Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/129

 MINDARUS AT SIGEIUM. 107 On arriving about daylight near the southern pint of the Chersonese, these Athenians were descried by the fleet of Min-

block them up." As nothing equivalent to, or implying, the adversative particle although is to be found in the Greek words, so I infer, as a high prob- ability, that it is not to be sought in the meaning. Differing from the commentators, I think that these words,, do as- sign the reason for the fact which nad been immediately before announced, and which was really extraordinary ; namely, that the Athenian squadron was allowed to pass by Abydos, and escape from Sestos to Elaeus. That reason was, that the Peloponnesian guard-squadron had before received special orders from Miudarus, to concentrate its attention and watchfulness upon his approacJiing squadron ; hence it arose that they left the Athenians at Ses tos unnoticed.

The words are equivalent to, and the pronoun, which immediately follows, refers to (the ap- proaching fled of Mindarus), not to the Athenians at Sestos, as the Scholiast and the commentators construe it. This mistake about the reference of seems to me to have put them all wrong. That must be construed as equivalent to is certain ; but it is not equivalent to  ; nor is it possible to construe the words as the Scholiast would understand them : " orders had been previously given by the approach (or arrival) of their friends ;" whereby we should turn into an acting and command- ing personality. The " approach of their friends" is an event, which may properly be said " to have produced an effect," but which cannot be said " to have given previous orders." It appears to me that is the dative case, governed by  ; "a look-out for the arrival of the Peloponnesians," having been enjoined upon these guardships at Abydos : " They had been ordered to watch for the approaching voyage of their friends? The English prepositions/or, expresses here exactly the sense of the Greek dative ; that is, the object, purpose, or persons whose benefit is referred to. The words immediately succeeding,, are an expansion of consequences intended to follow from $v?.aKri<; T QiXiy lirixty. " They shall watch for the approach of the main fleet, in order that they may devote special and paramount regard to its safety, in case it makes a start." For the phrase, com- pare Herodot. i, 24 ; viii, 109. Plutarch, Theseus, c. 33 : , the notes of Arnold and Göller here ; and Ku:lner, Gr. Gr. sect 533, , for The words  express the anxious and special vigilance which the Peloponnesian squadron at Abydos was directed to keep for the arrival of Mindarus and his fleet, which was a matter of doubt and danger: but they would not be properly applicable to the duty of that squadron as respects the op-