Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3

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The question was simply, which should anticipate hostile action on the part of the other. Considering the circumstances, we have done no wrong in revolting before the Athenians attacked us.

τίς οὖν αὕτη . . . πιστή: “was this then a friendship or a freedom on which one could rely?” For the position of the subj. αὕτη after the interr. (G. 1602; H. 1012 a), after the analogy of consts. with the sup., see on i. 1. 8. ἐγίγνετο, not ἦν, to indicate the growing mistrust. πιστή belongs to φιλία as well as ἐλευθερία. Dindorf's conjecture ἢ φιλία for vulg. ἡ φιλία has the support of the Cod. Clarend., and has been generally adopted. Bl., however, thinks the vulg. makes good sense, ‘supposing that the words φιλία and ἐλευθερία, though written once, are to be taken twice, thus: “What sort of friendship, then, was this friendship of ours? What assured or secure liberty was this liberty of ours?”’— 2.

ἐν ᾗ . . . ἔμελλον: description of the form their relation to Athens had at last taken.—

παρὰ γνώμην ἀλλήλους ὑπεδεχόμεθα: we received one another contrary to our real feelings. παρὰ γνώμην, praeter animi sententiam, not in the usual sense of conviction or expectation (c. 42. 29; 60. 4; iv. 40. 1; v. 14. 12; vi. 9. 12). ὑποδέχεσθαι has been from the earliest period of the language the regular expression for every kindly, esp. hospitable, reception. Cf. Hom. Ζ 136, ξ 52, π 70; Pind. Pyth. ix. 9; Hdt. i. 41. 5; Ar. Acharn. 979; Xen. Mem. iii. 11. 10; Plato Legg. 952 e. From that is derived the more general signification of friendly courtesies, esp. between strangers. St. rightly observes that ὑποδέχεσθαι, which in Plato Legg. 952 e is connected with ἀγοραῖς καὶ λιμέσι, is the opp. of λιμένων καὶ ἀγορᾶς εἴργεσθαι (ψήφισμα περὶ Μεγαρέων, i. 67. 14), and therefore about=ἐπιμείγνυσθαι παῤ ἀλλήλους (ii. 1. 3). Cf. Liv. xxx. 14 benigno vultu excepisset. Plato Meno 91 a similarly connects ὑποδέχεσθαι and θεραπεύειν.— 3. ἐθεράπευον: cf. c. 11. 22.—

ἡμεῖς δὲ . . . ἐποιοῦμεν: not contradictory to c. 9. § 2 ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ . . . ἀφιστάμεθα, for there the reference is only to the outward position of the Mytileneans, which continued to be an honourable one, even though they had assiduously to court the favour of the Athenians.—4.

ὅ τε τοῖς ἄλλοις . . . ἐχυρὸν παρεῖχε: Cl., St., and Steup strike out πίστιν. If the traditional reading be retained, Kr.'s explanation seems best: ‘The sent., if complete, would read ὅ τε τοῖς ἄλλοις μάλιστα εὔνοια ποιεῖ (or παρέχει), πίστιν βεβαιοῖ, κτἑ.’ See App.—6.

κατεχόμενοι: overmastered, constrained, as in c. 45. 18. Cf. Eur. Hipp. 27 καρδίαν κατέσχετο ἔρωτι δεινῷ. In Arr. Anab. ii. 17. 2 τῆς δὲ Ἀθηναίων πόλεως φόβῳ μᾶλλόν τι ἢ εὐνοίᾳ τῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸ παρὸν κατεχομένης, which is an evident imitation of the present passage, the meaning is restrained. Cf. c. 107. 9.—8.

οὗτοι πρότεροί τι καὶ . . . ἔμελλον: these were sure to be the first also to transgress. καί introduces the immediate accomplishment of the anticipation of the prot., as in ii. 93. 18; viii. 1. 31. With πρότεροί τι παραβήσεσθαι, cf. c. 11. 8; also c. 54. 11 τὴν εἰρήνην οὐ λύσαντες πρότεροι, i. 123. 11 σπονδὰς οὐ λύσετε πρότεροι, vii. 18. 10 τὰς σπονδὰς προτέρους λελυκέναι.

ὥστε εἴ τῳ . . . δεινῶν: so that if, on account of their postponement of the evils intended for us, we seem to anyone to do wrong in revolting beforehand. μέλλησις seems not to occur elsewhere in trans. significa tion. τῶν δεινῶν, violent measures, as in ii. 77. 3; iv. 98. 1. For the position of μέλλησιν between the subj. and obj. gen., see on i. 25. 21.—10.

αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἀνταναμείναντες: without ourselves having waited in turn. ἀνταναμένειν, which seems to be found only here, takes a limiting inf., as ἀναμένειν, iv. 120. 19; 135. 8. Cf. also ἐπιμένειν, c. 2. 7; 26. 13; περιμένειν, vii. 20. 16. —11.

αὐτῶν: sc. τῶν δεινῶν.

εἰ γὰρ δυνατοὶ . . . ἰέναι: so Cl. reads, putting, with Heilmann, ἀντεπιβουλεῦσαι, καὶ ἀντιμελλῆσαί τι ἔδει ἡμᾶς for ἀντεπιβουλεῦσαι καὶ ἀντιμελλῆσαι, τί ἔδει ἡμᾶς, and, with Kr., ἐπ̓ ἐκείνους ἰέναι for ἐπ̓ ἐκείνοις εἶναι, “were we able equally with them to counterplot, so ought we then also in like manner to have delayed to proceed against them.” The proleptic καί inserted in the prot., as often in rel. clauses, and repeated in the apodosis. See on i. 83. 7. ἀντιμελλῆσαι (so Bk., with the Schol. and T; most Mss. ἀντεπιμελλῆσαι) is chosen with reference to the boasted μέλλησις of the Athenians. Cf. ἀνταναμείναντες above. The sense of the vulg., which all the English commentators retain, is probably: “if we were able on equal terms with them to counterplot and counter-delay, what need was there for us, being on equal terms, to be at their beck and call?” Cf. Schol. εἰ γὰρ ἴσοι αὐτοῖς ὑπήρχομεν . . . τί ἔδει ἡμᾶς ἐπ̓ ἐκείνοις ταχθῆναι ἢ ὑπακοίειν αὐτοῖς. See App.—14.

ἐπ̓ ἐκείνοις: in their power. Cf. ii. 84. 11; iv. 29. 18.