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

Νικόστρατος—he had command of the Athenian squadron at Naupactus, from which he could reach Corcyra in a day. The Messenians had been settled in Naupactus after the Messenian Wars.

ἕπρασσε—conative.

δέκα—oligarchs.

οἱ τοῦ δήμου προστάται—a bronze plate found on the site of the Corcyrean Agora and now in the Brit. Mus. contains a decree of the Corcyrean Assembly (ἁλία) appointing an Athenian ‘proxenus’ of Corcyra. Among the Corcyrean authorities mentioned in the decree, which is assigned to the 4th cent. B.C., oceurs προστάτας Γνάθιος. The προστάται therefore appear to have been a board of magistrates in Corcyra (Anc. Gr. Inscr. in the Brit. Mus. Pl. ii. p. 50).

ξυμπέμψειν—sc. ἔφασαν, by an idiom to which Thuc. is partial.

τὸ Διοσκόρων ἱερόν—the site is unknown.

τῇ τοῦ μὴ ξυμπλεῖν ἀπιστίᾳ—‘by their distrust in sailing (i.e. in the proposal that they should sail) with them.’ The μή is added because the whole result is neg., as often; cf. II. 49 ἠ ἀπορία τοῦ μὴ ἡσυχάζειν, Plato, Apol. 38 D ἀπορία τοῦ μὴ ἐθέλειν.

οἱ ἄλλοι—oligarchs, not confined to those who had refused to go on board the five ships.

τὸ Ἥραιον—see the map, with notes. The removal from the shrine of Castor and Pollux to the Heraeum is to be accounted for by (1) supposing that the latter was the principal shrine of the city, and (2) the necessity of getting 400 men into the τέμενος. (Bloomfield's view that the Heraeum was superior in sanctity is fanciful.)

γίγνονται—of the sum-total, as often.