Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

γάρ: introduces the narrative announced in the previous chap.— 2. καὶ ὕστερον ἡ ξυμμαχία: is added to αἱ . . . σπονδαί almost parenthetically to remind us that the alliance followed the peace, as mentioned in c. 24. 9. It has the effect of a rel. clause (“which was presently followed by the alliance”), and must not be understood as determining the time of the following clause. “After the fifty years' peace had been concluded, and then the alliance also, the ambassadors, too, went home.” The treaty of alliance was concluded so soon after the peace, that it is referred to in the negotiations at Argos (8). See App.

αὐτά: is the neut. pl. in a pregnant sense referring to the matter in hand. This Thuc. not infreq. uses. See on i. 1. 10. It refers very properly to the negotiations preceding the treaty as well as to the σπονδαί (cf. παρακαλέσαντες, c. 17. 17, where the purpose of the summons is left unexpressed) and is therefore not to be changed (with St.) to αὐτάς.

πρῶτον: refers to preliminary negotiations with prominent men at Argos. The further consequences appear in Argos (c. 28) and in Corinth (c. 30).

ἐπ᾽ ἀγαθῷ: cf. i. 131. 7; ii. 17. 15; iv. 87. 10; and see on ἐπὶ κακῷ, iv. 86. 1, for further examples.—ἐπὶ καταδουλώσει: cf. iii. 10. 10.

ὁρᾶν: with ὅπως and fut. ind., as in iii. 46. 16; vi. 41. 6. So with ὅτῳ τρόπῳ in vi. 33. 13; viii. 63. 20. GMT. 45 Rem.; H. 1054, 3.— 12. αὐτόνομος: denotes political independence; δίκας ἴσας καὶ ὁμοίας διδόναι denotes conduct which respects the independence of others. The first is intended to exclude the dependent allies of Athens and Sparta, the second more particularly Athens itself, which obliged the ὑπήκοοι ξύμμαχοι to come to Athens for the conduct of certain cases (see on i. 77. 1), and therefore could not be said δίκας ἴσας καὶ ὁμοίας διδόναι.

ὥστε : on condition that. See on i. 28. 18. GMT. 98, 2, and N. 2; H. 953 b.—τῇ ἀλλήλων ἐπιμαχεῖν: like ἐπιμαχίαν in c. 48. 8, a merely defensive alliance; in i. 44. 8 defined by τῇ ἀλλήλων βοηθεῖν.

ἀρχήν : to be taken with αὐτοκράτορας, but not in the sense of “power” or “authority” (Kr. “in regard to their authority”), but like τὴν ἀρχήν in ii. 74. 10; iv. 98. 4; 56. 5; here, however, as in Hdt.i. 193. 14; ii. 95. 13; iii. 16. 31, without the art. Originally from the beginning, and thence absolutely, entirely. See App.

τοῦ μὴ καταφανεῖς γίγνεσθαι: sc. τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις. On the gen. of the inf., see on i. 4. 7; GMT. 92, 1, N. 5; H. 960. The envoys from other states were to be relieved from the necessity of addressing the popular assembly concerning offers of alliance, in order that those who might wish to join the Argive alliance, but could not persuade the Argive popular assembly to accept them as allies (τοὺς μὴ πείσαντας τὸ πλῆθος), should not be exposed to danger from the Lacedaemonians. See App.— 17. προσχωρήσεσθαι: sc. to the new alliance to be formed under the leadership of Argos.

διδάξαντες: like διδασκάλους γενομένους in c. 30. 2, of plans and deliberations set forth with arguments, esp. of such as are undertaken with hostile intent. Cf. ii. 93. 4; iii. 71. 7; vii. 18. 6; viii. 45. 9.