ἑτέρως ἠδύνατο βέλτιον ἢ ὡς νῦν ἔχει κατεσκευάσθαι → otherwise they could have been constructed better than they are now (Galen, On the use of parts of the body 4.143.1 Kühn)
διαβάς: μτχ. αορ. βʹ του διαβαίνω.