T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8

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καὶ αὐτός τε. Most editors read δὲ for τε. The Herodotean τε in the sense of ‘too’ is claimed here by Classen and Jowett as well as in i. 9, where MSS. give καὶ ναυτικῷ τε (one omitting τε), and in vi. 44, καὶ πρός τε τοὺς Ῥηγίνους (where 3 MSS. omit τε). See Jowett's lengthy argument and citations on i. 9. The correction γε would perhaps be nearer than δὲ, if any correction were required. But Jowett's sufficient vindication of καὶ . . . τε is hardly called for here, since τε is the particle connecting the sentences and καὶ merely emphasises αὐτὸς, thus, τε (‘and’) καὶ αὐτὸς (‘in his own case’).

ἐπειδὴ τὰ κ.τ.λ. There is great confusion of reading at this point. Most of the best MSS. give ἐπειδὴ μετέστη ἡ δημοκρατία καὶ ἐς ἀγῶνας κατέστη μετὰ (τὰ for μετὰ one inferior MS.) τῶν τετρακοσίων ἐν ὑστέρῳ μεταπεσόντα ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου ἐκακοῦτο. The rest mostly have ἐπειδὴ τὰ τῶν τετρακοσίων κ.τ.λ., which is, of course, entirely easy. There is yet another variant ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τῶν τετρακοσίων μεταπεσόντα κ.τ.λ. The divergence is not easy to explain. We might with P-S assume that μετέστη ἡ δημοκρατία is a gloss on τὰ . . . μεταπεσόντα ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, and we might perhaps further suppose εἰς ἀγῶνας κατέστη to be a gloss on ἐκακοῦτο; but, on the other hand, the omission of the words from μετέστη to μετὰ may be due to the eye of the copyist passing from the former to the latter, while the omission of τὰ after μετὰ may be accidental. For readings proposed, see crit. note. The reading of the best MSS. is plainly untranslatable, and its tautology is quite unendurable. The tautology might be lessened somewhat and a tolerable construction made by reading ὅτε τὰ for μετὰ, i.e. ἐπειδὴ μετέστη ἡ δημοκρατία καὶ ἐς ἀγῶνας κατέστη (sc. Ἀντιφῶν), ὅτε τὰ τῶν τετρακοσίων ἐν ὑστέρῳ μεταπεσόντα ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου ἐκακοῦτο (‘at the time when, etc.’) If there is any truth in this conjecture, it might next be supposed that the vulgate ἐπειδὴ . . . κατέστη, ὅτε τὰ . . . ἐκακοῦτο arose from conflation of a genuine reading and its gloss, i.e. either ὅτε τὰ . . . ἐκακοῦτο is a gloss on ἐπειδὴ . . . κατέστη or vice versa. From the fact that some MSS. give ἐπειδὴ τὰ τῶν κ.τ.λ., and from the quality of the expressions, I am induced to prefer the reading given in the text, though ὅτε and not ἐπειδὴ may, according to the theory offered, be what Thucydides wrote. The question is one which scarcely admits of settlement. Fortunately the general meaning is in no way affected. [Keeping the whole suggested reading ἐπειδὴ μετέστη . . . ὅτε τὰ . . . ἐκακοῦτο, we might render ‘after the democracy had come about again and Antiphon was arraigned, at the time when the acts of the 400 (which had subsequently been overturned by the people) were meeting with punishment.’ In this case μετέστη ἡ δημοκρατία = ‘the democracy came about through a change,’ not (as P-S seems to suppose) ‘the democracy was overthrown.’ Cf. Plat. Rep. 553 E, ἐξ ἧς μεταβολῆς ὀλιγαρχία μετέστη (‘came about’). ἐς ἀγῶνας κατέστη would refer to his several arraignments on the several charges.] On the return to democracy and the subsequent arraignments see Grote, Hist. Gr. pt. ii. c. lxii. (vol. vii. pp. 315-329).

μεταπεσόντα ‘reversed.’ As a quasi-passive (of μεταβάλλειν) it is joined with ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, though these words are felt ἀπὸ κοινοῦ with ἐκακοῦτο.

δίκην άπολ. acc. of closer definition or extent of action, analogous to δίκην διώκειν, ἑλεῖν etc. τινα.

ἀπολογησάμενος in the lost speech περὶ μεταστάσεως. This encomium is quoted by Cic. Brut. xii. 47, Antiphontem Rhamnusium . . . quo neminem umquam melius ullam oravisse capitis causam cum se ipse defenderet, se audiente, locuples auctor scripsit Thucydides (a sufficiently inexact statement).