F. A. Paley, Select Private Orations of Demosthenes

---

πέρας δ᾽ οὖν ‘In fine,’ ceterum. See on Or. 37 § 43. Equivalent to ἵνα δὲ μὴ μακρὰ λέγω. The construction of the long sentence following is irregular. He might have said, ἐπειδὴ ἔλαβε ὁ Παρμενίσκος—ἐξαιρεῖται τὸν σῖτον καταφρονήσας κ.τ.λ., and the plural καταφρονήσαντες may have been used because the speaker is conscious that he is really describing the acts of two persons in concert. Another, and perhaps a better way of explaining the anomaly is to regard λαβὼν γὰρ — ἀποδίδοται as parenthetical, and to suppose that πρᾶγμα ποιοῦσι δεινότατον was intended to follow after ἐνόχους, the last word of the paragraph, but was forgotten in the careless composition of a long sentence. G. H. Schaefer would read πέρας δὲ, and καταφρονήσας in both places, while Reiske proposed ἀποδίδονται for ἀποδίδοται. [The simplest course is to follow A in omitting γάρ. S.]

πυθόμενος — καθεστηκυίας ‘learning the market-prices here’ (so Kennedy takes it), not ‘learning that the market here was quiet,’ i.e. that prices were about the average (as Mr Mayor understands it, p. 250). Cf. § 8 πρὸς τὰς καθεστηκυίας τιμάς.

τοὺς έπιβάτας ‘Must not the word ἐπιβάτης have had some technical sense which does not appear in our lexicons? It seems hardly possible that ordinary passengers should have been liable to the severest punishment if they changed their destination. I understand it of an agent sent in charge of goods.’ (Mr Mayor, p. 250.) [Similarly in the seventh ed. of Liddell and Scott: ‘a merchant on board ship,’ ‘a supercargo.’ See § 24, Or. 34 § 51, and 32 §§ 4, 5. In 50 § 10 it means (as often) ‘a marine.’ S.]