Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7

1. τοὺς δὲ Ἀθηναίους ὑμῶν: whoever of you are Athenians; the const. as in iv.126.14; vi.61.15. Cl. changes τε of the Mss. to δέ on account of the evident reference to c. 63. 12, but the change seems quite unnecessary.—πάλιν αὖ: see on c. 46. 2.—καὶ τάδε: the acc. neut. of the pron. with ὑπομιμνήσκειν as vi.68.14, τοὐναντίον ὑπομιμνήσκω ὑμᾶς. Substs. stand in the gen. as in c. 69. 14. Kühn. 411, 6.

ἡλικίαν: in personal sense, iuventutem, as in iii.67.11.

τι ἄλλο ἢ τὸ κρατεῖν: Schol. εὐφημότατα ᾐνίξατο τὴν ἧτταν.

ἐπ̓ ἐκεῖνα, ἐκεῖ : refer to Athens. Cf. vi.77.4, τῶν τ᾽ ἐκεῖ Ἑλλήνων. On the other hand, τοὺς αὐτοῦ refers to the enemies of Athens in Hellas, and τοὺς ἐπελθόντας to those who will have been added from Sicily.

καί: and so. See on c. 60. 21.—οἱ μέν...οἱ δέ : this division covers the whole military strength of Athens, οἱ μὲν the army before Syracuse, οἱ δ᾽ ἐκεῖ those at home. Hence ἂν ὑπὸ Συρακοσίοις εὐθὺς γίγνοισθε points to impending captivity, ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίοις to the fall of Athens itself.

οἷς...ἐπήλθετε : and you yourselves know with what intentions you came against them. Cf. vi. 31. § 6, and esp. (the hopes of Alcibiades) vi. 15. § 2.

10. ὑπὲρ ἀμφοτέρων: sc. τῶν τ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ. ἀμφοτέρων not ἑκατέρων, because the two interests are identical. ἀμφοτέρων could be, as Kr. explains, neut., both things, your freedom and the independence of Athens, i.e. the idea of the preceding clauses.

καθ᾽ ἑκάστους: severally. For this formula, in the place of the nom., see Kr. Spr. 60, 8, 4.

οἱ ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ὑμῶν νῦν ἐσόμενοι: Nicias speaks immediately before the embarkation of the troops: the sick and invalids and the garrison of the διατείχισμα (c. 60. 9), who will remain behind, are also present; therefore the part. gen. ὑμῶν, as in 1, above. See App.

περὶ ὧν: the rel. is neut., referring to the four preceding substs., and is to be connected with ἀποδειξάμενος, with which supply as obj. τοῦτο from εἴ τι προφέρει. “And if any one should display whatever superiority he has over others, either in skill or courage, in behalf of these things (περὶ ὧν), he could at no other time contribute more to his own advantage and to the safety of all.”— εἴ τίς τι...προφέρει κτἑ.: cf. i.123.6.