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προαπώλετο, gnomic aorist. The reading of S is προαπόλωλε τὸ ἐφ᾽ ὃ ἂν, of the other MSS. προαπόλωλεν ἐφ᾽ ἃ ἂν. τῶν πραγμάτων, either subjective, ‘opportunities offered by events,’ or objective, ‘opportunities for action.’ εἰρωνείαν, ‘feigned incapacity’; cf. § 7. ἃς ... δυνάμεις , as usually, for αἱ δυνάμεις ἃς. The allusion is to the forces of mercenary soldiers spoken of in § 24. οἷαί τε, sc. οὖσαι, the regular participial construction with verbs of proving. εἰς τοῦθ᾽ ὕβρεως, see on § 9 οἷ ἀσελγείας. The letter here read was presumably addressed to one or more of the principal towns of Euboea, and its drift was probably to encourage anti-Athenian feelings and hopes.
Demosthenes: Philippics I, II, III with Introduction and Notes. Gilbert A. Davies, M.A. 1949. Cambridge University Press.
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