you now are, from the Athenians.

ἐν καιροῖς οἷς—i.e. ἐν οἷς, according to a common idiom, e.g. Dem. XIX. 342 ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς (ἐφ᾽) ἦσπερ νῦν ἐξουσίας . . μενεῖ. To ἐν καιροῖς, as to μείζω, the partic. must be supplied; cf. c. 30, 1: contrast c. 47, 5.

μᾶλλον—i.e. than now when their services are forgotten.

τὰ ξύμφορα . . αὑτοῖς—（‘arrange terms) which were to their own advantage in view of the invasion.’ πρὸς τὴν ἔ. belongs to ξύμφορα rather than to πράσσοντες: cf. II. 3 ῃ ἕκαστον ἐφαίνετο πρὸς τὰ παρόντα ξύμφορον ἔσεσθαι.

ἀσφαλείᾳ—‘securely,’ as in c. 82 ἀσφαλείᾳ δὲ τὸ ἐπιβουλεύεσθαι, ‘to make plans in security,’ Soph. OT. 51 ἀλλ᾽ ἀσφαλείᾳ τήνδ᾽ ἀνόρθωσον πόλιν.

ὧν—partitive.

ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς—i.e. because we have again chosen τὸ ἀγαθόν (cf. δικαίως presently) rather than τὸ ἀσφαλές (cf. κερδαλἐως).

τῶν ξυμμάχων τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς—lit. ‘when, while feeling (ἔχουσι with ὑμῖν) lasting gratitude towards brave allies, what is perhaps (που) your interest at the moment is also secured.’ The chief emphasis is, of course, on the participial phrase, which states the permanent condition or test of the righteousness of pursuing one's own interest. (The conjecture ἔχουσι for MSS. ἔχωσι, which cannot be satisfactorily explained, seems certain. For the dat. τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς depending on a dat. ἔχουσι cf. [Xen.] de Rep. Ath. 1 6 τοῖς ὁμοίοις σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἦν ἀγαθά ‘for those like theniselves.’ It is impossible to find a subject for ἔχωσι, and Mr. Spratt's rendering of τὴν χάριν ἔχωσι ‘command a recognition’ is incorrect. That this passage, however, is completely restored by reading ἔχουσι, it would be rash to assume.)