ye are concerned, the
kindness has been fully performed: but we shall continue to endure as
we may, and not be a trouble in any way to you. Now therefore, with full
conviction this is so, send out an army as speedily as ye may: for, as
we conjecture, the Barbarian will be here invading our land at no far
distant time but so soon as he shall be informed of the message sent,
namely that we shall do none of those things which he desired of us.
Therefore before he arrives here in Attica, it is fitting that ye come
to our rescue quickly in Boeotia." Thus the Athenians made answer, and
upon that the envoys went away back to Sparta.

NOTES TO BOOK VIII

1 [ See v. 77.]

2 [ i.e. triremes.]

3 [ {os to plethos ekastoi ton neon pareikhonto}: some read by
conjecture {oson to plethos k.t.l.}]

4 [ Perhaps "also" refers to the case of those who had come to
Thermopylai, cp. vii. 207: Others translate, "these Hellenes who had
come after all to Artemision," i.e. after all the doubt and delay.]

5 [ {pantes}: some MSS. have {plegentes}, which is adopted by most
Editors, "smitten by bribes."]

6 [ {dethen}, with ironical sense.]

7 [ {mede purphoron}: the {purphoros} had charge of the fire brought for
sacrifices from the altar of Zeus Agetor at Sparta, and ordinarily his
person would be regarded as sacred; hence the proverb {oude purphoros
esothe}, used of an utter defeat.]

8 [ {tou diekploou}.]

9 [ {kata stoma}.]

10 [ {sklerai brontai}: the adjective means "harsh-sounding."]

11 [ {akhari}.]

12 [ {ta Koila tes Euboies}.]

13 [ "having been roughly handled."]

14 [ {epi ten thalassan tauten}: some MSS. read {taute} for {tauten},
which is to be taken with {sullexas}, "he assembled the generals
there."]

15 [ {peripetea epoiesanto sphisi autoisi ta pregmata}.]

16 [ {paleseie}, a word which does not occur elsewhere, and is explained
by Hesychius as equivalent to {diaphtharein}. Various emendations have
been proposed, and Valla seems to have had the reading {apelaseie}, for
he says discessisset. Stein explains {paleseie} (as from {pale}) "should
contend."]

17 [ Some suppose the number "four thousand" is interpolated by
misunderstanding of the inscription in vii. 228; and it seems hardly
possible that the dead were so many as four thousand, unless at least
half were Helots.]

18 [ Some MSS. have "Tritantaichmes," which is adopted by many Editors.]

19 [ {neou}.]

20 [ {os anarpasomenoi tous Phokeas}