Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

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No one should regard us with disfarour on account of our hegemony. Circumstances compelled us to assume it, and strong measures are necessary to maintain it.

ἆρα: here = ἆρ᾽ οὐ, since an affirmative answer is expected. Cf. Soph. O. C. 753, 780. Kr. Spr. 69, 9; Kühn. 587, 14.

τῆς τότε: belongs also to ξυνέσεως, on which γνώμης depends, in reference to the battle of Salamis, γνώμη being here decision (cf. c. 32. 17; 77. 9; 122. 12), not ‘intelligence.’—ἀρχῆς: depends upon ἐπιφθόνως διακεῖσθαι = φθονεῖσθαι. Kühn. 419, 1 e. This periphrasis means “to be in a position exposed to envy,” like ὑπόπτως διακεῖσθαι, viii.68.8.

μὴ οὕτως ἄγαν: = ἧσσον. The question, as with οὐκ οὖν, implies a forcible assertion: “verily, we do not deserve to be regarded with so much jealousy.”

ἐλάβομεν: not ἐκτησάμεθα. We took it, when you gave it up, tanquam in medio positam.

παραμεῖναι: to continue on the spot. Cf. iii.10.9; vi.61.26; vii.15.9; Xen. An. ii.6.2.—τὰ ὑπόλοιπα: what yet remained, with the implication that it was not much. The reference is to the garrisons still maintained by the Persians on the Hellespont, etc.—τοῦ βαρβάρου: collective, = τῶν βαρβάρων or τῆς δυνάμεως τῶν βαρβάρων. Cf. iii.10.9, πρὸς τὰ ὑπόλοιπα τῶν ἔργων.

προσελθόντων : see on c. 39. 11; 40. 23. For the fact, see c. 95.

προαγαγεῖν κτἑ.: to raise it to its present height. Cf. c. 144. 25; vi.18.32. This growing advance of the Athenian hegemony is sharply op posed to its beginning, as a consequence of the free offer of the allies; and therefore there should be a full stop after καταστῆναι. This progress has its two stages marked by τὸ πρῶτον and καὶ οὐκ ἀσφαλές in 10. The position of things itself (ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἔργου) forced them to advance (ἐξ causal as in c. 2. 17; 72. 11). Three motives are indicated: (1) fear, of untrustworthy allies as well as of rivals; (2) honour, when the offer of the hegemony had once been accepted; (3) selfinterest, since the hegemony furnished the means of aggrandizement. The three gens. are governed by ὑπό. See on c. 6. 20.

καὶ οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς κτἑ.: this is the second point; after the first step had been taken, our own security forbade us to go back.

ἀπηχθημένους...κατεστραμμένων : pf. partics., with the full meaning of “when it had once come to this, that etc.”; whereas the aor. ἀποστάντων, as giving the occasion, is subord. to κατεστραμμένων, to which also καὶ ἤδη belongs: after we had once incurred the hatred of most, and several of our allies who had revolted had been by that time (ἤδη) forcibly reduced.

ὑμῶν τε: see on c. 2. 6.

ὑπόπτων: suspicious, as in iv.103.11; v.25.9. But in c. 131. 12; viii.45.4, ‘suspected.’ —ἀνέντας: here abs., remiss, relaxing our hold. Cf. vi.18.16; 86. 14; and the free use of ἀνειμένος, c. 6. 7; ii.39.8; v.9.19.

καὶ γὰρ ἂν: sc. εἰ ἀνεῖμεν, indic. aor. See on c. 11. 5.

ἐγίγνοντο: see on c. 73. 1.

ἀνεπίφθονον: like the Homeric οὔ τι νεμεσσητόν (T 182), constantly without ἐστί. Cf. c. 82. 8; vi.83.9; viii.50.28. πᾶσιν ἀνεπίφθονον = οὐδενὶ ἐπίφθονον.

τὰ ξυμφέροντα : what is for their interest, here, for guarding against these dangers. With this εὖ τίθεσθαι, to make a good disposition of, is quite proper. See on c. 25. 2. Cf. Hdt. vii.236.17.—τῶν μεγίστων πέρι κινδύνων: when it is a question of the greatest dangers. Thuc. uses πέρι, not περί, (1) with the rel. pron., as c. 95. 10; (2) to emphasize the preceding word, as c. 72. 5; (3) when the clause is abs. or has only a loose connexion with its sentence, as here and c. 10. 25; 23. 12. Herbst, Philol. 16, p. 278. These dangers are sufficiently indicated by κινδυνεύειν, 13, with its parenthetical exposition καὶ γὰρ ἂν κτἑ.