C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4

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CHAPTER XLV

Μεθώνην—‘the place is now called Μέθανα, as the name is written by Pausanias and by Strabo, with this remark on the part of the latter, that in some copies of Thucydides it was written Μεθώνη, like the town so called in Macedonia. As the Macedonian town was the more famous, the reading Μεθώνη probably prevailed more and more, and is now found in every MS. of Thucydides at present in existence’ (Arnold).

ἀπολαβόντες—‘cutting off’ from the mainland by a wall and trench. We are told (i. 7) that the maritime Greeks thus established themselves on peninsulas (τὰς ἰσθμοὺς ἀπελάμβανον) for the sake of security and convenience. The peninsula of Methana, which is of considerable size, is connected with the mainland by a very narrow neck.

ἐν ᾧ—i.e. on the isthmus or neck itself; but perhaps ἐν ᾗ should be read, in agreement with χερσονήσου: cf. Classen's critical note. Pausanias (ii. 34) applies the term ἰσθμός to the whole peninsula when he says τῆς Τροιζηνίας γῆς ἐστὶν ίσθμὀς ἐπὶ πολὺ διέχων ἑς θάλασσαν, ἐν δἑ αὐτῷ πόλισμα οὐ μέγα ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ Μέθανα.

τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον—till the peace concluded in 421. In v. 18 we find Methone named as one of the places which the Athenians agreed to give up.