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But on this day they do not come to a general action, and on the following day Nicias seeks to strengthen the position of his fleet by transport ships anchored in front. 1. τῆς δὲ ἡμέρας ἐπὶ πολύ: see on c. 11. 18. Cf. c. 39. 4. προσπλέοντες...πειράσαντες ἀλλήλων : Cl. and St. take προσπλέοντες καὶ ἀνακρουόμενοι as expressing the manner of the πειράσαντες, and hence omit καί before it: “after they had tried one another by advancing and retreating (backing) till late in the day.” The change seems hardly necessary. οὐδέτεροι: part. appos. to subj. of leading verb. Kr. Spr. 56, 9, 1.—ἄξιόν τι λόγου παραλαβεῖν: to win any advantage of importance. Cf. Hdt. vii.211.17. οὐδὲν ἐδυνέατο παραλαβεῖν. εἰ μὴ...καταδύσαντες : except that the Syracusans sank a ship or two of the Athenians. Cl. explains that εἰ μή is used elliptically, without finite verb, and cites ἢν μή in v.47.31. St. and Kr. understand (ἄξιόν τι λόγου）παρέλαβον. Kühn. 577, 8. Certainly the verb is easily supplied both here and in v.47.31.—διεκρίθησαν: see on c. 34. 26. 8. ὁποῖόν τι τὸ μέλλον: ὁποῖόν τι as in iii.28.5. Cl. takes it as an obj. of the verb, and τὸ μέλλον as adv., next (cf. vi.69.20). This is satisfactory, though Kr.'s explanation, = ὁποῖόν τί ἐστι τὸ μέλλον ὅ, is admissible. Kr. Spr. 57, 3, 5. ἰδὼν ἀντίπαλα τὰ τῆς ναυμαχίας γενόμενα: seeing that their naval strength had become equal (aor. partic.), i.e. since the last battle, which had finally resulted in favour of the Athenians (c. 23. § 3, 4). Or perhaps τὰ τῆς ναυμαχίας refers to the events of the previous day, which seems to be the view of Valla, pari eventu fuisse pugnatum.—ἐλπίζων: expecting, as in iv.71.7. ἐπισκευάζειν: cf. c. 1. 2; 24. 5; vi.104.20. See on c. 14. 6.—ἐπεπονήκει: of ships also in vi.104.20. προώρμισε: not found elsewhere. The thing itself would not be likely to happen often. —πρὸ τοῦ σφετέρου σταυρώματος: which they had already built, vi.66.8, παρὰ τὰς ναῦς σταύρωμα ἔπηξαν. For σφετέρου, see on c. 1. 27. ἀντὶ λιμένος κλῃστοῦ: i.e. to supply the place of a harbour which could be closed with chains. 14. διαλειπούσας: the pres., instead of διαλιπούσας, which all the Mss. have, is necessary to express the idea of continuance required by the connexion. The Schol. has διαλειπούσας: ἤγουν διισταμένας. The case is different from that in i.112.1; iii.74.1. βιάζοιτο: pass. as in i.2.4, and freq. κατάφευξις: also in c. 41. 3; not found elsewhere.
Commentary on Thucydides Book 7. Charles F. Smith. 1886. Boston. Ginn and Company.
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