Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5

καττάδε δοκεῖ κτἑ.: the Dor. dialect in the two documents given in c. 77 and 79 does not agree in all respects with the rules laid down by Ahrens (de dial Dor. p. 480 ff.). Still, it does not seem best to depart from the reading of the Mss. in an attempt to reconstruct the original language of these chaps. See App.—καττάδε: Att. κατὰ τάδε; 2. ποττώς: Att. πρὸς τούς; 5. ἐκβῶντας: Att. ἐκβαίνοντας; 6. αἰ δέ κα μὴ εἴκωντι: Att. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εἴκωσι; 7. εἶμεν: Att. εἶναι; 10. ἔχοντι: Att. ἔχουσι; ἀποδόμεν: Att. ἀποδοῦναι; πολίεσσι: Att. πόλεσι; τῶ σιῶ σύματος: Att. τοῦ θεοῦ θύματος; 11. αἰ μὲν λῆν: Att. εἰ μὲν βούλεσθαι; 15. ἀλεξέμεναι: Att. ἀλέξειν; 18. ἐντι: Att. εἰσι; ἐσσοῦνται: Att. ἔσονται; 22. ἀπιάλλην: Att. ἀποπέμπειν. For details, see the notes in St.'s edit.—τᾷ ἐκκλησίᾳ: acc. to Hdt.vii. 134. 9, the proper designation of the popular assembly at Sparta is ἁλία, which Ahrens wished to insert in the text; but it seems more likely that this assembly was properly called ἀπέλλα. See Gilbert, Griech. Staatsalt. I. p. 53 f.

τὼς παῖδας: i.e. the hostages mentioned in c. 61. 22.

τὼς ἄνδρας: these must be the ὅμηροι ἐκ τῆς Ἀρκαδίας αὐτόθι ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων κείμενοι of c. 61. 18, although no mention of the Maenalians is made there. Why the distinction between παῖδες and ἄνδρες is made is not clear. παῖς seems to be used here and in 9 to designate those who are not of military age.

τὸ τεῖχος: the τείχισμα of c. 75. 25.

τοὶ Ἀθηναῖοι: the Athenians had been most active in the operations against Epidaurus. Cf. c. 75. 25.

περὶ τῶ σιῶ σύματος: on the forms, see above. This refers to the cause of the quarrel between Argos and Epidaurus. See c. 53. 2 f. τῶ σιῶ, i.e. τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ Πυθαέως. Perhaps van Herwerden is right in inserting τῶ (i.e. τοῦ) before σύματος, though the omission of the art. may be explained on account of the preceding gen.

αἰ μὲν λῆν, τοῖς Ἐπιδαυρίοις ὅρκον δόμεν, αἰ δέ, κτἑ.: if they wish, they shall impose an oath upon the Epidaurians; but if not, they shall swear it themselves. λῆν is inf. The inf. after εἰ occurs also in iv. 98. 12, καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰ μὲν ἐπὶ πλέον δυνηθῆναι τῆς ἐκείνων κρατῆσαι, τοῦτ᾽ ἂν ἔχειν. This is not unlike the inf. in rel. clauses. Cf. c. 28, 4; 46. 17. αἰ δέ is for εἰ δὲ μή. Cf. Plat. Conv. 212 c, εἰ μὲν βούλει, ὡς ἐγκώμιον εἰς Ἔρωτα νόμισον εἰρῆσθαι, εἰ δέ, ὅ τι καὶ ὅπῃ χαίρεις ὀνομάζων, τοῦτο ὀνόμαζε. See App.

αὐτονόμως εἶμεν πάσας: the Lacedaemonians always endeavoured to prevent other cities from establishing empires or hegemonies.

ἁμόθι: is another Dor. form for ἁμᾷ, i.e. κοινῇ. See App.

ὅπᾳ κα: equiv. to ὡς ἄν with subjv.

ἐσσοῦνται: see App.

ἐντι κτἑ.: see App.

ξυμβαλέσθαι: this repeats the ξυμβαλέσθαι of 2 with the added conditions ἐπιδείξαντας τοῖς ξυμμάχοις and αἴ κα αὐτοῖς δοκῇ: “they were to communicate (the conditions) to their allies, and then conclude the peace if they (the Argives and Lacedaemonians) thought best.” (Cl. takes αὐτοῖς to refer to the allies. But in that case there is no distinction between αἴ κα αὐτοῖς δοκῇ and the following αἰ δέ τι δοκῇ τοῖς ξυμμάχοις). Then follows αἰ δέ τι δοκῇ (subj. after the simple αἰ as in c. 79. 11 and 13) without ἄλλο (which only the inferior Mss. offer): “if the allies saw fit, they might send the treaty home” (οἴκαδ᾽ ἀπιάλλην), i.e. refer it to the governing bodies of their respective cities.