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ἐπελπίζων, ‘hoping besides’ Cf. ἐπιθεραπεύων, c. 47, § 1. The verb has a causal sense in c. 1, § 1, but one similar to this in Eur. Hipp. 1011. καὶ is to be expressed by emphasis on the verb ‘that they could change.’ μεταβαλεῖται The subject is perhaps ὁ δῆμος, though Dukas says ἡ ὀλιγαρχία δηλονότι. Cf. μεταθέσθαι, c. 53, § 3; μεταβαλλομένους, c. 90, § 1; i. 71, etc. A people is said μεταβάλλειν τὸ ἔθος (i. 123) or τὴν πολιτείαν (Aristot. Pol. iv. 5, 2), or, without the object, μεταβάλλεσθαι.
πράσσειν. The object is τὰ πρὸς τὸν Τισσαφέρνη, which is at the same time the subject of ἕξειν. ὅπῃ ἂν . . . δοκοίη . . . ἕξειν The direct narration would have ὅπῃ ἂν ὑμῖν δοκῇ ἄριστα ἕξειν. According to rule this should in indirect narration after a past tense either become ὅπῃ δοκοίη or remain ὅπῃ ἂν δοκῇ. The rule, however, by a confusion has its exceptions, if MSS. are to be trusted: see Goodwin, M. and T. § 702, and § 692, and the quotations there. The present instance, owing to the discrepant readings and the facility of corruption either way, must be put down as doubtful; vii. 48, ἐξ ὧν ἄν τις εὖ λέγων, διαβάλλοι, where all MSS. agree, is a case somewhat easier than this. Inf. c. 68, § 1, κράτωτος ἐνθυμηθῆναι γενόμενος καὶ ἃ [ἂν] γνοίη εἰπεῖν, there is considerable evidence for the omission of ἂν (see note there) and an easy explanation of its appearance. In the present instance Thucyd. may the more easily have been led to write ἂν from a confusion between ὅπῃ δοκοίη ἄριστα ἂν ἔχειν (put in the usual idiomatic order ὅπῃ ἂν δοκοίη ἄριστα ἔχειν) and ὅπῃ δοκοίη ἄριστα ἕξειν, which is its equivalent. [These instances of ἂν with relative and optative are of course to be distinguished from those in which ἂν belongs to the verb and forms an apodosis, e.g. vii. 50, διαβουλεύσασθαι ὅπως ἂν πρότερον κινηθείη.]
Διομέδοντα καὶ Λέοντα. Cf. c. 23, § 1. It appears that they had returned to Athens.
ὁ μὲν Πείσανδρος, answered by ὁ δὲ Λέων κ.τ.λ., c. 55, § 1. τὰς ξυνωμοσίας κ.τ.λ. Cf. Livy, ix. 26, coitiones honorum adipiscendorum causa factae (called also factiones, sodalitates). Grote has a full note on the subject in Hist. G. pt. ii. c. lxii These caucuses and clubs are alluded to in Plat. Rep. 365 D, ἐπὶ τὸ λανθάνειν ξυνωμοσίας τε καὶ ἑταιρείας συνάξομεν, by which βιασόμεθα ὡς πλεονεκτοῦντες μὴ διδόναι δίκην. Cf. Plat. Theaet. 173 D, σπουδαὶ ἑταιρειῶν ἐπ᾽ ἀρχάς. They are said here to be intended ‘to control lawsuits and offices.’ An oath of such a ξυνωμοσία is given in Aristot. Pol. v. 7, 19, as τῷ δήμῳ κακόνους ἔσομαι καὶ βουλεύσω ὅ τι ἂν ἔχω κακόν. ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν ‘to suit the present exigcncies.’ διαμέλλεσθαι impersonal passive: ‘so that there should be no delay.’
Commentary on Thucydides Book 8. T.G. Tucker. London. MacMillan & Company. 1892.
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