in their station at Abydos, until daylight should arrive, and they should be better informed. They thus neglected the Athenian Hellespontine squadron in its escape from Sestos to Elæûs.[1]
- ↑ Thucyd. viii, 102. (
Greek characters), etc.
Here, again, we hare a difficult text, which has much perplexed the com- mentators, and which I venture to translate, as it stands in my text, differ- ently from all of them. The words, (
Greek characters) are explained by the Scholiast
to mean: " Although watch had been enjoined to them (i.e. to the Pelo-
ponnesian guard-squadron at Abydos) by the friendly approaching fleet (of
Miudarus), that they should keep strict guard on the Athenians at Sestos,
in case the latter should sail out."
Dr. Arnold, Göller, Poppo, and M. Didot, all accept this construction, though all agree that it is most harsh and confused. The former says : "This again is most strangely intended to mean, (
Greek characters)"
To construe (
Greek characters), is certainly such a harshness as we ought to be very glad to escape.
And the construction of the Scholiast involves another liberty which I
cannot but consider as objectionable. He supplies, in his paraphrase,
the word (Greek characters), although, from his own imagination. There is no
indication of although, either express or implied, in the text of Thucydidês ;
and it appears to me hazardous to assume into the meaning so decisive a
particle without any authority. The genitive absolute, when annexed to
the main predication affirmed in the verb, usually denotes something natu-
rally connected with it in the way of cause, concomitancy, explanation, or
modification, not something opposed to it, requiring to be prefaced by an
although; if this latter be intended, then the word although is expressed, not
left to be understood. After Thucydides has told us that the Athenians at
Sestos escaped their opposite enemies at Abydos, when he next goes on to
add something under the genitive absolute, we expect that it should be a
new fact which explains why or how they escaped : but if the new fact
which he tells us, far from explaining the escape, renders it more extraor-
dinary (such as, that the Peloponnesians had received strict orders to watch
them), he would surely prepare the reader for this new fact by an express
particle, such as although or notwithstanding: " The Athenians escaped, although
the Peloponnesians had received the strictest orders to watch them and
