J. Adam, A. M. Adam, Commentary on Plato, Protagoras
J. Adam & A. M. Adam, Ed.

25. ὡς αὐτὰ δηλοῖ. The MSS. read αὐτά, which most recent editors change to αὐτό with Stephanus, regarding the idiom as analogous to that in 324Aαὐτό σε διδάξει, but in this idiomatic use of αὐτό the verb is generally, if not always, in the future. αὐτό που λέγει in Ar. Eq. 204 and the cases quoted by Blaydes in loc. are different, since in each case αὐτό has a definite antecedent expressed. ὡς αὐτὰ δηλοῖ is simply ‘as things themselves’, i.e. ‘as facts show’: the reference is to the speech which Protagoras has just delivered. Cf. Ar. Pol. IV. 12. 1331^a. 21 δῆλον ὡς αὐτὰ προκαλεῖται κτλ. and (with Heindorf) Xen. Cyr. VI. 1. 7 οὐκ οἶδα μὲν ἔγωγε, εἴ τι δεῖ λόγων, ὅπου αὐτὰ τὰ ἔργα δείκνυσι τὸ κράτιστον.

29. εἴ μοι ἀποκρίναιο τόδε. The optative follows σμικροῦ τινὸς ἐνδεής εἰμι πάντ᾽ ἔχειν as virtually equivalent to πάντ᾽ ἂν ἔχοιμι (Heindorf).

30. εἴπερ ἄλλῳ τῳ ἀνθρώπων πειθοίμην ἄν, καὶ σοὶ πείθομαι. The fullness of expression is no doubt intentional: Socrates politely dwells upon his compliment. The objections to the syntax are twofold: (1) ἄν with the optative in protasis; (2) εἴπερ (in clauses of this kind) with its verb expressed. Cases of the potential optative in the protasis are given by Goodwin, M.T. p. 192 (e.g. Xen. Mem. I. 5. 3 εἴ γε μηδὲ δοῦλον ἀκρατῆ δεξαίμεθ᾽ ἄν, πῶς οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτόν γε φυλάξασθαι τοιοῦτον γενέσθαι;): for εἴπερ with verb expressed Heindorf cites Meno, 98B ἀλλ᾽ εἴπερ τι ἄλλο φαίην ἂν εἰδέναι (ὀλίγα δ᾽ ἂν φαίην) ἓν δ᾽ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο ἐκείνων θείην ἂν ὧν οἶδα. Socrates' νῦν δὲ πέπεισμαι (hardly serious) in 328Eis not inconsistent with πειθοίμην ἄν, since he at once qualifies his assent by πλὴν σμικρόν τί μοι ἐμποδών: it is sufficiently represented here by καὶ σοὶ πείθομαι. We therefore agree with Heindorf, Wayte, and Turner in retaining the MSS. reading: other editors mostly read either εἴπερ ἄλλω̣ τῳ ἀνθρώπων πειθοίμην ἂν καὶ σοί, or drop πειθοίμην ἄν and retain καὶ σοὶ πείθομαι.