Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

---

Measures adopted by the Lacedaemonians to confer honours upon the troops which had taken part in Brasidas's expedition to Thrace, and to render those citizens who had returned from captivity incapable of causing trouble to the state.

τῶν ἀπὸ Θρᾴκης: the use of ἀπό is occasioned by ἡκόντων. It is here ambiguous on account of ἐξελθόντων. τῶν ἀπὸ Θρᾴκης μετὰ Βρασίδου ἐξελθόντων seems to imply that Brasidas returned from Thrace, so that Kr.'s suggestion to read τῶν μετὰ Βρασίδου is not without reason.— 2. ἐξελθόντων: cf. iv. 78. § 1, and 80. § 5.

ἐκόμισεν: brought home, in accordance with the command received in c. 21. 15 ff. κομίζειν is used in the same sense in iv. 16. 19, ἀποστεῖλαι δὲ αὐτοὺς τριήρει Ἀθηναίους καὶ πάλιν κομίσαι, but with πάλιν.

μαχεσαμένους : placed after its subst. acc. to the usage discussed on i. 11. 18.

οἰκεῖν ὅπου ἂν βούλωνται: i.e. no longer as serfs glebae ad scripti. This is one of the first requisites of ἐλευθερία.

τῶν νεοδαμώδων : a class of new citizens composed of liberated Helots, though they seem to be distinct from the Helots who have just received their freedom. They are mentioned here for the first time, then freq. in Thuc. (vii. 19. 16; 58. 12; viii. 5. 7) and Xen., but not afterwards. See Schömann, Antiq. of Greece, I. p. 198 ff.; Gilbert, Griech. Staatsalt. I. p. 35 f. The accent acc. to Hdn. i. p. 428, 13. See v. Bamberg, Ztschr. f. d. Gymn.Wesen, 28, p. 7.

ἐς Λέπρεον: see c. 31. § 1 and § 2.

ὄντες ἤδη διάφοροι: with reference to c. 31. 5, διαφερόμενοι γὰρ ἐτύγχανον.

ληφθέντας, καὶ τὰ ὅπλα παραδόντας : the ultimate result stands first. Cf. iv. 38. § 3 f.

διὰ τὴν ξυνφορὰν νομίσαντες: the Spartans were afraid that these men who had returned from captivity would fear lest their misfortune might be regarded as their fault and cause them to be less respected (ἐλασσωθήσεσθαι here in the form of the fut. pass. as in Dem. XXIV. 66, while in c. 104. 4 and 105. 12, the mid. form ἐλασσώσεσθαι is used), and that they would therefore endeavour to change the constitution of the state (νεωτερίσωσι) if they remained in the exercise of all their rights as citizens (καὶ ὄντες ἐπίτιμοι). To prevent this, ἀτίμους ἐποίησαν, they took from them for a time the most important rights of citizenship, making them incapable of holding office and of conducting business transactions.

ἤδη καὶ ἀρχάς τινας ἔχοντας: this adds to the whole obj. τοὺς . . . παραδόντας a special part as appos. in the same case. See on c. 3. 23; ii. 95. 4; iii. 13. 17. It is not remarkable that they already held offices, ἦσαν γὰρ οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται αὐτῶν πρῶτοι κτἑ. Cf. c. 15. 4. On ἀτιμία and its degrees, esp. in Athens, but also in other Greek states, see Hermann, Griech. Staatsalt. § 124, 6; Schömann Antiq. of Greece, I. p. 360 f.