Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

προφάσει: the dat. (here and in vi. 76. 5) and the acc. (in c. 80. 17; iii. 111. 2; vi. 33. 9) are used by Thuc. with the same signification.—θύματος: a rare word, corresponding to the Dor. σύματος in c. 77. 11.

τοῦ Πυθαέως: from nom. Πυθαεύς, used by Paus. ii. 24. 1, who says of the inhabitants of Hermione, ii. 35. 2, τὸ τοῦ Πυθαέως ὄνομα μεμαθήκασι παρὰ Ἀργείων (the uncontracted form is retained after the analogy of Μηλιέως, iv. 100. 2). Prob. the temple of Apollo Pythaeus is meant, which was the only building left standing by the Argives when they destroyed Asine, acc. to Paus. ii. 36. 5. Perhaps the Epidaurians, even though the Argives were κυριώτατοι τοῦ ἱεροῦ, claimed a share in the use of the lands of the temple for pasturage or similar purposes, and the expression ὑπὲρ βοταμίων, which does not occur elsewhere, may refer to this. (St. writes ὑπὲρ βοτανῶν and cites Plat. Rep. 401 b, pro pascuis. παραποταμίων, which Poppo took from inferior Mss., is still more difficult to explain.)—δέον: acc. abs., equiv. to ἔδει. When they ought to have (but did not).—ἀπαγαγεῖν: pay. Cf. Ar. Vesp. 707, τὸν φόρον ἀπάγουσιν; Xen. Cyr. ii. 4. 12.

ἐδόκει: “it was their opinion,” “they favoured the plan.” Cf. iii. 30. 2; iv. 71. 6.—καὶ ἄνευ τῆς αἰτίας: “even apart from the abovementioned ground of complaint.”

προσλαβεῖν: i.e. to force them to join the Argive alliance. Cf. i. 35. 14; iii. 13. 31.

τῆς τε Κορίνθου ἕνεκα ἡσυχίας καὶ...βραχυτέραν ἔσεσθαι τὴν βοήθειαν : the first reason is expressed by ἕνεκα ἡσυχίας: “in order to keep Corinth quiet” (which was now in a position of doubtful friendship toward Argos; cf. c. 48. § 2); the second by the acc. and fut. inf. which is still under the influence of ἐδόκει: “and the Athenians (they thought) would be able to bring aid to Argos more quickly by way of Aegina (if they could march through the Epidaurian territory) than if they were obliged to sail around Scyllaeum.”

ἢ περιπλεῖν: a loose const. caused by attraction of the preceding inf. περιπλεῖν stands as the subj. of ἔσεσθαι which is to be supplied from the preceding line: “than (it would be) to sail round,” etc. We should naturally expect a cond. clause after ἤ. Cf. iv. 66. 15, καὶ νομίζοντες ἐλάσσω σφίσι τὸν κίνδυνον ἢ τοὺς ἐκπεσόντας ὑπὸ σφῶν κατελθεῖν.

Σκύλλαιον : Scyllaeum, a promontory between Hermione and Troezene.— 10. αὐτοί: sponte. They did not wish the influence of Alcibiades to be observed; and therefore they mentioned only one reason for hostilities, that they must collect the arrears of sacrifice.—διὰ τοῦ θύματος τὴν ἔσπραξιν: on the position of the words, see on i. 32. 8; iii. 46. 19.