Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3

κακῶς: referring to οὐδεὶς κόσμος of c. 77. 8.—

κατ̓ ὀλίγας: as described c. 77. § 1.—3.

ἐταλαιπωροῦντο: see on c. 3. 1.—（

τὸ)

καθ̓ αὑτούς: in sua parte, Haase's conjecture (Lucubr. p. 44), adopted by Cl. and St., for the vulg. καθ̓ αὑτούς, suits the context better. Cf. c. 108. 10; i. 62. 24. The vulg. would mean either of themselves, inter se, i.e. without the enemy's help (cf. ii. 88. 4; iv. 71. 5), or alone, per se (cf. c. 39. 14; ii. 99. 6).—4.

τὸ πλῆθος: the superior number, as ii. 89. 5.—

ἁθρόαις: like κατὰ μέσον, referring to the hostile ships, ταῖς ἐφ̓ ἑαυτοὺς τεταγμέναις. Both expressions supplement each other with this sense: The Athenians fear to attack the whole fleet of thirty-three ships in the centre, but throwing themselves with their whole strength upon one wing, κατὰ κέρας, sink one ship; whereupon the Peloponnesians concentrate (κύκλον ταξαμένων) their ships in the same manner as deseribed in ii. 83. § 5, and the Attic ships repeat the movement that was so successful on the former oceasion (περιέπλεον καὶ ἐπειρῶντο θορυβεῖν), but a like result is prevented by timely aid to the Peloponnesians from the other division.—5.

μέσον: the art. omitted as often. H. 661. Cf. i. 62. 14; ii. 81. 11; iv. 31. 8; 96. 10.—

ἐφ̓ ἑαυτούς: Palat. has ἐφ̓ ἑαυτοῖς, which is supported by the const. of c. 13. 18; ii. 70. 8. But for the acc., cf. l. 14; 77. 10.

οἱ πρὸς τοῖς Κερκυραίοις: i.e. οἱ πρὸς τοὺς Κερκυραίους τεταγμένοι τῶν Πελοποννησίων. Cf. c. 77. 10. For the const., cf. c. 77. 6.—9.

ὅπερ ἐν Ναυπάκτῳ: sc. ἐγένετο. Cf. ii. 84.— 10.

ἁθρόαι: i.e. the hitherto separate divisions.

πρύμναν κρουὁμενοι: backing water, i.e. withdrawing without turning the vessel. See on i. 50. 21; vii. 40. 2.—13.

προκαταφυγεῖν ὅτι μάλιστα, ἑαυτῶν σχολῇ kte(.: Cl. wrote, with Vat., προκαταφυγεῖν, ἑαυτῶν ὅτι μάλιστα, remarking that it was unimportant whether or not the Corcyraeans outstripped the enemy as far as possible (ὅτι μάλιστα), if only they gained time to reach their harbour. But there is no need to take ὅτι μάλιστα (cf. i. 44. 13; v. 36. 9) in this sense. On the contrary, the fact that the Corcyraeans lost altogether thirteen ships (c. 79. 6) seems to indicate that ὅτι μάλιστα means as much as possible, i.e. as many ships as possible. St. construes ὅτι μάλιστα with ἐβούλοντο, comparing c. 47. 11; i. 141. 29; ii. 90. 17; iv. 79. 11; v. 36. 8; vi. 9. 11; viii. 91. 15.—14.

ὑποχωρούντων: gen. abs. instead of ὑποχωροῦντες, on account of the parallelism with the following clause. See also on c. 13. 30.—

τεταγμένων: cf. l. 6; 77. 10. Hude's conjecture (p. 110) τετραμμένων is unnecessary.

τοιαύτη γενομένη: tacitly implying the success of the Athenian plan, —not only that they finished their retreat without loss, but also that the Corcyraeans reached the harbour, though with a loss, it is true, of thirteen ships (c. 79. § 2).—

ἐτελεύτα ἐς ἡλίου δύσιν: lasted till sunset. Cf. c. 108. 18; i. 51. 9.