Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.35

ἄρχεται —not historic, but primary and connected with γέγραπται below. Thuc. means to say ‘what preceded ( i.e. book I.) was an introduction: now begins (my account of) the war itself.’ Cf. ἀρξάμενος, I. 1, 1: Diod. XII. 37 τὴν ἱστορίαν ἐντεῦθεν ἀρξάμενος. Ullrich first rightly explained this passage.

ὁ πόλεμος — i.e. the Archidamian War, 431-421; not the whole war to 404.

ἐνθένδε ἤδη —cf. Aristoph. Ach. 539 κἀντεῦθεν ἤδη πάταγος ἦν τῶν ἀσπίδων, referring to the outbreak of the war. ἐνθένδε refers back to I. 146, i.e. the account of the αἰτίαι καὶ διαφοραὶ is now concluded. (The other explanation, referring ἐνθένδε to the attack on Plataea, is less satisfactory, as ἐνθένδε is so far from the account of the attempt.)

τῶν ἑκατέροις ξ. —when ξύμμαχος is in the gen. plu., it is generally constructed as an adj., following that of ξυμμαχεῖν. Thus cacophony is avoided. Contrast I. 18 τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ξυμμάχοις, IV. 81 τοῖς Ἀθηναίων ξ. ἐν ᾧ—neut. Cf. c. 11, 6, 35, 2, = quo tempore. It expresses not merely time, but includes circumstances. ἐν ᾧ=‘during which period.’

οὔτε...τε —cf. c. 5, 5.

ἐπεμείγνυντο παρ’ ἀλλήλους —the ἐπι-expresses reciprocity, as in ἐπιχρῆσθαι. During the period of suspicion which preceded war, ἐπεμείγνυντο καὶ παρ’ ἀλλήλους ἐφοίτων ἀκηρύκτως μέν, ἀνυπόπτως δ’ οὔ, 1.146 .

καταστάντες —sc. ἐς πόλεμον , when once they had definitely started. Cf. c. 9, 1 and I. 49, 3. This refers to the interval between the attempt at Plataea and the invasion of Attica.

ξυνεχῶς —down to the truce that preceded the Peace of Nicias. Cf. v. 24 ταῦτα τὰ δέκα ἔτη ὁ πρῶτος πόλεμος ξυνεχῶς γενόμενος , VI. 26 ἄρτι δ’ ἀνειλήφει ἡ πόλις ἑαυτὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξυνεχοῦς πολέμου.

γέγραπται —sc. μοι.—This resumes ἄρχεται, but γέγραπται is probably impersonal, Thuc. meaning γέγραφα. Attic prose shows a marked preference for perf. pass. over perf. act. forms in 3rd sing. Thus ἃ πέπρακταί μοι is far commoner than ἃ πέπραχα, which is quite rare. γέγραφα occurs once in Thuc., γέγραπται ἐγέγραπτο or partic. nine times.

ἑξῆς —explained by κατὰ θ. καὶ χειμῶνα. Distinguish between τάξις, the arrangement of the subject matter as a whole, διαίρεσις, the divisions in which the separate events are grouped, ἐξεργασία, the treatment of the separate events. It is to the διαίρεσις that Thuc. refers.

ὡς ἕκαστα ἐγίγνετο —neut. plu. is used of the several events, just as Thuc. uses αὐτὰ constantly of the details of the subject he is dealing with.

κατὰ θ. καὶ χειμῶνα —as Thuc. begins his account of each summer with the first event of the new campaign, the summer in his history does not always begin exactly at the same time. Thus in 429, the account of summer begins with the Peloponnesian expedition against Plataea, which took place ἀκμάζοντος τοῦ σίτου, i.e. 80 days after the opening of spring ( II. 71, 1; 79, 1; cf. c. 19, 1 and 2, 1). In 428 the account of the summer only begins ἅμα τῷ ἦρι ἀκμάζοντι ( III. 1, 1). Phormio's arrival at Piraeus did not occur till spring had opened; but, for the sake of convenience, that event is tacked on to the preceding winter ( II. 103 ). But usually the opening of spring is reckoned with summer. Autumn also is counted with summer. Though Steup maintains that summer and winter are of equal length in Thuc., Poppo's view, that the summer consists of eight months (Elaphebolion to Pyanepsion) is probably correct. Thus the winter is from Maemacterion to Anthesterion.

γὰρ —takes up ἄρχεται and introduces the narrative. So c. 49, τὸ μὲν γαρ ἔτος takes up δηλώσω. ἐνέμειναν—the aor. of a single historical fact. M. T. 56, 57 (sometimes called ‘complexive).’

Εὐβοίας ἅλωσιν —Euboea revolted at the same time as Megara, 445 B.C. See I. 114, 115. The place of the article is taken by the gen., as often. Cf. I. 1 διὰ χρόνου πλῆθος. Comparing this phrase with c. 49, 4 μετὰ ταῦτα λωφήσαντα, VI. 3, 3 μετὰ Συρακούσας οἰκισθείσας, II 68 ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀμπρακιωτῶν ξυνοικησάντων, VI. 80, 2, and similar predicative uses of the partic. collected by Stahl, Quaest. Gram. p. 28, we might suppose that Thuc. could have written μετὰ Εὔβοιαν ἁλοῦσαν, just as below we have ἐπὶ Χρυσίδος ἱερωμένης, but, with the solitary exception of ἅμα with expressions of time, as ἄμα τῷ σίτῳ ἀκμάζοντι, it is improbable that this convenient use of the partic. was ever employed unless the expression made sense without the partic., which would not be the case here. This convenient use is of course much commoner in Latin than in Greek.

ἐπὶ Χρυσίδος —Argos, though humbled by Sparta, 495 B.C., was still the third state in Greece. The Argives reckoned by the number of years during which the priestess of Hera had held office. Hellanicus had written a work on the Priestesses of Argos, using them as marks for the dates.

Αἰνησίου —sc. ἐπί: so with Πυθοδώρου. ἐφόρου — i.e. the Ephor ἐπώνυμος. The omission of ὄντος, for which cf. v. 25, 1, is rare except in dates. ἐφόρου ὄντος = ἐφορεύοντος. τέσσαρας μῆνας—the archons entered on office on the 1st of Hecatombaeon, which in 431 B.C. fell on August 1st. To express a period of time, the pres. (or imperf.) or perf. (or pluperf.) participle is used: to supply the reference to the completion of the period, ( a) ἤδη is added, in primary sequence, which becomes τότε in secondary sequence: both refer to a period past at the time of speaking: ( b) ἔτι referring to the completion of a period in the future. Thus v. 112, 2 οὔτ’ ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πόλεως ἑπτακόσια ἔτη ἤδη οἰκουμένης τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀφαιρησόμεθα, and observe τότε ἱερωμένης and ἔτι ἄρχοντος here. The four months are Elaphebolion, Munychion, Thargelion, Scirophorion.

Ἀθηναίοις —cf. 1. 93 ἀρχὴν ἄρχειν Ἀθηναίοις, but in v. 25 ἄρχοντος Ἀθήνησι. The dative is probably local. Cf. c. 86 and 92 ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων for ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν. [

μετὰ τὴν μηνὶ ἕκτῳ ]. Reasons for regarding these words as a later addition to the text are 1. Nearly a year ( I. 125 ) intervened between the day on which the allies of Sparta decided to go to war and the first invasion of Attica (c. 19 ). Between the battle of Potidaea and the decision came the events recorded in I.63-88 , 118-125 . The invasion was 80 days after the attempt on Plataea (c. 19 ). So for the period between the battle at Potidaea and the attempt on Plataea we get nearly a year minus 80 days and the time occupied by the events of I. 63-88, 118-125. The result must clearly be more than six months But Lipsius' ἕκτῳ καὶ δεκάτῳ probably gives too much time: thus, from battle at Potidaea to attempt on Plataea = 15 months; from attempt on Plataea to invasion of Attica = 80 days. Total about 17 1/2 months. Deducting nearly a year for the time between the decision of the allies and the invasion, we get about 6 1/2 months, at least, for the events of I.63-88 , 118-125 . These events were as follows: the Athenians built a wall on the north side of Potidaea and garrisoned it. After a considerable interval ( χρόνῳ ὕστερον) Phormio was sent from Athens with 1600 hoplites. He spent some time on the road ( κατὰ βραχὺ προιών). On arriving, he built a wall south of Potidaea. The Corinthians called a meeting of allies at Sparta. The Spartans sent to Delphi. Then a general meeting of allies was held at Sparta. at which the decision was come to. It is not clear whether the Corinthians proposed the first meeting after the north wall was built, or only after the south wall was finished. It is however highly improbable that they waited to take action till Potidaea was completely shut in; for they were most anxious about Potidaea, and were anxious to force on war. The Athenians would occupy about a month in building the north wall. Thus the Corinthians probably suggested the meeting about 40 days after the battle. Thus, the whole time would only be about 40 days + the time taken in the mission to Delphi and the calling of the second meeting. 2. The bracketed words give no additional indication of the date of the attempt on Plataea. Thuc. wishes to be precise here, but he has given no definite indication of the date of the battle at Potidaea, nor was it necessary to do so. He says (1) the decision of the allies was some 11 months before the invasion, (2) the invasion was 80 days after the attempt. All that could be found from μηνὶ ἕκτῳ would be the date of the battle of Potidaea. If any event were here referred to it would rather be the decision of the allies.

ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ —the last day of Anthesterion, in 431 April 4th. See c. 4, 2

βοιωταρχοῦντες —the 11 chiefs of the Boeotian confederacy, of whom Thebes elected two, the other cities one each.

περὶ πρῶτον ὕπνον —cf. VII. 43 ἀπὸ πρώτου ὕπνου. When the article is omitted with expressions of time, a preposition is usually present, except with ἡμέρας and νυκτός. See Rutherford, Syntax, p. 4. There were three watches, the first beginning about 10 o'clock.

ξὺν ὅπλοις —in later Attic, except Xenophon, σὺν has only two uses; (1) the old phrase σὺν ( τοῖς) θεοῖς, (2) in enumerating things which are thrown together in a sum total; so that σὺν is very rare with persons, and it never implies a willing connection. Andoc. II. 7 τὸν πατέρα σὺν ἐμαυτῷ ἀποκτεῖναι. Of (1) Thuc. has 1 example, II. 86 ; of (2) 11 examples, e.g. ( a) with things —c. 13 , 77 ,; v. 26 ξὺν τῷ πρώτῳ πολέμῳ τοσαῦτα ἔτη. Cf. VII. 42 ; VIII. 90 , 95 : ( b) with persons, comparatively common in Thuc., I. 12 ; II. 6, 13 ; IV. 124 ; v. 74 . Besides these, Thuc. has the old military phrase, ξὺν ( τοῖς ) ὅπλοις, 8 times. Cf. Eur. Hec. 112 . Aristoph. Nub, 560. In the same class fall ξὺν ἑνὶ ἱματίῳ, II. 70, ψιλοὶ ξὺν ξιφιδίῳ and ξὺν δορατίοις III. 22. Cf. the Homeric σὺν τεύχεσι. Further, 6 cases of verbal nouns which modify the meaning of a verb, viz.: ξὺν ἐπαίνῳ ἐξοτρύνειν I. 84, ξὺν κατηγορίᾳ παροξύνειν ib., ξὺν χαλεπότητι παιδεύεσθαι ib., ξὺν φόβῳ ἔχειν τι I. 141, ξὺν ἀνάγκῃ τι παθεῖν III. 40, ξὺν προφάσει κακῶς ποιεῖν ib. The absence of this archaic idiom from the later books is remarkable. Lastly, 3 cases of a connection willingly formed, viz. : II. 58 ; III. 90 ; VII. 57 . This is common in Tragedy and Xenophon. In inscriptions of the classical period only the Attic use marked (2) above is found, and that never with persons.

ἐπηγάγοντο —the τάξις (see on c. 1 ) of this c. is dramatic, the causes which led to the attempt being given parenthetically in 2 and 3, while the narrative is continued at 4.

Πλαταιῶν ἄνδρες —the Thebans call them, III. 65, ἄνδρες οἱ πρῶτοι καὶ χρήμασι καὶ γένει. These leaders of the aristocratic party represent the great land-owners as distinct from the merchants.

ἄνδρας τοὺς ὑπεναντίους —the order, noun, art, adj., puts emphasis on the adj. Cf. c. 34, 4.

ἔπραξαν —of manipulation or diplomacy, as often. Cf. c. 5, 7. An abuse of the meaning ‘to succeed.’

ἔσοιτο — was certain. Cf. c. 13, 1.

ἔτι ἐν εἰρήνῃ —cf. III. 13 ἔτι ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ, and c. 5, 4. Here τε καὶ joins a positive to a negative expression which merely repeats it from another point of view. Cf. v. 9, 2 τῷ τε κατ’ ὀλίγον καὶ μὴ ἄπαντας κινδυνεύειν.

μήπω —the sentence expresses a wish.

ᾗ καὶ ρᾷον —cf. ᾗ καὶ μᾶλλον I. 11, 25; III. 13 ; IV. 1, 103. ᾗ καὶ before a comparative adverb emphasizes an inference.

ἔλαθον ἐσελθόντες —see M. T. 144, 146, 887.

προκαθεστηκυίας —Pp. compares anteponere vigilias, Tac. An. I. 50.

θέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα — cum in foro constitissent, lit. ‘having grounded their arms.’

τοῖς ἐπαγομένοις —the temporal force is lost, and the partic. becomes a substantive, as in οἱ προδιδόντες c. 5 .

ἐπείθοντο ὥστε —cf. c. 101, 5.

ὥστε is often inserted with verbs which take simple infin., the main emphasis is transferred from the finite to the infin. M. T. 588.

ἔργου ἔχεσθαι — rem aggredi. Cf. 1.49, 7 , 78, 3.

ἰέναι ἐς —for the hostile sense of ἰέναι cf. v. 69 ἐς τὴν γῆν ἐλθεῖν, ‘to attack.’ ἐπὶ is commoner than ἐς, as I. 58 ἢν ἐπὶ Ποτείδαιαν ἴωσιν. Cf. c. 3, 4. ἔρχομαι, εἶμι, ἥκω, ἦλθον and synonyms are far more supple in sense than our ‘to come.’ Note that the moods of εἶμι are usually present in meaning, except in Oratio Obliqua.

γνώμην ἐποιοῦντο — i.e. ἐγίγνωσκον, ‘came to a decision.’

ἐπιτηδείοις —so c. 18, 3.

καὶ ἀνεῖπεν —‘and in fact,’ καὶ introducing the parenthesis and emphasizing the word following. Cf. c. 49, 5, 51, 5.

εἴ τις βούλεται —in a protasis to a condition in Oratio Obliqua, probably only the future indicative is ever changed into optative, so that the optative in protasis in Or. Obl., except in the future, represents either ἢν and subjunctive or εἰ and optative of the Recta.

κατὰ τὰ πάτρια —in Iliad II. 504 Plataea is enumerated among the Boeotian confederate cities.

ξυμμαχεῖν —this may be a gloss on τίθεσθαι κ.τ.λ. Cf. IV. 30 προκαλούμενοι, εἰ βούλοιντο, τὰ ὅπλα κελεύειν παραδοῦναι, and so 37 ; v. 115 ἐκήρυξαν, εἴ τις βούλεται, λῄζεσθαι, VII. 82 κήρυγμα ποιοῦνται, εἴ τις βούλεται, ὡς σφᾶς ἀπιέναι. With βούλομαι an infinitive has often to be supplied from the context.

ὡς ᾔσθοντο —cf. c. 5, 4, 31, 1, 94, 3. The aorist is usual with ὡς, but, whatever tense is used, it is always independent of that of the main verb. In this respect ὡς differs from other temporal particles. Thus if imperf. is used, as in c. 77, 1, or pluperf. as in c. 59, 1, it is because that tense is required to describe a continuous or completed act, apart from the main verb. If the act in a temporal sentence is represented as simultaneous with or preceding the action of the main sentence, ὅτε or ἐπειδὴ is used.

ᾔσθοντο —‘became aware,’ ingressive aor., a use almost confined to 1st aor. forms.

ἐξαπιναίως —this and ἐξαπίνης, in place of ἐξαίφνης or αἰφνιδίως, are Ionic, and only found in Thuc. and Xenophon of Attic prose writers. [Dem.] c. Neaeram § 99 is copied from this passage. Cf. c. 48, 2, 93, 3.

καταδείσαντες καὶ ν. — ingressive, ‘having become alarmed,’ etc.

πολλῷ πλείους — sc. ἢ ἐσῆλθον. An ellipse with comparative is very common.

ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ — per noctis caliginem. Cf. ἐν νυκτὶ below, and c. 4 ἐν σκότῳ καὶ πήλῳ.

πρὸς ξ. ἐχώρησαν — se converterunt Cf. III. 66 προείπομεν τὸν βουλόμενον κατὰ τὰ πάντων Βοιῶτων πάτρια πολιτεύειν ἰέναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, IV. 120, VIII. 40, 2.

ἐνεωτέριζον —the subject is changed, as in 4 below . Thuc. assumes that his readers will follow the narrative attentively.

πράσσοντές πως —the particle implies that unnecessary details are omitted. Cf. ἄλλως πως in brief narrative, I. 99, , VI.2 .

κρατήσειν —Cl. defends κρατῆσαι, on the ground that the aor. expresses confidence in the result of the action in ἐπιθέμενοι. But the aor. inf. is very doubtful used thus for the future.

τῷ γὰρ πλήθει — γὰρ gives the writer's explanation, and shows that οἱ Πλαταιῆς above was loosely used for τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Π.

βουλομένῳ ἦν —so VII. 35 ; VIII. 92, 6. M. T. 900. The editors compare Sallust, Jug. 84

, ib., 100 Livy XXI. 50 .

ἐπιχειρητέα εἶναι —cf. I. 118 ἐπιχειρητέα ἐδόκει εἶναι πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ. Plur. neut. forms for sing. are very common in Thuc., especially with verbals.

ξυνελέγοντο —with παρ’ ἀλλήλους, διορύσσοντες τοὺς τ.—cf. τοιχωρύχος.

ἁμάξας τε —the conjunction adds a third and important fact, as often.

ᾖ —sc. αὐτό, what has just been described, the barrier of waggons.

ἑτοῖμα —the plur. marks the details of a complex act. See c. 10, 2

φυλάξαντες ἔτι νύκτα —cf. VII. 83 τῆς νυκτὸς φυλάξαντες τὸ ἡσυχάζον. ‘Waited for the time when it was still night.’

ἔτι νύκτα is equivalent to τὴν ἔτι νύκτα.

φυλάξαντες ἔτι νύκτα —cf c. 2, 1.

καὶ —adds the more exact time.

περίορθρον —the beginning of that time of night denoted by ὄρθρος. Cf. IV. 110 νυκτὸς ἔτι καὶ περὶ ὄρθρον, VI. 101 περὶ ὄρθρον, According to Phrynichus (Bekker An. Gr. 54, 8) ὄρθρος ἐστιν ἡ ὥρα τῆς νυκτὸς καθ’ ἣν ἀλεκτρύονες ᾅδουσιν. ἄρχεται δὲ ἐνάτης ὥρας καὶ τελευτᾷ εἰς διαγελῶσαν ἡμέραν. So in III. 112, Demosthenes attacked the Ambraciots ἅμα ὄρθρῳ, at which time they could not distinguish friend from foe, νυκτὸς ἔτι οὔσης. Thus the Plataean rally was at about 2 o'clock.

γίγνωνται —sc. οἱ Θηβαῖοι. Cf. I. 143 οὐκέτι ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοίου ἔσται, III. 12, 3.

φοβερώτεροι —for the passive meaning, ‘timid,’ cf. IV. 128, 4. Conversely ἀδεὴς which is usually active is occasionally passive = not formidable. See I. 36, 1. Cf. προστρόπαιος, ἀλιτήριος, and in Latin formidolosus and others. See Cook on Sallust, Cat. 39, 2. Shil. quotes Soph. O. T. 153 φοβερὰν φρένα δείματι πάλλων.

ἥσσους ὦσι τῆς — i.e. ἡσσῶνται equivalent to νικῶνται ὑπὸ τῆς κ.τ.λ. σφετέρας—indirect reflexive, i.e. refers to subject of the main verb, not to that of its own clause. Cf. c. 83, 3, 89, 4; IV. 37, 1; V. 47 ; VII. 48 ; VIII. 74, 3. This is the regular use of σφέτερος, whereas σφέτερος αὐτῶν is the same as ἑαυτῶν. But Thuc. also uses σφέτερος alone as direct reflexive, as IV. 33 οὐκ ἐδυνήθησαν τῇ σφετέρᾳ ἐμπειρίᾳ χρήσασθαι: and in dependent clauses, as c. 71 and IV. 11 τας σφετέρας ναῦς καταγνύναι ἐκέλευε. ta\ sfe/tera is direct in c. 20, 4; IV. 99, 1, indirect in III. 68, 3.

προσέβαλόν τε — inferential τε, ‘and so.’