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The sentence is carefully balanced; καὶ τῶν ὁμούρων answers to μάλα (= μαλ᾽ αὖτις, ‘in their turn’) τῶν ἐχομένων.

προέβαινε γὰρ κτλ. is variously explained:

(1) Rawlinson refers τὸ ἔθνος to the Persians; but this is incorrect in fact and spoils the antithesis.

(2) Stein takes it of the Medes; translate ‘The race went forward thus ever from government by themselves (ἄρχον) to government through others’ (ἐπιτροπεῦον); but it is hard to get this sense out of ἐπιτροπεῦον, which = ‘administering’ (iii. 36. 3) or ‘being regent for’ (655); the above sense would require ἐπιτρέπον, i. e. ‘deputing’ (τὴν ἀρχήν), and the ellipse would be harsh.

(3) It is simplest therefore to make τὸ ἔθνος distributive, ‘each nation took its place in order as ruler and administrator.’ This sentence then simply repeats generally what H. has already said more definitely above; it may be a gloss, and Krüger brackets it.

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