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

CHAPTER XCIII

προσέμιξεν—of a near approach: so viii. 71, ὡς δὲ προσέμιξέ τε ἐγγύς. In ch. 33, 9 and 96, 7 the word is used of coming to close quarters with the enemy: cf. v. 72, φθάσαι τῇ προσμίξει.

καθίσας—sc. τὸν στρατόν, line 3; to be supplied also with ἔτασσε.

τῷ δὲ Ἱπποκράτει...ὡς αὐτῷ—the redundancy is probably to be explained as a confusion of construction, αὐτῷ being added as if ὁ δὲ Ἱπποκράτης had gone before. Hippocrates had remained behind at Delium, ch. 90 fin.

ἐπιγένοιντο—as a reserve force, ἐπί implying sequence: see notes on ch. 26, 14 and 36, 14. τοὺς ἀμυνουμένους—for the use of the article cf. note on ch. 78, 33.

ὥσπερ ἔμελλον—sc. τάσσεσθαι: the contingents were already in the order which they intended to keep in the battle.

δεξιὸν μὲν κέρας—the article is omitted, as noted on ch. 18, 11. οἱ ξύμμοροι αὐτοῖς—see note on ξυντελεῖ, ch. 76, 15. τὴν λίμνην—Copais.

ἐπ᾽ ἀσπίδας πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι—twenty-five deep: v. 68, ἐπὶ δὲ βάθος ἐτάξαντο...ἐπὶ ὀκτώ: viii. 79, οὐκ ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγων ἀσπίδων. The depth and weight of the Boeotian column is to be noticed. At Leuctra the Theban phalanx was drawn up 50 deep.

διάκοσμος—a word only found elsewhere in later Greek.