Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/295

277 DESPATCH OF NIKIAS. 2/7 pay, under the idea of enriching themselves by traffic rather than of fighting, now that they find the enemy in full competenca to cope with us by sea as well as by land, either go over to him as professed deserters, or get away as they can amidst the wide area of Sicily. 1 Nay, there are even some, who, while trafficking 1 Tbacyd. vii, 13. Kal ol %ivoi oi uev uvajKaarol eo/3uvrf, evdvf Kara TUf TTO/.Eiq UTTO^UptVaiV, Ol <$ II7TO /J.Kya?iOV fliadov TO TtpiJTOV fTTaptftVTff, cat oioftevot ^prjfj.aTiEia-8-ai pd/lAov ?} fiaxsladai, E-xeidri irapu. yvufiqv vavrinov re 6r] Kal rd?iAa U.TTO TUV m}fa[j.iuv uv$e<7Tu-a 6paaiv, oi fiev e TT' av r o- 6vvavTa.f All the commentators bestow long notes in explanation of this phrase ev au-o/zo/Uaj Ttpotyaaei unep^ovrai : but I cannot think that any of them are successful. There are even some who despair of success so much, as to wish to change aiiTopohias by conjecture ; see the citations in Poppo's long note. But surely the literal sense of the words is here both defensible and instructive : li Sorae of them depart under pretence (or profession) of being deserters to the enemy." All the commentators reject this meaning, because they say, it is absurd to talk of a man's announcing beforehand that he intends to desert to the enemy, and giving that as an excuse for quitting the camp. Such is not, in my judgment, the meaning of the word irpoipuasi here. It docs not denote what a man said before he quitted the Athenian camp, he would of course say nothing of his intention to any one, but the color which he would put upon his conduct after he got mthin the Syracusan lines. He would present himself to them as a deserter to their cause j he would profess anxiety to take part in the defence ; he would pretend to be tired of the oppressive Athenian dominion ; for it is to be recollected, that all or most of these deserters Avere men belonging to the subject-allies of Athens. Those who passed over to the Syracusan lines would naturally recommend themselves by making profession of such dis- positions, even though they did not really feel any such ; for their real reason was, that the Athenian service had now become irksome, unprofit- able, and dangerous ; and the easiest manner of getting away from it was, to pass over as a deserter to Syracuse. Nikias distinguishes these men from others, "who got away, as they could find opportunity, to some part or other of Sicily." These latter also would of course keep their intention of departing secret, until they got safe away into some Sicilian town ; but when once there, they would make no profession of any feeling which they did not entertain. If they said any- thing, they would tell the plain truth, that they were making their escape from a position which now gave them more trouble than profit. It appears to me that the words tT 1 airofj.o7.iaf irpobdaet will bea ihi* sense perfectly well, and that it is the rer-1 meaning of Nikias.