Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/232

 210 HISTORY OF GREECE. occupying the side towards Naupaktus, was especially charged with the duty of cutting off the Athenians from all possibility of escaping thither ; and the best ships had been placed on the rigl-t for that important object. As far as the commanders were con- certed, the plan of action completely succeeded; the Athenians were caught in a situation where resistance was impossible, and had no chance of escape except in flight. But so superior were thsy in rapid movement even to the best Peloponnesians, that eleven ships, the headmost out of the twenty, just found means to run by, 1 before the right wing of the enemy closed in upon the shore ; and made the best of their way to Naupaktus. The Compare also Homer, Odyss. xvii, 387. HTUXOV <P OVK uv rtf /cu?,eo<, rpiigov-a e avTov ; and Xenophon, Memorab. iv, 2, 28 ; i, 6, 3 ; v, 2, 24 ; Anabas. vii, 2, 10; 6, 43; Hellen. v, 2, 39. 1 It appears to me, that when we study the use of the pronoun lav-be, v/c shall see reason to be convinced that in the passage of Thucydides now before us, the phrase ol tkJtarovHptnot errXeov if TTJV kavruv yfjv, need not necessarily be referred to the Pdoponnesian land, but may in perfect con- formity with analogy be understood to mean the Athenian land. I am sure that, in so construing it, we shall not put so much violence upon the mean ing as the Scholiast and Dr. Arnold have put upon the preposition M, when the Scholiast states that em TTJV tavruv yrjv means the same thing as Tfapu, TTJV iavTuv yf/v, and when Dr. Arnold admits this opinion, only adding a new meaning which does not usually belong to e-l with an accusative case. An objection to the meaning which I propose may possibly be grounded on the word voftiaaf, applied to Phormio. If the Peloponnesian fleet was sailing directly towards Naupaktus, it may be urged, Phormio would not be said to think that they were going thither, but to see or become aware of it But in reply to this we may observe, that the Peloponnesians never really intended to attack Naupaktus, though they directed their course towards it ; they wished in reality to draw Phormio within the strait, and there to attack him. The historian, therefore, says with propriety, that Phormio would believe, and not that he would perceive, them to be going thither, since his belief would really be erroneous. 1 Thucyd. ii, 90. How narrow the escape was, is marked in the words of the historian TUV 6e tvdeica pev alirep jjyovvro inr EKfyevyova >. rb Ktpar T&V Hehoirowyaiuv /cat TTJV iKiaTpo^qv, ef TTJV ei'pvxupiav. The proceedings of the Syracusan fleet against that of the Athenians in the harbor of Syracuse, and the reflections of the historian upon them, Illustrate this attack of the Peloponnesians upon the fleet of Phormio (Thucyd. vii, 36).