Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3

διὰ κατάγνωσιν ἀσθενείας σφῶν: because they imputed weakness to them. κατάγνωσις of unfavourable judgment, as καταγιγνώσκειν (c. 45. 4; vi. 34. 51; vii. 51. 3; Hdt. vi. 97. 7, and freq.)<*>καταφρονεῖν (viii. 8. 19 καταφρονήσαντες τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀδυναμίαν). σφῶν, too, stands under the influence of κατα-, as in c. 45. 4. The Lacedaemonians had adopted the view of Athenian affairs expressed by the Mytileneans c. 13. § 3, 4.— 3.

μὴ κινοῦντες τὸ ἐπὶ Λέσβῳ ναυτικόν: see on c. 13. 18. That here, in spite of the evident reference to c. 13. § 3, 4, Thuc. does not include under μὴ κινοῦντες also the fleet sent around Peloponnesus, is to be explained on the ground that 18 of the 30 ships of Asopius had meanwhile returned (c. 7. § 3). See Steup, Rh. Mus. xxiv. p. 356. As the Mytileneans had said, c. 13. 21 ἢ ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἀμυνοῦνται ἐπιπλέοντας ἢ ἀπ̓ ἀμφοτέρων ἀποχωρήσονται, the words οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἐγνώκασιν were already justified when the Athenians could, without recalling a ship from Lesbos, easily repel the Peloponnesian fleet.—5.

αὐτοί τε . . . καὶ οἱ μέτοικοι: cf. i. 143. 4. Of citizens usually only the θῆτες, who were ψιλοί on land, served in the fleet (vi. 43. 10); in critical times members of the three upper classes, whose regular duty was hoplite service, might be pressed into service in the fleet (viii. 24. 12). See Bauer in Handbuch der klass. Alterthumsw. iv.^{1} p. 282; Schoemann, Gr. Ant. i. p. 448. The use of αὐτοί where the πεντακοσιομέδιμνοι and ἱππεῖς are excepted shows how much more numerous were the two lower classes, ζευγῖται and θῆτες. Regarding the census-classes, see Boeckh P. E.^{3} p. 579 ff.; Hermann Gr. Ant.^{6} i. § 68.— 7.

παρὰ τὸν ἰσθμόν: along the coast of the isthmus. Const. with ἐπίδειξιν ἐποιοῦντο. They proposed by the mere display (ἐπίδειξιν) of a large fleet to show the enemy how hopeless was the execution of their plans. —

ἀναγαγόντες: the unusual act. for ἀναγαγόμενοι occurs also in the comp. ἀντανάγειν, vii. 37. 18; 52. 4; viii. 38. 19; 83. 5. For the intr. use, cf. ἀπολιπεῖν, c. 10. 8. Kühn. 373, 2a. —8.

τῆς Πελοποννήσου: part. gen. depending on ᾗ, as i. 46. 17; ii. 4. 22. —

δοκοίη: for the form here, as in ii. 79. 26; 100. 22; iv. 105. 9, instead of δοκοῖ of the Mss., see St. Qu. Gr.^{2} p. 62. G. 737; H. 374 a.

ὁρῶντες πολὺν τὸν παράλογον: seeing that their miscalculation was great. See on i. 65. 3. παράλογος with πολύς also ii. 61. 14; 85. 6; μέγας, vii. 55. 4; ὅσος, i. 78. 3; τοσοῦτος, vii. 28. 17.—

τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Λεσβίων ῥηθέντα: cf. c. 13. § 3, 4. The form ῥηθῆναι is about as common in Thuc. as λεχθῆναι. Both together in c. 53. 14, 15.—10.

ἄπορα νομίζοντες: regarding it as impracticable. For Thuc.'s freq. use of the neut. pl. of the adj., see on i. 7. 2. Kühn. 366.—11.

οὐ παρῆσαν: cf. c. 15. 10.—12.

καὶ ἠγγέλλοντο καί: the first καί is correl. of καί in l. 11, the second means also. Cf. c. 21. 10; 31. 8. ἠγγέλλοντο in pers. const. with the partic., as in viii. 79. 21. GMT. 904; Kr. Spr. 56, 7, 3; Kühn. 482, 2. With inf., iv. 25. 23; viii. 94. 4. Oftener impers., as c. 110. 1; i. 114. 3; iv. 93. 7; 125. 2; v. 10. 7; vi. 45. 2.—

αἱ περὶ τὴν Πελοπόννησον |

τριάκοντα |

νῆες: the 100 ships just mentioned, not the fleet under Asopius (c. 7. § 1), as clearly proved by Steup (Rh. Mus. xxiv. p. 355 ff.), who rightly strikes out τριάκοντα. See App.—13.

τὴν περιοικίδα αὐτῶν: i.e. the district of the Lacedaemonian Perioeci in Laconia and Messenia.

ὕστερον δὲ . . . ἐπιπλεύσεσθαι: Thuc. mentions here, at the close of his account of the first unsuccessful attempt of the Lacedaemonians to aid the Lesbians, the preparations for the second expedition, made in the following summer (c. 25. § 1; 26. § 1). The regular course of the narrative is resumed at ἀνεχώρησαν δὲ κτἑ., ὕστερον is common where such an anticipation in the narrative occurs. Cf. c. 7. 10; 34. 21; i. 64. 8; 87. 16; ii. 9. 7; 31. 15; 70. 20; 100. 4. —15.

ὅ τι πέμψουσιν: rel. with fut. indic. to express purpose, as in iv. 22. 2; viii. 1. 28. GMT. 565; Kr. Spr. 53, 7, 8; Kühn. 387, 4.—

ἐπήγγελλον: imperabant. Cf. v. 47. 13; vii. 17. 2; viii. 108. 21. So περιήγγελλον, ii. 85. 11; vii. 18. 27. The impfs. παρεσκεύαζον and ἐπήγγελλον indicate gradual accomplishment, the aor. προς<*>ταξαν an ordinance which took effect immediately.—16.

ναύαρχον: the commander of the Lacedaemonian navy was elected for a definite period, prob. a year, and had unlimited power. Cf. Arist. Pol. ii. 6. (9) 22 ἡ ναυαρχία σχεδὸν ἑτέρα βασιλεία καθέστηκε. Cf. ii. 66. 6; 80. 12. —17.

ὃς ἔμελλεν ἐπιπλεύσεσθαι: i.e. to sail on them as commander. Cf. c. 76. 6; ii. 66. 4; iv. 11. 6; viii. 39. 5.

ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐκείνους εἶδον: sc. ἀνακεχωρηκότας. Kr. Spr. 56, 16; Kühn. 599, 2. Cf. i. 78. 10; 80. 2; ii. 11. 34; 86. 14; v. 80. 11; vii. 69. 3.