received the strictest orders to watch them and 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 probability, that it is not to be sought in the meaning. Differing from the commentators, I think that these words, προειρημένης φυλακῆς τῷ φιλίῳ ἐπίπλῳ, ὅπως αὐτῶν ἀνακῶς ἕξουσιν, ἢν ἐκπλέωσι, _do_ assign the reason for the fact which had 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 Elæûs. That reason was, that the Peloponnesian guard-squadron had before received special orders from Mindarus, _to concentrate its attention and watchfulness upon his approaching squadron_; hence it arose that they left the Athenians at Sestos unnoticed. The words τῷ φιλίῳ ἐπίπλῳ are equivalent to τῷ τῶν φίλων ἐπίπλῳ, and the pronoun ~αὐτῶν~, which immediately follows, refers to ~φίλων~ (_the approaching fleet of Mindarus_), not to the Athenians at Sestos, as the Scholiast and the commentators construe it. This mistake about the reference of αὐτῶν seems to me to have put them all wrong. That τῷ φιλίῳ ἐπίπλῳ must be construed as equivalent to τῷ τῶν φίλων ἐπίπλῳ is certain; but it is not equivalent to ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιπλεόντων φίλων; 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 ὁ ἐπίπλους into an acting and commanding 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 τῷ φιλίῳ ἐπίπλῳ is the dative case, governed by φυλακῆς; “_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 preposition _for_, expresses here exactly the sense of the Greek dative; that is, the _object, purpose, or persons whose benefit is referred to_.