F. A. Paley, Select Private Orations of Demosthenes

παραχρῆμα ‘On the spur of the moment, without even considering the matter.’ It is clear that the claiming party, οἱ ἀμφισβητοῦντες, did not expect this result; their offer was not made bona fide, for they did not intend to pay Nicobulus his dues: in fact, their pretended claims seem to have been made only in collusion with Pantaenetus.

τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ εἰς τοῦτο προῆκτο Phil. II § 2 εἰς τοῦτο προηγμένα τὰ πράγματα.]

οἱ τότε κ.τ.λ. sc. οἱ ἀμφισβητοῦντες, § 7.

κατ᾽ αὐτό γε τοῦτο ‘And on this very point assuredly they showed their wisdom,’ viz. in not paying us the money without purchasing from us the absolute property in the mine, since a claim for damages was now being made, which might seriously affect the value of it. Inf. § 30 he says that ‘no one would accept Pantaenetus as the vendor.’ Of course, the ἡμεῖς preceding is emphatic.

ὑπὸ τούτων (Dind.) is rather obscure. The claimants saw that an action was brought against us (Evergus and Nicobulus) by Pantaenetus, and thought that if it went against us we might not have security to offer them. From § 30 it would seem that the purchasers thought they had a full power of sale; and the claiming party accordingly demand that the mine shall be sold to them if they advance the money due. Perhaps we should read ὑπὸ τούτου (Bekk.), for Mnesicles can hardly be included. Kennedy seems to have been nearly right in translating ‘for they saw the pettifogging tricks which this man was playing up.’ Sup. § 8, Evergus is said σεσυκοφαντῆσθαι. [The phrase is bracketed by Blass.]