Thales as the First Inquirer into Nature

Notes

1. 40.1Θαλῆς δὲ πρῶτος παραδέδοται ... ἐκφῆναι — The verb παραδέδοται (3rd person singular perfect passive of παραδίδωμι) takes the nominative subject Θαλῆς and the infinitive ἐκφῆναι (aorist active infinitive of ἐκφαίνω) in a personal passive construction ('Thales is reported to have been the first to...'). πρῶτος functions predicatively with the subject to mean 'first'.
2. 40.1πολλῶν μὲν καὶ ἄλλων προγεγονότων — A genitive absolute construction with πολλῶν καὶ ἄλλων as the subject and προγεγονότων (perfect active participle, genitive masculine plural of προγίγνομαι) as the participle. In connection with the subsequent μὲν ... δὲ ... contrast, it is best interpreted as concessive ('although many others had existed before').
3. 40.1πολὺ διενεγκὼν ἐκείνων ὡς ἀποκρύψαι — διενεγκὼν is the aorist active participle (nominative singular masculine of διαφέρω, 'to surpass'), agreeing with the subject (Thales). It governs the genitive of comparison ἐκείνων ('than them') and is modified by the adverbial πολύ ('by far'). This participle expresses cause or circumstance, leading to the result clause introduced by ὡς with the infinitive ἀποκρύψαι ('so as to obscure').