Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 6

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After the vehement speech of Athenagoras one of the strategi forbids further speeches, but calls upon all, in view of the reports, to be ready to repel the enemy, and promises for the government watchfulness and energy.

τοιαῦτα μέν: see on 19. 1.—τῶν στρατηγῶν: fifteen, acc. to 72. 12, constituting the highest executive authority.

ἀναστάς: rising to speak, as ἀνιστάμενοι 8. 76. 9. Generally Thuc. uses παριέναι, come forward.

πρὸς τὰ παρόντα: with reference to present circumstances, as 46. 27. See on 2. 22. 1.

διαβολάς: personal imputations, such as Athenagoras had indulged in against the oligarchs.

τινάς: the orators as contrasted with τοὺς ἀκούοντας, the assembly as a whole.—ἐς ἀλλήλους: against one another, as ἐς τοὺς ἄλλους 1. 68. 2. See on 4. 28. 2.

πρὸς τὰ ἐσαγγελλόμενα: in view of the reports that are coming in (pres.).—ὁρᾶν ὅπως: with fut. indic., as 3. 46. 16; 5. 27. 9. GMT. 339. For ὅτῳ τρόπῳ with fut., cf. 33. 12, and see on 1. 107. 18.—εἷς τε ἕκαστος καὶ ἡ ξύμπασα πόλις: appos. to implied ἡμεῖς.

καλῶς τοὺς ἐπιόντας...ἀμύνεσθαι : cf. κάλλιστα ἀμυνεῖσθε αὐτούς 33. 12.

ἢν ἄρα: if indeed, as 3. 56. 15, 67. 4, indicating a doubt, as the speaker, in contrast with Athenagoras, considers the approach of the Athenians probable.—δεήσῃ: sc. ἀμύνεσθαι.

οὐδεμία βλάβη τοῦ τε τὸ κοινὸν κοσμηθῆναι κτἑ.: Cl. marks off τὴν δ᾽ ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ ἐξέτασιν αὐτῶν ἡμεῖς ἕξομεν as a parenthetical explanation introduced by epexegetical δέ, thus making καὶ τῶν . . . διαπομπῶν correl. to τοῦ τε τὸ κοινὸν κοσμηθῆναι and dependent on οὐδεμία βλάβη. In agreement with Hermocrates (34. 1 τά τε αὐτοῦ παρασκευαζώμεθα καὶ ἐς τοὺς Σικελοὺς πέμποντες κτἑ.) the strategus here refers to the most important means of defense, equipment at home and securing of assistance from outside, and rightly declares that neither will do harm if there shall be no need to defend themselves. ἐξέτασις, the regular expression for military reviews (cf. 45. 7, 96. 16, 97. 11; 4. 74. 11), suits τῶν διαπομπῶν ill; whereas the appendix ἅμα ἔς τε κατασκοπὴν . . . ἐπιτήδειον has its proper effect only as based on the assumption ἢν μηδὲν δεήσῃ. Cl.'s view and arrangement have met with general adoption. But see App.— 8. καὶ ἵπποις καὶ ὅπλοις: connected as in 1. 80. 12; 2. 100. 7.

οἷς ὁ πόλεμος ἀγάλλεται: οἷς χαίρει ὁ πόλεμος, ὧν χρῄζει, Schol. War is personified here, as in 34. 13; 1. 122. 4; 2. 36. 13; 3. 82. 18; 4. 18. 13.

ἡμεῖς: of the strategi, ὑμᾶς (13) of the popular assembly.—τῶν...διαπομπῶν : as Hermocrates had recommended 34. § 1. The word is found elsewhere only in App. Bell. Civ. 5. 71.

ἔς τε κατασκοπήν: with a view to finding out, i.e. “their readiness for war” (Cl.), or “their state of mind in the present condition of things” (St.), or “about the coming and the designs of the enemy” (Valla, etc.).—καὶ ἤν τι ἄλλο φαίνηται ἐπιτήδειον: i.e. about the prospect of help or the seeking of future alliances.

τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιμεμελήμεθα: and this care we have in part already taken. τὰ δέ cogn. acc. with ἐπιμεμελήμεθα, which refers to ἐπιμέλειαν.

καὶ ὅ τι ἂν αἰσθώμεθα : and whatever we find out, referring to κατασκοπήν.

ἐς ὑμᾶς οἴσομεν : we will bring before you, i.e. for action by decree or otherwise. Schol. μηνύσομεν ὑμῖν. So φέρειν, nuntiare, referre, Dem. 6. 28 τοὺς ἐνεγκόντας τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, and freq. in the tragic poets (Aesch. Sept. 40, Eur. Phoen. 1072). Hence neither ἀνοίσομεν (the usual word), which Kr. conjectures, nor ἐσοίσομεν (v. H.) is necessary here.

τοσαῦτα: used esp. of short speeches. See on 35. 1; 2. 12. 1.

διελύθησαν ἐκ τοῦ ξυλλόγου: as Hdt. 3. 73. 11, and διελύθησαν ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου Hdt. 8. 56. 8. Cf. διελύθησαν ἐκ τῶν λόγων 5. 113. 2.