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

γίγνοιτο the present tense, is used because the general revolution to oligarchy (ἡ μετάστασις) is not yet complete or assured, the consent of the army in Samos being required; the optative because the reason alleged may or may not be true. ἐξεῖναι γὰρ. ἂν should not be supplied The possibility actually occurred. Their own words would be ἐξῆν γὰρ, ὅτε ἐσέβαλον (sc. οἱ πολέμιοι, in c. 71, § 1) ἤδη ἡμῶν (sc. τῶν τετρακοσίων) ἀρχόντων κ.τ.λ.

τῶν τε πεντακισχιλίων . . . μεθέξουσιν either (1) πάντες τῶν πεντακισχιλίων μεθέξουσι τῶν πραγμάτων (c. 65, § 3) or τῆς πολιτείας; cf. c. 72, § 1, πεντακισχίλιοί τε ὅτι εἶεν καὶ οὐ τετρακόσιοι μόνον οἱ πράσσοντες: or (2) πάντες μεθέξουσι τῶν πεντακισχιλίων, ‘all should have a share in the 5000,’ i.e. all shall share their functions in turn. Against the latter it may be urged that the statement was contrary to their orders (c. 72, § 1), and contrary to the principle involved; nor does it appear natural Greek. c. 93, § 2 seems to settle the matter, λέγοντες τούς τε πεντακισχιλίους καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἐν μέρει, ᾗ ἂν τοῖς πεντακισχιλίοις δοκῇ, τοὺς τετρακοσίους ἔσεσθαι. The partitive genitive with πάντες as in c. 21.

κακὸν ἔχουσιν οὐδὲν said of οἱ πάσχοντες as κακὰ παρέχειν is said of οἱ ποιοῦντες. Cf. πόνον ἔχειν (ii. 76), αἰτίαν ἔχειν, etc.

ἐπὶ τοῖς σφετέροις αὐτῶν ‘in possession of their own belongings.’

ἕκαστοι the plural for each man's set of οἰκεῖοι.