Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3

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28. In Mytilene the democratic party comes into power, whereupon the authorities surrender the city to Paches, on condition that the fate of the Mytileneans should be decided by the Athenians.

ὡς . . . ἀπὸ τῆς Πελοποννήσου: as Salaethus had promised, c. 25. 7. —2.

ἐνεχρόνιζον: only here in Thuc., as ἐνδιατρίβειν, c. 29. 3; v. 12. 6; vii. 81. 20.—3.

ἐπελελοίπει: not entirely, as may be inferred from l. 8 below. —

ξυμβαίνειν πρὸς τοὺς Ἀθηναίους: for the const., see Kühn. 441, iii. 1 b. See on c. 25. 10.

ὁπλίζει: i.e. he gives them full hoplite armour (viii. 25. 4), which hitherto the δυνατοί had reserved to themselves, the lower classes of citizens serving as ψιλοί, with spear or bow, without breastplate and shield.

τῶν ἀρχόντων: = τῶν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι (c. 28. 1).

κατὰ ξυλλόγους γιγνόμενοι: i.e. coming together in secret party meetings. So Xen. Anab. v. 7. 1 καὶ ξύλλογοι ἐγίγνοντο καὶ κύκλοι ξυνίσταντο, and Arr. Anab. v. 25. 2. Cf. κατὰ ξυστάσεις γιγνόμενοι, ii. 21. 15; and see on c. 24. 14. —8.

τὸν σῖτον: the δυνατοί seem to have anticipated the lack of provisions, either by retaining for themselves the corn, which before the revolt had been ordered from the Pontus (cf. c. 2. 7, and see W. Herbst, Der Abfall Mytilenes, p. 11), or, if we suppose, with Steup, that this never arrived, by taking other precautions. —

τοὺς δυνατούς: i.e. the optimates or ὀλίγοι, as i. 24. 13; ii. 65. 8; v. 4. 8; viii. 21. 4.—9.

αὐτοί: for themselves alone, as i. 139. 15; v. 60. 4; vi. 37. 3. Cf. c. 28. 2 εἰ ἀπομονωθήσονται τῆς ξυμβάσεως. αὐτοί belongs with ξυγχωρήσαντες παραδώσειν.—ξυγχωρήσαντες πρὸς Ἀθηναίους: as ii. 59. 6. Cf. c. 28. 3; v. 29. 21; vii. 82. 7. See on l. 3; 25. 10.