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Nicias is overtaken by the Syracusans; and learning the fate of Demosthenes, he offers a large indemnity in money with the hope of getting more favourable conditions. But the proposal is rejected, and a last attempt to steal away during the night fails, only 300 succeeding in breaking through the guards. 1. τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ: the seventh day.— 4. σπένδεται...πέμψαι : rare const. Cf. iii.109.12, σπένδονται . . . ἀποχωρεῖν. The verb has generally the acc., ii.73.5; iii.24.18; 109. 10; 114. 11. οἰχόμενος: indicates the immediate departure of the messenger. See on c. 7. 6. ἀπήγγειλε παραδεδωκότας: sc. τοὺς μετὰ Δημοσθένους σφᾶς αὐτούς. ὑπὲρ Ἀθηναίων: i.e. in the name of the people of Athens. ὥστε: on condition that. See on c. 82. 8.— 9. μέχρι δ᾽ οὗ ἄν: Vat. for μέχρι οὗ δ᾽ ἄν of the rest of the Mss. The closer connexion of the rel. pron. with ἄν is more forcible. ἕνα κατὰ τάλαντον: “because about a talent was the ransom of a free man.” (Kr.) περιστάντες ἔβαλλον καὶ τούτους: referring to c. 81. 24, ἐβάλλοντο περισταδόν (of the soldiers of Demosthenes). 13. μέχρι ὀψέ: for connexion of prep. with adv., see Kühn. 446, b; Kr. Spr. 66, 1, 4. 13. πονήρως: for accent and meaning, see App. on c. 48. 2. Cf. Xen. Cyr. vii.5.75, πονήρως . . . ἔχει.— 14. σίτου τε καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων: the part co-ord. with the whole. Kr. Spr. 69, 32, 2. See on c. 62. 6. τῆς νυκτὸς τὸ ἡσυχάζον: Schol. καθ᾽ ὂ μάλιστα τῆς νυκτὸς ἴμελλον οἱ πολέμιοι ἡσυχάζειν. Cf. Liv. xxv. 9, nox concubia; Tac. Ann. i. 39. The use of the neut. sing. of the pres. partic. as an abstract noun is esp. freq. in Thuc. GMT. 108, 2, N. 4; Kr. Spr. 43, 4, 28. καὶ οἱ Συρακόσιοι...ἐπαιάνισαν : see on c. 44. 32. καί is not strictly co-ord. with the preceding τε, but introduces the main clause vividly in paratactic const. “as soon as the Athenians take up their arms, the Syracusans observe it and raise the battle-cry.” Kühn. 518, 8.— 17. γνόντες δέ: after the irregularity just mentioned, the sent. is continued not by καί, but by the stronger δέ (see on c. 81. 12); though both principal verbs, ἀναλαμβάνουσι and κατέθεντο, are so closely connected that one obj. (ὅπλα) suffices for both. διὰ τῶν φυλάκων βιασάμενοι: see on c. 79. 2. The fate of these 300 is related in c. 85. 11.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 7. Charles F. Smith. 1886. Boston. Ginn and Company.
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