Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

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Deliberate well, therefore, before you engage in war at the instigation of others. We are still ready for a friendly arrangement, but shall know how to repel any attack.

ὡς οὐ περὶ βραχέων: for ὡς περὶ οὐ βραχέων, from the reluctance to separate the prep. from its case. So ὡς ἐς ἐλάχιστον, in c. 63. 5; ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, c. 82. 20. See on c. 35. 10. The litotes also is thus enhanced. See on c. 5. 5. οὐ here, as applying to a single word, even after the imv. Cf. c. 82. 18; 140. 9; 141. 27. Kr. Spr. 67, 9, 2; Kühn. 513, 4.

προσθῆσθε: burden yourselves with. Cf. c. 144. 3; ii.37.13; iv.98.16.

τὸν παράλογον κτἑ.: see on c. 72. 8. On the subst., miscalculation, mistake in judgment, see on c. 65. 3; “how greatly one can deceive one's self.”— 4. προδιάγνωτε: occurs again in v.38.19; probably also c. 91. 20; elsewhere only in later writers.

φιλεῖ: is wont; in Thuc. in this sense only. Cf. c. 141. 28; ii.62.22; iii.42.5; 81. 23; iv.28.12; 125. 7; v.70.6; vi.63.10; vii.79.10; 80. 12; viii.1.30. So also Hdt. exceptin v.5.5. Cf. Lat. amare, Hor. Car. iii.16.10, etc.—τύχας: chances, which do not depend on human operation.—τὰ πολλά: adv. See on c. 13. 3.—περιίστασθαι: see on c. 76. 21.—ὧν...κινδυνεύεται : ὧν rel. to τύχας. Though only the first clause depends grammatically on ὧν, the second also stands in a like relation to the antecedent sentence. See on c. 68. 15. ἀπέχομεν, sc. ἑκάτεροι. ἔσται = γενήσεται, without definite subj., “how things will turn out, whether well or ill”; and this clause is subj. of ἐν ἀδήλῳ κινδυνεύεται, which phrase is itself a combination of ἐν ἀδήλῳ ἐστί and κινδυνεύεται (see on c. 46. 1). Cf. ii.35.7.

ἰόντες τε κτἑ.: “so it comes to pass that if men embark in war.” ἰέναι is freq. in this connexion: c. 40. 6; 41. 12; 58. 9; 71. 12; 82. 14; 143. 15; v.65.30; vi.63.3.

ἔχονται: cf. c. 49. 30; Hdt. iii.72.28.—ὅ: appears necessary in place of ἅ of the Mss., since ἅ would suggest a false reference to ἔργων, and δρᾶν would lose its characteristic meaning (see on c. 5. 12). The sing. is required by the manifest reference to the whole τῶν ἔργων ἔχεσθαι (c. 49. 30). Stahl, Jahrb. 1863, p. 411, thinks differently, but Cobet reads ὅ. See App. on c. 70. 7.

ἤδη: belongs to κακοπαθοῦντες.

οὔτ᾽ αὐτοί: the marked opposition requires the combination οὔτε— οὔτε; otherwise οὔθ᾽ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶντες would have been joined directly to ὄντες. After ὁρῶντες supply ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ ὄντας. Cf. c. 80. 2; v.80.11.—λέγομεν: = κελεύομεν. Cf. c. 131. 10; ii.5.21; 6. 7; 71. 23; iii.3.16.

σπονδάς: without art. Cf. c. 53. 4; 67. 5; 71. 22. Sh. renders “not to be covenantbreakers.” So the art. is omitted with other nouns which with verbs make established formulae; e.g. γνώμην ποιεῖσθαι, ‘propose,’ c. 128, 27; γνώμην ἔχειν, ‘intend,’ ii.86.17; δίαιταν ἔχειν, ‘live,’ c. 135. 8; ταφὰς ποιεῖσθαι, ‘bury,’ ii.34.2.—τὰ διάφορα: cf. c. 56. 2; 67. 14.

λύεσθαι: = διαλύεσθαι, the mid. of reciprocal action. Cf. c. 140. 17; 145. 6; v.80.2.—κατὰ τὴν ξυνθήκην: see c. 140. 14; vii.18.14. —εἰ δὲ μή: so the best Mss. for ἤ of the others. Both expressions are nearly alike in meaning and use (cf. Soph. Phil. 1341; Lys. XXV 14; Dem. 11. 8), but the fuller form seems better suited to the close of the speech. —θεοὺς τοὺς ὁρκίους: see on c. 1. 6.

ἄρχοντας: ὑμᾶς seems here purposely avoided, to maintain as long as possible the attitude of generality. Only in ὑφηγῆσθε the present case is referred to.