E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 6

ἐν παντὶ γὰρ κτλ—‘in every place, even where we are not at hand, the man who thinks that he will suffer wrong and he who plots mischief—because they have a lively expecta tion, the one of obtaining from us a return in the form of help, the other that if we come he will be in danger of suffering for his wrong—are both alike compelled, the one to restram himself against his will, the other to accept safety without taking action.’ In this extremely difficult passage the speaker explains the effect of Athenian prestige—that prestige which arises from her πολυπραγμοσύνη. It is a guarantee of tranquillity in states in which Athens has no footing. And how? Because the certainty of her intervention on behalf of the oppressed prevents attempts at oppression. This theory is similar to the modern theory that great armaments are a guarantee of peace.

ἐν παντὶ γὰρ πᾶς—traductio; see c. 11, 2 n.

ὑπεῖναι—i.e. present in his mind.

ἐλπίδα—hope as applied to the one, fear as applied to the other. ἀντιτυχεῖν—ἀντι-, as a return for joining our alliance, for frankly accepting our interference. (This is better than Haack's explanation, adopted by Stahl, that ἀντι- =‘in redress of the wrong,’ because it is more in accordance with the advice that is being given to Camarina χρήσασθαι τῇ πολυπραγμοσύνῃ.)

μὴ ἀδεεῖ εἶναι κινδυνεύειν—on the reading see crit. note. (a) κινδυνεύειν depending on μὴ ἀδεεῖ. Stahl rightly objects to Classen's rendering ‘that he will have to fear a conflict with us,’ on the ground that the inf. κινδυνεύειν is most unusual in the sense μὴ κινδυνεύῃ, and that ἀδεής does not mean ‘liable to fear’ but actually ‘afraid.’ Others render ‘that they will not be without fear of danger’; but Stahl says this puts the point very feebly: not the chance that they may be in danger, but only the certainty of danger if the Athenians intervene, would deter men from plotting; κινδυνεύειν greatly weakens the passage. (b) μὴ ἀδεεῖ εἶναι depending on κινδυν εύειν. Then the rendering given by edd. is ‘will be likely to have reason for fear.’ But (1) nowhere else in Thuc. does κινδυνεύειν=‘to be likely’; (2) the sense given to ἀδεής is weak. It remains to give to ἀδεής its legal meaning, ‘exempt from punishment,’ ‘privileged, though guilty,’ for which see c. 27, 2. This suits ἀδικήσεσθαι and ἐπιβουλεύειν, and gives a forcible meaning to the passage. See Intr. § 23.

ἀναγκάζονται—both parties are compelled to abstain from action; and thus to the stronger comes σωφροσύνη, and to the weaker σωτηρία. There is a certain humour in applying ἀναγκἀζονται to the side that obtains σωτηρία. The force in both cases is moral.

ὁ μέν—corresponding to ὁ ἐπιβουλεύων, ὁ δέ to ὁ οἰόμενος ἀδικής εσθαι, by chiasmus.

ἀπραγμόνως—a verbal reference back to Athenian πολυπραγμοσύνη, which means ἀπραγμοσύνη for others.