Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 6

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Provide, then, a large army well equipped with hoplites, as well as with bowmen and slingers, also a superior fleet, abundant provisions, and especially plenty of money; for as to that promised by the Egestaeans, you may consider that to be ready mainly in talk.

ὁπλίτας τε: which is continued by καὶ τοξότας (4), is defined by καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν and καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων, the latter again explained by τῶν τε ὑπηκόων (see on 69. 23) and καὶ ἤν τινα ἐκ Ηελοποννήσου δυνώμεθα, with the twofold mode of gaining these—ἢ πεῖσαι (by persuasion) ἢ μισθῷ προσαγαγέσθαι (by pay). The results of these counsels are found in c. 43 and 7. 57. § 9, and we must therefore refer πεῖσαι esp. to the Argives, μισθῷ προσαγαγέσθαι to Arcadian mercenaries.

ἤν τινα: for sing., when pl. is in mind, cf. 21. 11.— 5. ναυσί τε: third member as so freq. in Thuc. The νῆες are warships (τριήρεις), which besides their other duties were to keep the sea open for bringing in supplies.

τὸν δὲ καὶ αὐτόθεν σῖτον...ἄγειν : Jowett's explanation of this much discussed passage seems reasonable, as well as simple. “The supplies taken out from Athens are contrasted by δέ with the supplies which would have to be procured by plunder or otherwise in Sicily itself. αὐτόθεν is to be explained as a confusion of two notions, αὐτόθεν ἄγειν and ἄγειν τὸν αὐτόθι σῖτον.” Kr., followed by Bm. and Mueller, explains τὸν δέ as preparatory to the foll. epexegetical σῖτον, somewhat like Eur. apud Lycurg. c. Leocr. 100. 42 ἄρξουσιν ἄλλων, τὴν δ᾽ ἐγὼ σώσω πόλιν. Cf. Stahl's rendering: aliud autem etiam hinc frumentum in navibus onerariis advehere. Steup objects to taking αὐτόθεν with τὸν σῖτον, because Nicias is not speaking of all the grain in Athens; also to καὶ αὐτόθεν with ἄγειν (1) because such an interposition between τὸν and σῖτον is not Thucydidean, (2) because thus τὸν σῖτον would be in contradiction with καὶ αὐτόθεν, which would clearly imply importa-tions from other regions besides Attica. For Stahl's τὸν δὲ σῖτον, aliud autem frumentum, Steup knows no Thucydidean parallel. He thinks, therefore, the passage corrupt, and that perhaps πολὺν δὲ καὶ κτἑ. was to be expected.— 7. πεφρυγμένας κριθάς: parched barley, which kept better. The verb φρύγω or φρύσσω is rare.

σιτοποιοὺς...ἐμμίσθους : to be closely connected, slaves to make bread for pay.—ἐκ τῶν μυλώνων πρὸς μέρος ἠναγκασμένους: designates how these slaves were procured, drafted from the mills in proportion to their size, i.e. acc. to the number of slaves employed in each.— 9. ἤν που...ἀπολαμβανώμεθα : if perchance we be kept from sailing by unfavorable weather. Cf. ὑπὸ ἀνέμων ἀπολαμφθέντες Hdt. 2. 115. 14; 9. 114. 3. For ἀπλοία, impossibility of sailing, which in case of triremes (with oars) would be only in case of storms or contrary winds, see 2. 85. 24; 4. 4. 23; 8. 99. 20.

πολλὴ γὰρ...ὑποδέξασθαι : a peculiar form of pers. const. for neut. = οὐκ ἔσται πάσης πόλεως αὐτὴν πολλὴν οὖσαν ὑποδέξασθαι. For similar cases, cf. 1. 40. 13, 93. 2; 3. 11. 1; 4, 17. 17; 8. 91. 4. For act. inf., cf. 9. 16 ῥᾴδιά ἐστι κατασχεῖν.

τά τε ἄλλα κτἑ.: conclusion of whole foregoing admonition. Cf. 71. 15.

μὴ ἐπὶ ἑτέροις γίγνεσθαι: not to be at the mercy of others. Cf. 2. 84. 11; 3. 12. 14; 4. 29. 18. γίγνεσθαι as in 1. 37. 13; 3. 53. 4.

λέγεται: cf. 6. § 2, 3; 8. § 2.— 14. λόγῳ: ironical repetition of λέγεται. The sense of the passage is: and as to the money from the Egestaeans which is said to be ready there, you may assume that it is mostly ready only in talk. For the thought, cf. 12. 5 ff. That Nicias was right is seen in 46. § 1.