Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

τότε: refers to c. 3. 27. τότε often refers in this way to a time which is supposed to be well known to the reader. Cf. i. 101. 8; iii. 69. 2; iv. 46. 5; v. 4. 14; and see on i. 101. 8.

Σταγείρῳ (Strabo vii. frg. 35 and Steph. Byz. have Στάγειρα): north of Acanthus, on the Strymonian Gulf. Cf. Hdt.vii. 115. 6. The birthplace of Aristotle. St. now reads here and in c. 18. 25 (not iv. 88. 9) Στάγιρος, acc. to the inscriptions.

Γαληψόν: between the Strymon and the Nestus. Cf. iv. 107. 12; Diod. xii. 68; Strabo, vii. 35; Steph. Byz. s.v.

κατὰ τὸ ξυμμαχικόν: the alliance had been renewed, iv. 132. 2.

τῶν (with Vat. for τὸν) Ὀδομάντων: cf. ii. 101. 12. This tribe is mentioned by Hdt.vii. 112. 7. Its home was apparently in the plain between Strymon and Nestus.—ἄξοντας: with Linwood (Jahrbb. 1862, p. 200) for ἄξοντα, for this intention must be ascribed to the envoys, not to the foreign chief.—μισθοῦ: gen. of price, as in iv. 124. 22; vii. 25. 34. G. 178; H. 746; Kr. Spr. 47, 17, 3. Cf. Ar. Ach. 144.

Ἠιόνι: cf. iv. 106. 17 and 18.—ἀντεκάθητο καὶ αὐτός: refers to ἡσύχαζε (sc. ὁ Κλέων) of the preceding line.

Ἀργιλίων: in the territory of Argilos, but on the right bank of the Strymon.

οὐ πολύ: about 20 stadia.

αὐτόν: Cl. and one Ms. for αὐτόθεν, the repetition of which is useless. This renewed mention of Brasidas makes his intention in occupying Cerdylium more prominent, and makes the connexion of the following προσεδέχετο and παρεσκευάζετο easier. (St. and Schütz, with three Mss., omit αὐτόθεν.)

ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀμφίπολιν...ἀναβήσεσθαι : explaining the preceding ὅπερ . . . ποιήσειν. Cf. iii. 59. 18, ὅπερ ἀναγκαῖον . . . τοῖς ὧδε ἔχουσι, λόγου τελευτᾶν.

τῇ παρούσῃ στρατιᾷ : without waiting for his expected reinforcements.

Θρᾷκας τε κτἑ.: to be taken with παρακαλῶν, not with παρεσκευάζετο, which is used abs. as often elsewhere. Cf. ii. 11. 22; iii. 46. 9; vii. 34. 4; viii. 10. 4. The τε . . . καί admits of no other const., and, moreover, the opposition between τοὺς Ἠδῶνας πάντας and the definite number of the other Thracians is made more evident in this way.

Μυρκινίων: Myrcinus, also an Edonian city, had been for some time in alliance with Brasidas. Cf. iv. 107. 9.

ἱππῆς Ἕλληνες: to distinguish them from the Edonians of 18.—τούτων: part. gen. It depends upon the obj. of ἔχων implied in ἐς πεντακοσίους καὶ χιλίους. About 1500 of these.

μετὰ Κλεαρίδου: he was stationed at Amphipolis. Cf. iv. 132. 19. —ἐτετάχατο: this form (or the pf. τετάχαται) occurs also in iii. 13. 18; iv. 31. 7; vii. 4. 34. G. 118, 5, N.; 119, 3; H. 464 a.