τῶν τε ἐ. . . . ἀπορίᾳ . . . καὶ . . . ἦσαν—these are the two reasons given for κακῶς εἷχε, the principal clause replacing a subordinate.
τοὐναντίον—i.e. no longer westwards, with no further attempt to reach the high ground.
ἡ ξύμπασα ὁδὸς—Holm says that this refers to the whole of the march ever since they left Lysimeleia. Freeman however refers it to what immediately precedes about πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν. He thinks that it was the road leading eventually to Catana that the Syr. had specially blocked. But neither view is satisfactory. It is clear that ἡ ξύμπασα ὁδὸς αὕτη (1) is contrasted with τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ᾗ διενοήθησαν, (2) implies nothing of necessity as to their previous purpose, being a geographical note about ἡ πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν ὁδός. Thuc. does not say that the A. no longer hoped to reach Catana, but that this road did not lead ultimately in that direction. The intention of the A. was throughout the same— ἀποχωρεῖν ᾗ ἂν τάχιστα μέλλωσί τινος χωρίου . . . φιλίου ἀντιλήψεσθαι c. 60.2, whether circumstances offered Catana or any other place. (It is futile to discuss whether they intended ultimately to reach Catana or not. Probably the question was never discussed by them.)
φόβοι καὶ δείματα ἐγ—epexegesis of οἷον. Note δεῖμα panic, δέος apprehension, φόβος fear. [
ἀπὸ]—a dittography of the syllable that follows If this were genuine, we should have ἀπιοῦσιν. Moreover ‘si quis ἀπό τινος ἔρχεται, quodam modo eum eo conjunctns fuisse et nunc ab eo segregari cogitatur.’ Sobolewski.
ἀφικνοῦνται—sc. τὸ Νικίου στράτευμα. ὅμως means notwithstanding the trouble caused by the disorder of Demosthenes' division.
τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν Ἐλωρινὴν—the ancient road from Syr. to its dependency Helorus, which had been seized from the Sicels in order to prevent them from reaching the S.E. corner of Sicily. N. reached the road at some point north of the Cacyparis. 27
ὅπως—presumably this arrangement had been made with Demosthenes.
Κακυπάρει—the Cassibile.
ἄνω—inland. They still hoped to reach the hill country of the Sicels.
ἤλπιζον—Holm says that this seutence refers to c. 77.6 προπέπεμπται ὡς αὐτούς etc., and that this proves that the A. had not intended to get to Catana, since they had ordered the Sicels to meet them on the Cacyparis But if they had pursued their original route over the Acraean rock, they might have eome out somewhere near the source of the Cacyparis, but quite fourteen miles from where they now crossed the river. If they meant to follow thc river up to some point which they had been trying to reach from the first, still nothing is proved with regard to their ultimate intentions. Freeman thinks that Nicias had sent fresh messages to the Sicels when he changed his route. But it is quite likely that he assumed that the Sicels would march down the stream when they failed to find him higher up.
Ἐρινεόν—it is not certain what stream is meant; but it is generally thought to be the Cavallata.
ἐκέλευον—sc. χωρεῖν—this was done in the hope that they might find some way into the interior that was unoccupied by the enemy.
