Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

προϊδόντες: when they saw them from afar. Cf. iii.22.6; iv. 34, 22; vii.25.32; 44. 10; and so πρόοψις, v.8.11.

οὐχ ὅσας: not so few as; explained by ἀλλὰ πλείους.

ἐπέπλεον γὰρ κτἑ.: see on c. 31. 7. The close connexion of the parenthesis with the main sentence is seen in the reference of the dat. τοῖς Κερκυραίοις to the adverbial ἐκ τοῦ ἀφανοῦς. (cf. c. 34. 10; 35. 17; 39. 2), ‘less visibly for them.’ But the dat. may be taken as of the agent interested, with ἑωρῶντο. G. 188, 3; H. 769; Kühn. 423, 25 c. Cf. Plat. Legg. 715 b, λέγεται ἡμῖν; Virg. Aen. i. 440, neque cernitur ulli.

καὶ ἐθαύμαζον: as if οἱ Κερκυραῖοι οὐχ ἑώρων αὐτάς had preceded.

πρίν: until, with indic. Cf. c. 118. 14; 132.28; iii.29.5; 101. 13; 104. 42; v.61.6; vii.39.5; 71. 26; viii.105.9. In all these instances the principal clause is actually or virtually negative; as here, “they could not make out what they were about, till—.” See Gildersleeve, Am. J. of Ph. II. 469.—ὅτι νῆες ἐκεῖναι ἐπιπλέουσι: almost a direct exclamation: “yonder are ships sailing up.” Cf. c. 27. 2.

καὶ αὐτοί: as well as the Corinthians, c. 50. 21.

καὶ οἱ Κορίνθιοι κτἑ.: continues the narrative from c. 50. 21. ἀποτρα- πόμενοι, opp. to πρύμναν ἐκρούοντο, implies the actual turning of the ships, and τὴν διάλυσιν ἐποιήσαντο (see on c. 50. 8) the breaking up of regular order, in order to reach the harbour, where they are found, c. 52. 3.

ἡ ἀπαλλαγὴ ἐγένετο: periphrasis of ἀπηλλάγησαν, “they separated.”— 9. ἐτελεύτα ἐς νύκτα: lasted till night, continued to night, and then ended. Cf. iii.78.15; 108. 18; μέχρι τοῦδε ὡρίσθω, c. 71. 15; ἐς τὸ . . . ἔχον ὁρίζοντες, iii.82.62.

τοῖς δὲ Κερκυραίοις κτἑ.: the dat. depends on προσκομισθεῖσαι, having made their way to join. Cl. interprets στρατοπεδευομένοις as if it were pf. partic., and then finds it necessary to assume a change of subj. (as in iii.5.17) in 16, supplying αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν νῆες for ὡρμίσαντο. This seems unnecessary. The impf. partic. στρατοπεδευομένοις implies that at that time the Corcyraeans were engaged in the process of taking their station at their encampment. It must be assumed that, while the character of the strange ships was doubtful, the operation of bringing the ships to their station was suspended, since it might prove necessary to resist an attack. When, however, the Corcyraeans had ascertained the nationality of the new-comers, they then brought their ships to a stand, ὡρμίσαντο. See Müller-Strübing, Jahrb. 127, 589. In αἱ εἴκοσι νῆες ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν note the absence of the art. before ἀπό. Cf. vi.55.5; vii.41.6.

Ἀνδοκίδης: this cannot be the orator, who was born about B.C. 440. It might possibly have been his grandfather of the same name. See App.