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15. τὸ μέν—i.e. πολεμικοί. The meaning is ‘we are brave because we have a keen sense of honour, and we have a keen sense of honour because we are moderate’ But Thuc. proceeds in the opposite direction, and says, ‘The chief element in moderation (σωφροσύνη substituted for τὸ εὔκοσμον) is honour, and the main ingredient in the sense of honour (αἰσχύνη = αἰδώς) is bravery.’ Cf. 3.83 τὸ εὔηθες, οὗ τὸ γενναῖον πλεῖστον μετέχει.
17. ἀμαθέστερον. παιδευόμενοι—causal partic., ‘not so highly as to despise the laws’; see c. 68. 1, but a different turn is given to ἀμαθία here in the retort.
18. καὶ ξὺν χ.—sc. παιδευόμενοι, which is again to be supphed to the following infinitives.
20. τὰ ἀχρεῖα—thinking on public policy for one's self, for instance, and putting before the assembly what you have thought of.
22. ἀνομοίως—not so well as the fine criticism would lead one to expect.
ἐπεξιέναι—sc. αὐτοῖς, i.e. τοῖς πολεμίοις (Stahl).
23. παραπλησίους—as good as ours.
24. τὰς προσπιπτούσας ... διαιρετάς—the chances that befall cannot be determined by argument. The general sense is ‘just as we do not despise the intelligence of our enemy, so we know that we cannot see into the future—how war will go —but must depend on our εὐψυχία and σωφροσύνη in preparing.’ διαιρεῖν is properly to make a gap in.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 1. E. C. Marchant. 1905. London. MacMillan and Company, Ltd.
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