Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

οἱ δὲ ξύμμαχοι: the narrative recurs to the end of c. 17. See App.

προφάσει: the expressed reason, not a pretended one. Cf. i. 23. 23 and note.

τὸ πρῶτον: see c. 17. 18 ff., where a hint of their reasons is given in οὐκ ἤρεσκε τὰ πρασσόμενα.— δέξασθαι: on this rare use of the aor. inf. where the fut. inf. seems to be required, see GMT. 23, 2, N. 3. See App.

ἐκείνους: i.e. all the allies, both those who had and those who had not accepted the peace; hence αὐτοί, the Lacedaemonians alone.—αὐτοὶ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀθηναίους...εἰ ἐξῆν, χωρεῖν : this reading of the Mss. may be translated as follows: They themselves were about to make an alliance with the Athenians, thinking that (if they did this) the Argives would by no means (ἥκιστα, Lat. minime), since they had not been willing to renew their treaty when Ampelidas and Lichas came to them for that purpose,—thinking, I say, that they without the Athenians would not be dangerous to them, and that the rest of Peloponnesus would be least likely to stir. This is certainly very harsh, and is open to so many objections that an emendation seems necessary. For a full discussion of the passage, see App.

ἐποιοῦντο: impf. expressing intended action: “they decided to form an alliance with Athens.”

τοὺς τε Ἀργείους: stands first, being the most important consideration (as in c. 14. 20, πρὸς τοὺς Ἀργείους).

ἐπισπένδεσθαι: is equiv. to ἄλλας σπένδεσθαι of c. 14. 21. The names of the envoys are not given in c. 14.—νομίσαντες: repeats the meaning of νομίζοντες (7). It is difficult to see why the tense is changed to the aor., and the repetition is certainly unnecessary, or rather, as Kr. says, is inexcusable.

πρὸς γὰρ ἂν κτἑ.: “for they thought that the Peloponnesians would join the Athenians if it were possible,” i.e. if the Spartans did not make an alliance with Athens, but in this case the Pelo, ponnesians could no longer join with Athens to the detriment of Sparta.

παρόντων οὖν πρέσβεων: the same who had arranged the treaty of peace, and taken the oaths. See c. 24. § 1.