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, (Greek characters), 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 (Greek characters) are equivalent to (
Greek characters), and
the pronoun (
Greek characters), which immediately follows, refers to (
Greek characters) (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
(
Greek characters) seems to me to have put them all wrong.
That (
Greek characters) must be construed as equivalent to (
Greek characters)
is certain ; but it is not equivalent to (
Greek characters) ;
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 (
Greek characters) 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 (
Greek characters) is
the dative case, governed by (
Greek characters) ; "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, (
Greek characters), 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 (
Greek characters), com-
pare Herodot. i, 24 ; viii, 109. Plutarch, Theseus, c. 33 : (
Greek characters), the notes of Arnold and Göller here ; and
Ku:lner, Gr. Gr. sect 533, (
Greek characters), for (
Greek characters) The words
(
Greek characters) 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-