E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1

4. πρῶτον—answered by ἔπειτα δέ.

5. ξύμφορα—internal accus.=ξύμφορον δέησιν.

7. βέβαιον—(cf. c. 2) pred., ‘unfailing.’

εἰ ... καταστήσουσι—if they do not propose to ... .

[2] 9. μετά—while or ‘besides,’ a characteristic substitute for μετὰ τοῦ τὴν ξυμμαχίαν αἰτεῖν.

[3] 12. τετύχηκε δὲ κτλ —lit. it has turned out that the same conduct not only involves us in inconsistency in our dealing with you, as regards the request we make, but is also disadvantageous (to us) in respect of our own position at the present time; i.e. beeause we have hitherto abstained from entering your alliance it is inconsistent to be seeking it now, and for the same reason we are now in danger. To ἄλογον and ἀξύμφορον supply ὄν, which is often omitted with τυγχάνω, φαίνομαι, διατελῶ, and occasionally with other verbs; cf. c. 34 end.

[4] 16. ἑκούσιοι — ‘having deliberately avoided all alliances’ (not ‘having entered into no alliance, if we could help it’). The strained position of ἑκούσιοι, and other words, throws special emphasis on the different parts of the clause. This statement is referred to by the Corinthian at c. 37. 2 ξιμμαχίαν οὐδενός πω δέξασθαι.

18. Κορινθίων—with πόλεμον ; cf. θεῶν πόλεμος, θεῶν ὅρκος, oath by the gods.

δι᾽ αὐτό—on that account, a favourite use of αὐτό and αὐτά with Thuc.

19. περιέστηκεν ... φαινομένη—what formerly seemed discretion in us ... has now on the eontrary proved clearly to be want of foresight and weakness. The partic. with περιεστάναι as in the eonstruction τυγχάνει οὖσα. But cf. c. 120. 5.

20. τῇ ... γνώμῃ—with ξυγ., to share the risks of another's policy.

22. τὴν ... ναυμαχίαν—internal accus.

[5] 23. κατὰ μόνας—perhaps δυνάμεις is the subst, omitted in this phrase=‘unaided.’

28. μέγας—sc. ἔσται ἡμῖν.

1. μὴ μετὰ κακίας κτλ.—not maliciously, but because we were mistaken in our policy, we boldly act in a manner inconsistent with our former inactivity. There is nothing mean in seeking an alliance now for the first time when we are in danger: we were mistaken in not seeking it before.

4. ἡ ξυντυχία ... τῆς ἡ. χρείας—lit. the coincidence of our request, i.e. ‘our request, coming at such a moment.’

10. ὡς ἂν μάλιστα ... μαρτυρίου—se. καταθεῖσθε, lit. as you would most with a record never forgotten, i.e. ‘in the manner most certain to be remembered for ever by us.’