History of the Peloponnesian War

Such was his speech; but he did not persuade Alcidas. On the other hand, some of the exiles from Ionia and the Lesbians who were on board with them, advised, that since lie was afraid of that danger, he should seize one of the Ionian cities, or Cyme in Aeolia; so that having a city as the base of their operations they might excite Ionia to revolt: (and there was reason to hope this, for their arrival was unwelcome to no one.) If then they should take away from the Athenians this their chief source of revenue, [*]( The difficulties in the construction of this passage are too numerous to be even separately mentioned here. What I have given is, I think, the most probable meaning of the original, according to Arnold's text; as the position of the σφίσι seems absolutely to require that it should be taken after γίνηται, and not after ἐφορμοῦσιν Göller and Bloomfield reject it altogether as a mere gloss; and according to that reading the ἐφορμοῦσιν would, of course, refer to the Athenians. For my own part, I am far from certain that ἐφορμῶσιν, the reading which is found in all the manuscripts, has not unnecessarily been altered; whether αὐτούς or αὐτοῖς be the genuine form of the pronoun governed by it. In the former case it would mean, if they should be put to expense by exciting them to hostilities, i. e. the Ionians, understood from τὴν ʼιωνίαν the latter 'by attacking them.' For though the middle voice of the verb is more generally used in that sense, I cannot think it impossible that Thucydides might sometimes use the active also; as Euripides does, Hippol. 1270.) and if at the same time they should themselves incur the expense of keeping a fleet of observation, they thought they should prevail on Pisuthnes also to take part in the war with them.

He did not, however, accede to this proposal either; but was most strongly inclined, since he had come too late for Mytilene, to reach the Peloponnese again as quickly as possible.