Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

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The Athenians are summoned by the Lacedaemonians to their aid, but are soon mistrusted and dismissed. In displeasure they make an alliance with the Argives and Thessalians.

ἄλλους: the Aeginetans, ii.27.9; Plataeans, iii.54.17; Mantinaeans, Xen. Hell. v.2.3.

Κίμωνος: see Plut. Cim. 16. 6; Ar. Lys. 1143, ἐλθὼν δὲ σὺν ὁπλίταισι τετρακισχιλίοις Κίμων ὅλην ἔσωσε τὴν Λακεδαίμονα.

ἐπεκαλέσαντο: for the repetition, cf. c. 88. 1.—τειχομαχεῖν: cf. Hdt. ix.70.8, τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων οὐκ ἐπισταμένων τειχομαχέειν.

τοῖς δὲ...ἐφαίνετο : τῆς δέ, which is read by P. and v. H., has not sufficient Ms. authority. Cl. thinks the reference is to the Athenians, whose reputation was not sustained by success in this case, τοῖς δέ not being in opp. to αὐτούς, but placing the second clause in contrast with the first. For this, he compares c. 81. 3; 86. 9; iv.73.22; 76. 27. But it is better, with Kr. and Sh., to refer τοῖς δέ to the Lacedaemonians (in opp. to the subj. of ἐδόκουν), “who found out by the length of the siege their own incompetence; for had they had any skill in that way, they would have taken the place by force.” Cf. c. 11. 5. Thus this section gives the reason for the invitation to the Athenians on both sides. For the dat., cf. c. 48. 9; 89. 14; iv.26.24; and for the pl. ἐνδεᾶ, see on c. 7. 2; ii.56.4; iii.88.4; v.8.6. τούτου=τοῦ τειχομαχεῖν.

βίᾳ : with αἱρεῖν, or the pass. ἁλίσκεσθαι in 10, is opp. to ὁμολογίᾳ παραστήσασθαι or προσχωρεῖν (cf. v.17.14), and implies violent capture, whether by storm or otherwise. See on c. 11. 9.

διαφορὰ...φανερὰ ἐγένετο : in contrast with c. 92. 6, ἀδήλως ἤχθοντο. 10. τὸ τολμηρόν : cf. ii.87.22, and see on c. 36. 3.

καὶ ἅμα: see on c. 2. 8, “particularly when they took into consideration that they were of a different stock.” After this, μή τι also depends on δείσαντες.

ἦν παραμείνωσιν : implies that their stay was not long. Cf. Paus. iv.24.6, ὑπὸ τῆς ὑποψίας ἀποπέμψασθαι μετ̓ οὐ πολὺ ἐξ Ἰθώμης.

νεωτερίσωσι : see on c. 58. 3; here, that they might join the insurgents against the Lacedaemonians.

οὐ δηλοῦντες: cf. c. 82. 4; 90. 10.

ἔγνωσαν ἀποπεμπόμενοι: for partic. after verb of knowing, see G. 280; H. 982.—οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ βελτίονι λόγῳ: not on the more creditable ground, just assigned, viz. ὅτι οὐδὲν . . . ἔτι. ἐπί with dat. of the motive of an action. Cf. c. 69. 32; Hdt. viii.5.16.

ὑπόπτου: neut. Cf. c. 90. 10, =ὑποψίας τινός taken in the concrete.

δεινὸν ποιησάμενοι: being provoked; very frequent in Hdt.; e.g. i.13.3; 127. 2; ii.133.4; 161. 15; iii.155.8; iv.33.20; v.33.9; 42. 7; 87. 10. In Thuc. only here and vi.60.21. But in v.42.15, δεινὰ ποιεῖν, as Hdt. ii.121.2; iii.14.22; v.41.9.— οὐκ ἀξιώσαντες: after the analogy of οὐ φάναι, οὐκ ἐᾶν, either in reference to the subj., ‘regarding as unworthy,’ being indignant at: so here and iii.61.12; iv.86.7; or in regard to another, ‘not to expect from one.’ Cf. c. 136. 12; ii.89.2; iii.44.12; iv.40.3; viii.73.20. See on c. 22. 9.

ἐπὶ τῷ Μήδῳ: rare for the acc. So iii. 63. 3. Cf. c. 40. 24.—πρὸς αὐτούς: sc. τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, placed at the end. Cf. iv.107.6; vii.70.11.

ἀμφοτέροις: i.e. the Athenians and the Argives.

κατέστη: sing., construed with the nearer noun. Cf. v.22.14. A further consequence of the displeasure of the Athenians was the banishment of Cimon (Plut. Cim. 17. 5) and the increased influence of Pericles and Ephialtes.