νοι: epexegetic partic. to πᾶν ποιοῦσιν.
ὅπως ἂν ὦσιν κτἑ.: is a circumlocution for a third substantive.
τὰ συμβαίνοντα: “the results” obtained.
συλλογίσασθαι: “to sum up what has been proved.” See on 478 a above, in regard to the answers of Polus.
εἰ μὴ κτἑ.: affirms and admits; but because nothing else can be done.
ἆρ᾽ οὖν: regularly introduces a conjecture, which is expected to be confirmed by the other party; ἆρα alone is also often so used; ἆρα οὐ expects distinctly an affirmative answer. Often ἆρ᾽ οὖν approximates to ἆρ᾽ οὐ. Cf. 450 a.
μέγιστον κακόν: συμβαίνειν has (in addition to the inf.) the constr. of τυγχάνω. Hence the omission of the partic. is allowable. GMT. 890.
