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45 Sl'ARlAN ENVOYS TO ATHENS. fa stored to them in exchange for the demolished Paijaktuni. Such was still the confidence of the Lacedaemonians in the strength of assent at Athens, that they did not yet despair of obtaining an affirmative, even to this very unequal proposition : and when the three envoys, under the introduction and advice of Nikias, had their first interview with the Athenian senate, preparatory to an audience before the public assembly, the impression which they made, on stating that they came with full powers of settlement, was highly favorable. It was indeed so favorable, that Alkibia- des became alarmed lest, if they made the same statement in the public assembly, holding out the prospect of some trifling conces- sions, the philo-Laconian party might determine public feeling to accept a compromise, and thus preclude all idea of alliance with Argos. To obviate such a defeat of his plans, he resorted to a singular manoeuvre. One of the Lacedaemonian envoys, Endius, was his private guest, by an ancient and particular intimacy subsisting between their two families. 1 This probably assisted in procuring 1 Thucyd. viii, 6. 'Ev&'o) rti tyopeiiovTi. TrarpjKof Ef TU /j.u?ua-a (pihos vtiev Kal Tovvojia AUKUVIKOV jj olicia avruv Kara TTJV eviav ecr^sv "Evdtof yap 'A/l/a/?d inakelTO. I incline to suspect, from this passage, that the father of Endius was not named Alkibiades, but that Endius himself was nevertheless named "Evdioc 'Ahuifiiudov, in consequence of the peculiar intimacy of connection with the Athenian family in which that name occurred. If the father of Endius was really named Alkibiades, Endiiis himself would naturally, pursuant to gen- eral custom, be styled "Evdiof 'A^K^iudov : there would be nothing in this denomination to call for the particular remark of Thucydides. But accord ing to the view of the Scholiast and most commentators, all that Thucy dides wishes to explain here is, how the father of Endius came to receive the name of Alkibiades. Now if he had meant this, he surely would not have used the terms which we read: the circumstance to be explained would then have reference to the father of Endius, not to Endius himself, nor to the family generally. His words imply that the family, that is, each suc- cessive individual of the family, derived his Laconian designation (not from the name of his father, but) from his intimate connection of hospitality with the Athenian family of Alkibiades. Each successive individual attached to his own personal name the genitive case 'AAAu,3td<5ot', instead of the genitive of his real father's name. Doubtless this was an anomaly in Grecian prac- tice; but on the present occasion, we are to expect something anomalous, had it not been such, ThucydidC-s would not have stepped aside to partio I^riie it