CHAPTER LIX
οὕτε πόλεως—for the gen. Classen compares
Hdt. vii. 101,
σὺ εἶς πόλιος οὔτ᾽ ἐλαχίστης οὔτ᾽ ἀσθενεστάτης. The order of the words in this vigorous sentence gives it a force which it would not have if precise grammatical sequence had been observed.
πόλεως is put early, in contrast with the following
ἐς κοινόν, to show that the speaker is not urging state claims but general interests; while
οὔτε ἐλαχίστης negatives the idea that fear could be his motive in urging peace, inasmuch as he was the representative of a country which had less to dread than others.
τοὺς λόγους ποιήσομαι—the position of these words is in accordance with the manner of Thuc. who commonly separates two parallel expressions, such as
οὔτε ἐλαχίστης ..οὔτε πονουμένης, by an intermediate word or words belonging to both, e.g.
i. 93,
σιδήρῳ πρὸς ἀλλήλους τὰ ἔξωθεν καὶ μολύβδῳ δεδεμένοι.
πονουμένης—so
ii. 51,
τὸν πονούμενον ᾠκτίζοντο, of sufferers from the plague.
ἐς κοινόν—‘for common consideration’ or ‘for the common interest’—cf. ch. 58, 10.
βελτίστην—to be connected with
τῇ Σικελίᾳ. ἀποφαινόμενος—‘declaring’, commonly used with
γνώμην, etc. of setting forth one's own views: so without acc.
Plat. Phaedr. 274 E. etc.
καὶ περὶ μέν—the converse of this
μέν is
δέ in line 13. Though there is no use in enlarging on the evils of war in general, it may be of service to shew the inexpediency of this particular war.
ὡς χαλεπόν—‘what a grievous thing it is’.
πᾶν τὸ ἐνόν—‘all that it involves’, or ‘all that is possible’, sc.
ἐκλέγειν: so
ii. 43.
ὅσα ἔνεστι. in a somewhat similar clause.
ἐκλέγων—‘picking out’, not =
ἐξαγορεύων. Only
ἀντί, πρό, and
ἐπί are compounded with
λέγω in the sense of speaking. Other prepositions are compounded with
ἀγορεύω or (poetically)
αὐδῶ (R. S.).
ἐν εἰδόσι—cf. ch. 17, 12, note.
μακρηγορεῖν—
i. 68:
ii. 36.
ἀναγκάζεται—‘is constrained’:
viii. 41,
ἀναγκάζεται ὑπο τῶν Κνιδίων παραινούντων. αὐτὸ δρᾶν—to engage in war; cf.
αὐτὰ ταῦτα, line 13: ch. 18, 7,
ἐπάθομεν αὐτό.
ξυμβαίνει—‘the fact is’, connected with
τοῖς μὲν... φαίνεσθαι so far as construction goes, but in sense applying no less to the second clause with
οἰ δέ: for constr. cf.
Plat. Rep. 505 C,
συμβαίνει αὐτοῖς ὁμολογεῖν, ‘the result is they admit’, or ‘they find themselves admitting’.
τοῖς μὲν...οἱ δέ—these two clauses apply generally to aggressive and defensive warfare. The definite
τὰ κέρδη, τοὺς κινδύνους refer to
πολεμεῖν, ‘its gains, its dangers’.
ἐθέλουσιν—‘are ready’,=dare:
ii. 71,
ἐθελησάντων ξυνάρασθαι τὸν κίνδυνον. πρὸ τοῦ αὐτίκα—‘rather than suffer their rights to be infringed one jot’: cf. ch. 58, 8:
i. 77,
ἐλασσούμενοι ἐν ταῖς δίκαις.
εἰ μὴ ἐν καιρῷ—ἐν has very slight MSS. authority and is omitted by Arnold. There is however no proof that
καιρῷ by itself can mean ‘in proper time’. Arnold quotes
ii. 40,
πλούτῳ τε ἔργου μᾶλλον καιρῷ χρώμεθα, which as his own note in loc. shews is in no way a case in point; while Krüger points out that
Soph. O. T. 1516,
πάντα γὰρ καιρῷ καλά, means ‘by being seasonable’.
ἐν καιρῷ occurs
v. 61, etc.
τῷν ξυναλλαγῶν—objective gen.:
v. 69,
τὴν παρακέλευσιν τῆς μνήμης.
ὃ καὶ ἡμῖν—ὄ referring to what immediately precedes, is the belief that this is a time for union rather than strife. In constr. it is a cogn. acc. after
πειθομένοις and supplies the subj. to
ἄξιον γένοιτο. As Poppo says, ‘pro
πειθομένοις etiam
πείθεσθαι scribi potuit’, the sense being ‘such a conviction on your part would now be invaluable’.
βουλευόμενοι δή—
δή lays a sarcastic emphasis on
βουλευόμενοι ‘deliberating, forsooth’. There seems therefore no reason for Cobet's suggestion of
βουλόμενοι, with which indeed
δή would have no force. For inf. cf.
vii. 60,
ἐβουλεύσαντο τὰ τείχη ἐκλιπεῖν:
Hdt. vi. 100,
ἐβουλεύοντο ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν.
θέσθαι—with
εὖ: ch. 17, 14. Krüger finds a difficulty in the separation of adverb and verb and proposes to omit
θέσθαι as a gloss, taking
ἴδια as acc. after
βουλευόμενοι, like
vi. 23.
πολλὰ εὖ βουλεύσασθαι. The omission however, besides having no authority, spoils the rhythm of the sentence.
δι᾽ α:ντιλογιῶν—‘we are trying to settle our differences by mutual recriminations’. It seems simplest to understand this clause as ironical, implying that the envoys in their selfish eagerness for advantage are defeating their own objects. Otherwise
ἀντιλογιῶν is simply ‘discussions’.
πειρώμεθα is taken as subj. by Classen.
ἢν ἄρα—‘if after all’; undoubtedly ironical, as such disappointment was inevitable.
προχωρήσῃ—cf. ch. 18, 24, note.
ἴσον—‘his just due’, as opposed to
ἔλασσον or
πλέον:
v. 31,
μὴ ἴσον ἔξειν.
