[135] Περαίνειν.] Sc. τὸν λόγον. This is the sense in which this word has been taken, I believe, by most readers; as in Æsch. Pers. 699, and elsewhere. Sturz, in his Lexicon, seems to take it in the sense of to execute, to proceed to action.
[136] Εἰ δὲ τι ἄλλο βέλτιον ἤ ταύτῃ.] Understand δοκεῖ ἔχειν. Kühner. "But if anything else (seems) better (to any one) than in this way."
[137] Ἐπειδὴ καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιός ἐστι.] The καὶ, also, refers to something understood: "since he is not only a brave man, but also a Lacedæmonian." Kühner. The Lacedæmonians were then at the head of Greece: comp. v. 9. 26; vi. 6. 12. Zeune.
[138] Πίστεως ἕνεκα.] To watch him, lest he should act treacherously. Kühner.
[139] Πόλεμον ἀκήρυκτον.] Properly war in which there is no use for heralds, but in which all is violent and desperate; so that ἀκήρυκτος will be equivalent, according to Hesychius, to ἀδιάλλακτος, implacable, irreconcilable. See Erasm. Adag. iii. 3. 84. Sturz Lex. Others rather think it a deadly war, not commenced by sending heralds, and not to be terminated by sending them. Kühner. See Herod. v. 81.
[140] Cyrus's Greek auxiliaries for the expedition had consisted only of infantry; all his cavalry was either Asiatic or Thracian. The Thracian horse had deserted, and the Asiatic cavalry had gone over to Tissaphernes soon after the battle.
[141] Τούτῳ μὲν.] As τίνες πέπανται immediately precedes, the singular τούτῳ rather startles the reader; but there are not wanting examples of similar irregularity.
[142] Ἀτέλειαν.] Exemption, for instance, from keeping guard and keeping watch. Krüger.
[143] Τῷ σφενδονᾶν ἐντεταγμένω ἐθέλοντι.] "To him willing to be a slinger, being enrolled in the company (of slingers)." This is the reading of Schneider, and Dindorf, and Bornemann. Kühner and some others prefer ἐν τῷ τεταγμένῳ, "in the place appointed him."
[144] Σπολάδες.] This form of the word is preferred by Dindorf, Schneider, Bornemann, and Kühner prefer στολάδες, both in this passage and in iv. 1. 18. Both forms seem to have been in use, and to have had the same signification; but σπολάς to have been the more common. See Pollux, 1. 135. Hesychius has πολὰς, χιτωνίσκος βαθὺς, σκύτινος, ὁ βύρσινος θώραξ. See Pollux, 7. 70; 10. 143. Suidas, Phavorinus, and Photius give similar interpretations.