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The commanders of the Athenians, deceived into remaining during the coming night, spend also the following day in preparations for the departure. The Syracusans, however, make use of the time to shut off the roads, and to place guards at the crossings of the rivers. At the same time they draw from the shore and bring to their harbour the ships which had been abandoned and left unburnt by the Athenians. 1. πρὸς τὸ ἄγγελμα: in view of the message. πρός as in iii.43.12; iv.126.4.—ἐπέσχον: with acc. of time, as in i.137.32; iv.31.1, etc. οὐκ: belongs to ἀπάτην only, opp. to an implied contrast, ἀλλ̓ ἀλήθειαν. καὶ ὥς : even thus, i.e. after the fatal delay of the first night. Bm. explains, “even thus, notwithstanding the necessity for immediate departure.” ξυσκευάσαιντο: convasare, in Thuc. only here.—ὡς ἐκ τῶν δυνατῶν: nearly equiv. to ὡς ἐκ τῶν παρόντων (vi.70.18), as well as they could. On ὡς with such phrases, see Kr. Spr. 69, 63, 4. ὅτι χρησιμώτατα: has the emphasis of the sent., “in the most convenient form” (Jow.). ἀναλαβόντας: (Vat.) preferable to the nom. of the vulgate, ἀναλαβόντες, as it removes the anacoluthon. Cf. i.31.10; 53. 1; 72. 5, where after ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς a pred. acc. with inf. follows. But in iii.36.8 we have the nom. as in the vulgate.—αὐτὰ ὅσα: only that which. Kr. Spr. 51, 5, 5.—περὶ τὸ σῶμα ἐς δίαιταν: for support of life. 10. ἀπεφράγνυσαν: the unusual form φραγνύναι, for φράσσειν, found also in Soph. Ant. 241. ἐς ὑποδοχήν: unusual in hostile sense; for its use in a friendly sense, see on i.139.11. τὰς ναῦς τῶν Ἀθηναίων: which, acc. to c. 71. 31, had been run ashore. ἐνέπρησαν...Ἀθηναῖοι : a parenthetical clause stating what had already been done by the Athenians. The aor. has the force of the plpf. between the impfs. ἀφεῖλκον, ἐκόμιζον, which indicate the continued activity of the Syracusans. ὥσπερ διενοήθησαν refers to c. 60. 15. ὡς ἑκάστην ποι ἐκπεπτωκυῖαν: “as they severally had run aground anywhere.” The clause is really elliptical, the leading verb being understood. See on i.3.19.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 7. Charles F. Smith. 1886. Boston. Ginn and Company.
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