6

their dependent provinces), returned home. They afterwards equipped a fleet to be sent to Lesbos, and despatched orders to the states for furnishing the ships to the number of forty; they also appointed Alcidas to accompany it as admiral. The Athenians, on the other hand, retired home with the hundred sail when they saw the Peloponnesians depart.

XVII. About the time when those ships departed, they were in possession of the greatest number of ships1, at once effective and handsome 2 (though there were at the beginning

2

6 Returned home.] Nothing is said about the fleet, of which Mitford relates that the ships remained in their ports motionless. He must mean the ports of Nisæa and Cenchrea. It does not, however, appear that the ships were ever equipped and conveyed across the isthmus at all. That, indeed, is clear from the words following. The sailors, it should seem, were no more ready than the soldiers; and the various details of nautical equipment and preparation could not be carried through, for any effective co-operation with the land forces, at this late period of the season.

They were in possession of, &c.] Such is clearly the general sense of the passage; but there is some difficulty connected with one or two of the expressions. 'Ev Toig has occasioned great perplexity to the commentators, the earlier of whom take the article for the pronoun avrois. But that would make the aurois following of no use; and would not itself be Attic Greek. Others took αὐτοῖς for τούτῳ (or rather τούτῳ τῷ, scil. χρόνῳ). That, however, would by no means be Greek good enough for Thucydides. As to the methods proposed by Gramm. and Kistem., they are too intricate, not to say absurd. The most favourite method with the recent editors is that of Herman, Bredow, and Hack. "Scilicet superlativis (says Hack) cujusque vel generis vel numeri nonnunquam præfiguntur particulæ Ev Toç, sensum nihil mutantes, sed fortasse augentes." And so Matthiæ, who thinks it clear that the formula stands by itself; and he espouses the last-mentioned view of it, joining it with the superlative following. The same critic and Hack adduce many passages in proof and illustration, some of which are corrupt, others ill-understood; ex. gr. Thucyd. 1. 1, 6. év Tois πρῶτοι δὲ ̓Αθηναίοι τὸν σίδηρον κατέθεντο, where (as I shall show there) ought to be read πρώτοις. 1. 5, 81. διότι ἐν τοῖς πρώτη ἐγένετο, where ought, perhaps, to be read avrois for iv roic, as well as in 7, 19. ¿v roïs TρÍTOLS ÒPμÝσAVTεs ȧрñкav. Under these circumstances, I cannot but suspect some corruption in the present case, which, indeed, the variation in the MSS. seems to testify; and for v Tois I would read auroic, cancelling the avroic after äua, which seems to have been introduced there from the margin, and founded on misapprehension of the construction. The above reading is found in, or countenanced by, five MSS., and was certainly read by one of the Scholiasts. Nothing, indeed, is more probable than that av should pass into ε, especially as it seems by the MSS. that the scribes thought an ε was necessary to the sense. The construction is: vñec αὐτοῖς πλεῖσται δὴ ἐγένοντο, ἐνεργοὶ ἅμα κάλλει.

2 At once effective and handsome.] Such seems to be the sense, which was imperfectly comprehended by the translators and commentators; though the Schol. had very well explained evɛpyoɩ " doing the work of ships,

of the war about as many, if not more); for the ships on guard round Attica, Euboea, and Salamis amounted to a hundred sail, and another hundred were cruising round Peloponnesus, besides those at Potidea and other places: so that the total number of ships in service that one summer amounted to two hundred and fifty 3; and the maintenance of such a force especially tended, in conjunction with the siege of Potidæa, to gradually exhaust the treasury. For the heavyarmed, employed on guarding the trenches at Potidæa, were paid each two drachms 5 per diem, one for himself and another

4

I have

i. e. sound and fit for sea." The äμa кáλε is put in the place of another adjective; a rare use, of which I have not noted one example. Of ¿vepy., in this sense, applied to things, examples are somewhat rare. remarked the following :— Xenoph. Hipp. c. 9, 7. δοκεῖ δ' ἂν μοι καὶ πεζὸν (I read τὸ πεζόν) σὺν τοῖς ἵπποις ἐνεργότατον εἶναι. Herod. 8, 26, 2. ὀλίγοι τινὲς, βίου τε δεόμενοι, καὶ ἐνεργοὶ βουλόμενοι εἶναι, “ wishing to be employed.” Joseph. 1121, 1. ἔνεργος ὅλη, καὶ συνεχής ἔστι καρπόφορος. Other more critical matter I must reserve for my edition.

3 The total number, &c.] Here one might be inclined to suspect some error of number: for, at I. 2, 13., the total number of ships, fit for sea, is said to have been three hundred; and we have no reason to think that there had been much diminution. Thus, the two hundred and fifty here would seem too small a number: for the home squadron and that abroad amounted to two hundred; so that only fifty would be left for Potidæa and other places. But, of those other places, Lesbos took forty; and can we suppose that ten would be sufficient for the Ægean, the Hellespont, and Asia Minor? Besides, it was just before said, that about as many, or even (i. e. rather) more, were employed at the beginning of the war. Now, surely, had there really been a difference of one sixth, Thucydides could not have used such a term as "rather more." I cannot, I repeat, but suspect, that there is some error in the number, and that for v' we should read ý, i. e. ninety.

4 Guarding the trenches.] It is strange that Valla, Budæus, Lipsius, Petit, and Duker should take opoúpovv to signify garrisoned the city, namely, after its surrender. Now it is not likely that the Athenians would have given extraordinary pay for such a kind of service; nor could this have been necessary. I have, therefore, followed the interpretation of Portus and Hobbes, which is required by the words following. And the above signification, though omitted in Steph. Thes., is found in the best writers, and Thucyd. especially. Thus, 3, 21. To μèv ovv teixos, į πɛpiεφρουροῦντο οἱ Πλαταιεῖς. 1, 64. τὸ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ τεῖχος - οἱ ̓Αθηναῖοι ἀποτειχίσαντες ἐφρούρουν. And a little after, ἐν τῷ ἰσθμῷ φρουρεῖν. Arrian, E. Α. 1, 7, 14. οἱ Θηβαῖοι τὴν Καδμεῖαν διπλῷ χάρακι ἐφρούρουν ἀποτειχίσαντες. and 4, 5, 10. καὶ τούτους περιστρατοπεδεύσαι ̓Αλέξανδρος ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ ἐφρούρουν. So also 4, 5, 3. and 2, 1, 6. This signification, it may be observed, especially has place where the siege partakes of the nature of a blockade, and where lines and fortifications of circumvallation and contravallation are to be maintained and guarded. Thus, Thucydides uses in conjunction respecting Platæa, the terms περιτειχίζειν, περιέχειν, and περιφρουρεῖν.

5 Two drachms.] About twenty pence. The same pay the sailors are

for his servant; and of these there were at first three thousand, and not less than that number continued throughout the siege, (for as to the one thousand seven hundred under Phormio, they left before its conclusion). The ships, too, of every kind were paid at the same rate. Thus, then, were the funds, for the first time, exhausted; and such was the number, considerable indeed, of the ships fitted out.

XVIII. At the same time that the Lacedæmonians were about the isthmus, the Mytilenians, in conjunction with their auxiliaries', undertook an expedition by land against Methymna 2, which they expected would be delivered up to them. But after making an assault, the affair not succeeding to their hopes, they bent their course to Antissa, Pyrrha, and Eressus3, and having established affairs in those cities on a more secure footing, and strengthened their walls, they forthwith departed

said to have received. But, as they would not require servants, we may suppose that none were allowed, and, consequently, that their pay was but one drachm a day. When, therefore, Thucydides says their pay was the same, he had in view that no servant would have to be paid. Now sieges were operations exceedingly expensive to the soldiers, and so fatiguing as to require an increased outlay of money; and, as the one in question was both distant and long continued, we may suppose that the pay was extraordinary, as was the service. Hence we find the pay afterwards stated as much lower, generally about a drachm a day; which grew as proverbial to denote a military life as the long accustomed "sixpence a day" of our foot soldiery.

1 Auxiliaries.] These were mentioned at c. 2., and consisted of archers from Pontus.

2 Methymna.] The name of this city would seem to have been given with some reference to the rites of Bacchus, and the wine for which the island was celebrated.

long

3 Antissa, Pyrrha, and Eressus.] Of these towns the first was, probably, so called as being situated over against a more antient, but early ruined, city called Issa. See Berkley ap. Steph., who compares Antiparos, Anticyra. It was afterwards overwhelmed by the sea. See the note of Wasse. Pyrrha was a very small place, at the top of a euripus, i. e. frith or arm of the sea. The name has reference to a funeral pile, or pyre. Eressus was on the south coast, and next to Methymna in power. Its name seems to have been derived from its maritime situation, pέoow to row; if, at least, the oo was the true spelling ; but if the single, it might have some other origin. It is, however, yet called Eresso. And Bekker has proved that the oo are supported, in Thucyd. at least, by all the weight of MS. authority. It is also found in Scylax, Strabo, Ptolemy, Mela, and Diod. Sic. Yet the single is supported by Archest. ap. Athen, p. 111. E., who also graphically describes the site of the place : Εν Λέσβῳ κλείνῃ, κ' *Ερέσου περικύμονι μασθῷ.

4

homeward. Upon their departure, however, the Methymneans undertook an expedition against Antissa; but being utterly defeated in a sally made by the Antisséans and their allies, and losing many of their troops, they made a hasty retreat with the rest. But the Athenians, on hearing of these occurrences that the Mytilenians were masters by land, and that their troops were unable to hold them in check - sent out, about the beginning of autumn, a thousand heavyarmed, under the command of Paches son of Epicurus. These troops, rowing themselves the transports which conveyed them, and having arrived thither, drew a single wall' around Mytilene; they erected also forts on some strong situations. Thus was Mytilene strongly besieged on both sides, both by land and by sea; and then the winter drew

near.

XIX. The Athenians, however, being in want of money for the siege, now, for the first time, raised a contribution1

4 Utterly defeated.] Literally, beaten; though, as the Schol. observes, Anoow is a very strong term to denote utter defeat; as in Herod. 5, 121., and other writers.

5 Single wall.] Namely, not of circumvallation only, but of contravallation likewise. This, it seems, they had not strength to accomplish; though, considering the power of the Lesbians outside of the city, it was very necessary. Its place was, however, in some degree supplied by the ppovpía, fortlets, erected on various commanding positions of the wall; which may bring to mind the descriptions of the great wall of China, and of Peking or Nanking. It is surprising that none of the editors should have seen that, for toru ol, should be read, from at least five MSS., or . The word ¿ykar., erected, just after, shows that these fortlets were in the wall of circumvallation. That term is rare, and I know no other example except in Plutarch Lycurg. c. 9. This use is, however, imitated by Hirtius de Bell. Gall. 1. 8, 9. inædificari loriculam. Hence is confirmed the reading of several MSS. in Eurip. Hippol. 30., rejected by Monk, as wanting authority, but rightly edited by Matthiæ: πέτραν ταὶ αὐτὴν Παλλάδος Κύπριδος ἐγκαθείσατο.

- vaov

Contribution.] It is here remarked by Duker that these contributions, or sopopai, were applied to the citizens; pópot to the allies and provincials. It is more fully and accurately observed by Hack, from Wolf Proleg. ad Demosth. Lept. p. 90. seqq., that the slopopù was exacted only from the wealthier citizens, and was an extraordinary tax only raised in time of war. This may, therefore, be compared with the income tax in our own country during the late wars with revolutionary France. This was, as we find, the first time that it was levied; though afterwards it was frequently resorted to, and became, as Mitford observes, a source of intolerable oppression to the higher ranks, to lessen which, and act as a corresponding tax on the lower ranks, a reduction of pay to the soldiers and

among themselves of two hundred talents; they also sent a squadron of twelve ships, under the command of Lysicles and five colleagues, to the allies, in order to collect money 2 from them. He levied money in various places, cruising up and down; and, among others, on the Carian coast, ascending from Myus through the plain of the Mæander as far as the hill of Sandius, being beset by the Carians and Anæitans *, he himself perished and many others of the army.

3

XX. This same winter, the Platæans (for they were yet besieged by the Peloponnesians and Boeotians), being hard pressed by the failure of their provisions, and having no hope of succour from Athens, nor any other means of preservation, concerted a project, in conjunction with the Athenians besieged with them, which was, at first, for all to go forth, and try if possible to force their way over the enemy's walls. The attempt had been suggested1 to them by Theænetus son

seamen afterwards took place. This ɛiopopà, Smith remarks, was a voluntary contribution, as the original implies. "On such occasions (he adds) the presidents of the assembly laid before the Athenians the present want of money, and exhorted them with cheerfulness and generosity to contribute towards the national support." Such as were willing rose up in turn, saying, "I contribute so much," and naming the sum. Such as, though rich, were niggardly and strangers to all public spirit, sat silent on these occasions, or, as fast as they could, stole out of the assembly.

2 Collect money.] The ships engaged on this service were, as we find from the present passage, and 2, 69., and elsewhere, as likewise Aristoph. Equit. 1068, called vaus apyvpóλoyou; and they were often, as the Schol. on Aristoph. tells us, the Salaminian and the Paralus.

3 Myus.] On this place, supposed to be about four miles from the mouth of the Mæander, see Chandler. Of this (one of the richest and most lovely spots in the world) Dionys. Perig. 835. beautifully says: Hooi yàp λειμῶνες ἐν ̓Ασίδι τηλεθόωσιν, Εξοχα δ' ἀμπεδιόν Μαιάνδριον ἔνθα Καύστρου Ησυχα καχλάζοντος ἐπιῤῥέει ἀγλαὸν ὕδωρ. The country has been of late, in some degree, become better known to us, by the interesting travels of Mr. Arundel to the Seven Churches in Asia. Of the site of the hill of Sandius we are ignorant. The name is probably correct (though some MSS., for an obvious reason, have Sardian); since the name, but as a personal appellation, occurs in Pausan.

+ Anaitans.] These were from Anæa, a seaport near the promontory of Trogilium, on which Wasse refers to Eustath. on Dionys. 828. It is plain that Anæa is here regarded as not in Caria, though Steph. Byz. assigns it to that province. It was in Ionia.

1 Suggested.] Or advised. Wasse appeals to a similar use of yea in Ælian V. H. 3,8. and the Virgilian "Dux fœmina facti." He might more aptly have cited Plutarch ap. Steph. Thes. ɛionyɛłodaɩ yvwμŋv.