CHAPTER XXXIX
χρόνος δὲ ὁ ξύμπας—the same order is found
i. 1,
κίνησις γὰρ αὕτη μεγίστῃ ἐγένετο, the substantive being put first in such instances in order to shew at once what the sentence is about.
ἐγένετο—‘amounted to’: see note on 9, 12.
ἀπῆσαν—‘were away’ a correction of Cobet's for
ἀπῄεσαν ‘went away’, the proper form of writing which is
ἀπῇσαν (Nov. Lect. p. 346): the same correction is made ch. 42, 20.
τοῖς ἐσπλέουσι—neuter, ‘by the provisions thrown in’; ch. 27, 3,
σῖτος ἐσπλεῖ. The Athenians had a blockading squadron at Salamis,
ii. 93,
τοῦ μὴ ἐσπλεῖν Μεγαρεῦσι μηδ᾽ ἐκπλεῖν μηδέν, ‘to prevent imports or exports’.
ἐγκατελήφθη—i.e. were found in the island on its capture: note on ch. 8, 49.
ἢ πρὸς τὴν ἐξουσίαν—‘than he might have done’; lit. ‘than (was possible) looking at, having regard to, his ability’.
μανιώδης—this refers to the mad and reckless manner in which Cleon asserted that he would perform a dangerous military enterprise in a given time. There was nothing insane in the attempt itself. Plutarch (Nic. ch. 7) says that the Athenians were wont to indulge Cleon's
κουφότης and
μανία. He shewed no
μανία in carrying out his undertaking, but succeeded (ib. ch. 8)
τύχῃ χρησάμενος ἀγαθῇ καὶ στρατηγήσας ἄριστα μετὰ Δημοσθένους.
ἀπέβη—‘was fulfilled, came off’:
iii. 26,
οὐδὲν ἀπέβαινεν αὐτοῖς ὢν προσεδέχοντο, ‘none of their expectations were realized’:
iii. 93,
παρὰ δόξαν αὐτοῖς ἀπέβη: ch. 104, 11,
οὐδὲν ἀπέβαινεν. ἀπό thus used in composition signifies a result corresponding to what goes before; thus
ἀποδίδωμι often = to give in the proper quarter, e.g. to deliver a letter, to pay due honour, etc.
ὑπέστη—‘undertook’; the lit. meaning of
ὑφίσταμαι in this sense being to place oneself under an engagement:
viii. 29,
ὤσπερ ὑπέστη:
Hom. Il. iv. 267,
ὡς ὑπέστην: also with inf. and with acc.
