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The Syracusans bring into the city all captives that fall into their hands, together with the booty taken from them, and place them in the neighbouring stone-quarries. But Nicias and Demosthenes are immediately executed, against the wish of Gylippus, who would have liked to carry them captive to Sparta. 3. ἀναλαβόντες: see on c. 33. 23. Elsewhere used of levying troops or calling them to arms (c. 1. 27; 4. 7; 43. 18); here, of the captives and the booty which were brought along with them in triumphal procession. 5. ἐς τὰς λιθοτομίας: cf. Cic. in Verr. H. v. 27, latomias Syracusanas omnes audistis: plerique nostis. Opus est ingens, magnificum, regum et tyrannorum: totum est ex saxo in mirandam altitudinem depresso et multorum operis penitus exciso: nihil tam clausum ad exitum, nihil tam saeptum undique, nihil tam tutum ad custodiam nec fieri nec cogitari potest. In has latomias, si qui publice cus todiendi sunt, etiam ex caeteris oppidis Siciliae deduci imperantur. For their situation on the southern slope of the plateau of Achradina, and for their present condition, see Holm, I. p. 127, and Karlsr. Vortr. (fin.).—ἀσφαλεστάτην εἶναι νομίσαντες τήρησιν: sc. τὸ καταβιβάσαι αὐτοὺς ἐς τὰς λιθοτομίας. For const., see App. to c. 42. 33. καλὸν τὸ ἀγώνισμα: cf. c. 56. 9; 59. 2. ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις: from τὰ ἄλλα, besides his other (successes). ἐπὶ with the dat. as in c. 75. 30. 9. ξυνέβαινε: it happened. Cf. c. 75. 7; v.10.33.—Δημοσθένην: the name added in explanation, as in c. 57. 28. Kühn. 527, 3, note 3; Kr. Spr. 50, 1, 11. τὰ ἐν τῇ νήσῳ καὶ Πύλῳ: cf. iv. 3 ff. τοὺς...ἄνδρας : subj. of ἀφεθῆναι. πείσας τοὺς Ἀθηναίους : cf. v. 16 ff. ὥστε ἀφεθῆναι: dependent on προυθυμήθη. GMT. 98, N. 2. Jow. puts a comma before πείσας and after Ἀθηναίους, making ποιήσασθαι depend on προυθυμήθη, ὥστε ἀφεθῆναι denoting the result. 16. διὰ τοῦτο πιστεύσας: cf. c. 85. 4. All Mss. except Vat. omit the indispensable διὰ τοῦτο. ὡς ἐλέγετο : with reference to the different reports current about it in Syracuse, concerning which Thuc. had informed himself. ὅτι...ἐκεκοινολόγηντο : cf. c. 48. 13; 73. 27.— βασανιζόμενος: of examination by torture also in viii.92.10; with acc. of the thing, vi.53.12. καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα οἱ Κορίνθιοι: from this it would appear that τῶν Συρακοσίων above is meant to include also the allies.—δή: in partic. subord. clause; as in c. 18. 5; 81. 10. πλούσιος ἦν: he was worth 100 talents, acc. to Lys. XIX 47.—σφίσι: with reference to the whole Syracusan alliance, not the Corinthians alone. νεώτερόν τι: “some further mischief.” Cf. iv.55.7; viii.92.14.—ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ: see on c. 70. 16. 23. ὅτι ἐγγύτατα: used as adj. with αἰτίᾳ as in c. 81. 25, ξυσταδόν with μάχαις. ἥκιστα...ἐπιτήδευσιν : in this closing remark about Nicias, the historian expresses unmistakably both his warm sympathy for him in his untoward fate and his high personal esteem. It is, it is true, not admiration of the intellectual greatness and far-reaching activity of the man, as in the case of Pericles, ii. 65, but rather respect for honest effort always made cautiously, but with a consciousness of noble purposes.— 26. διὰ τὴν πᾶσαν...ἐπιτήδευσιν : = διὰ τὴν ἐπιτήδευσιν ἢ πᾶσα ἐς ἀρετὴν ἐνενόμιστο, “on account of his course of life which had been wholly directed toward what was worthy.” See App.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 7. Charles F. Smith. 1886. Boston. Ginn and Company.
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