Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7

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Encompassed by the greatest danger, the Athenians determine, if possible, to cut their way through with their ships; they abandon all the fortifications except a walled space near the ships for the sick and for the baggage of the army, and put all the available troops on board.

2. ὁρῶσι: pres., as the work was still going on.—αἰσθομένοις: aor., since they had received information.

βουλευτέα: from βουλεύεσθαι. With regard to the pl. form of the verbal, common in Thuc., see on i.7.2.

καὶ οἱ ταξίαρχοι: Schol. νῦν διὰ τὸ ἄπορον καὶ τοὺς ταξιάρχους (see on iv.4.2) οἱ στρατηγοὶ συνήγαγον, καθ᾽ αὑτοὺς πρότερον βουλευόμενοι. Cf. c. 48. § 1; 50. § 3.

πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ἀπορίαν: to be connected with ἐβουλεύσαντο in 8. Cf. c. 47. 2.—τῶν τε ἄλλων: as if καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων followed.

καὶ ὅτι κτἑ.: for change of const., see Kr. Spr. 59, 2, 4.

ἀπεῖπον μὴ ἐπάγειν: they had directed them not to bring any more provisions. ἐπάγειν, bring (of the Catanaeans); ἐπάγεσθαι (vi.99.21), fetch (of the Athenians themselves). This had been done when their departure (ὡς ἐκπλευσόμενοι, cf. c. 50. § 3, 4) had been determined on before the eclipse of the moon.

τὰ τείχη τὰ ἄνω: the part of the lower wall (c. 2. 17 ff.) that was furthest from the coast. Grote understands it of points on Epipolae still in possession of the Athenians; but hardly rightly. If any part of Epipolae was still occupied by the Athenians, it is strange that no mention was made of it at the time of the night attack, c. 42. § 4 ff.—πρὸς αὐταῖς ταῖς ναυσίν: “as near as possible to their ships.”

ἀπολαβόντες διατειχίσματι: so with Vat. for διατείχισμά τι of the rest of the Mss.; for it seems clearly meant that they cut off by a crosswall a space between the double wall of the smallest extent that would suffice for the reception of the baggage, the sick, and the garrison necessary for the protection of these. διατείχισμα also in iii.34.9.

ἀσθενοῦσιν: the reading of Vat., the rest ἀσθενέσι, which, acc. to c. 75. 12, is perhaps admissible. But the older and better writers, acc. to Bl., use always the partic. for the sick, and in c. 75. 12 ἀσθενέσι means rather the weak than simply the sick.

ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄλλου πεζοῦ: from the rest of the infantry, i.e. those not required to guard the camp.

ἁπάσας: the reading of Vat. for πάσας of the other Mss., esp. appropriate before καὶ δυναταὶ καὶ ἀπλοώτεραι, i.e. the whole number, whether they were in good condition or even somewhat unseaworthy. —ὅσαι ἦσαν: for the impf. indic. in stead of opt. in dependent clause, see GMT. 77, 1, N. 2; Kühn. 595, 3.— δυναταί: really personal, and used only here of ships (just as πονεῖν is used of them in c. 38. 11; vi.104.20). —ἀπλοώτεραι: see on c. 34. 20.— 13. πάντα τινά: as comprehensive as possible. Kr. Spr. 51, 16, 11. Cf. c. 70. 21; 84. 10.

ᾗ ἂν...μέλλωσιν : by whatever way they were likely quickest.

ἀντιλήψεσθαι: reach, as in c. 77. 29.—ὡς ἔδοξεν...καὶ ἐποίησαν : of the immediate execution of the plan agreed on. See on ii.93.17.

20. καὶ ὁπωσοῦν: found also in i.77.9; viii.91.21. It is to be connected with ἐπιτήδειος.

ἡλικίας μετέχων : “as being not yet too old,” i.e. for such service. ἡλικία is used not in a military, but general sense, which the Schol. indicates by νεότητος. Cf. ii.44.20, ἐν τῷ ἀχρείῳ τῆς ἡλικίας, and vi.24.11. (St. strikes out the words, following Philippi, Jahrbb. 1881, p. 99.)

21. καί: and so, as in i.67.12; vi.73.1.—αἱ πᾶσαι: in all. See on c. 1. 31.—δέκα μάλιστα καὶ ἑκατόν: Diod. xiii. 14 gives 115 triremes; Plut., as Thuc., 110, adding: αἱ γὰρ ἄλλαι ταρσῶν ἐνδεεῖς ἦσαν. That the original number, namely, 134 triremes first sent out (vi.43.3) and 73 afterwards (vii.42.3), i.e. 207 altogether, had been greatly reduced, is a matter of course after the conflicts of the whole year, but the loss cannot be accurately estimated.

ἐπ᾽ αὐτάς: for which Kr. proposed ἐς αὐτάς, is appropriate for those lightarmed troops whose duty was constant watching and fighting with light arms on the deck.

ἐξ ἀναγκαίου: adv., in such desperate circumstances, which made the unusual equipment necessary. The ἐκ with the neut. of the adj. as in ἐξ ἴσου, i.120.4; ἐκ τοῦ ἀκινδύνου, iii.40.23; ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς, vi.73.7. τε, καί forbids connecting ἀναγκαίου with διανοίας. If so connected, τοιαύτης would have to be taken in a materially different sense from ἀναγκαίου. Besides, τοιαύτης διανοίας cannot attain its full effect except by being construed separately. The sense is then, “in so critical a situation and in consequence of such a (desperate) resolution.”

26. ὁρῶν τοὺς στρατιώτας: on the reading, see App.

πολὺ ταῖς ναυσὶ κρατηθῆναι: in the battle deseribed in c. 52, 53.