Plato Republic 5.459

κύνας θηρευτικοὺς κτλ. Cf. 451 D and Plut. Lyc. 15. 12 πολλὴν ἀβελτερίαν καὶ τῦφον ἐνεώρα τοῖς περὶ ταῦτα τῶν ἄλλων νομοθετήμασιν· οἳ κύνας μὲν καὶ ἵππους ὑπὸ τοῖς κρατίστοις τῶν ὀχείων βιβάζουσι—τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας ἐγκλεισάμενοι φρουροῦσιν κτλ. See also on 451 C, 460 C.

γίγνονται : ‘prove themselves to be’ (J. and C.), rather than ‘grow to be’ (D. and V.): cf. III 412 C οἱ δὲ γεωργῶν ἄριστοι ἆρ’ οὐ γεωργικώτατοι γίγνονται;

γεννᾶται : viz. τό τε—γένος, not τὸ γεννώμενον (suggested as an alternative explanation by J. and C.). For the sense cf. Xen. Mem. IV 23 (Jackson).

ἄκρων εἶναι . εἶναι is omitted by q and Flor. U. Without it, however, as Schneider points out, σφόδρα might be taken with δεῖ; whereas the sense requires it to go with ἄκρων. We should expect ἄκρους εἶναι—τοὺς ἄρχοντας, but the accusatives are attracted into the genitive by δεῖ. For an analogous idiom see III 407 B note

ἰατρὸν δέ που κτλ. μέν after δεομένοις balances δέ in ὅταν δὲ δή, and not ἀλλὰ—ὑπακούειν, which merely explains φαρμάκων by stating its antithesis. There is consequently no sufficient reason for changing ἐθελόντων into ἐθέλουσιν (with some inferior MSS, Stephanus, Madvig, and others), although ἐθέλουσιν would no doubt be more usual. For the genitive absolute cf. 458 D note I agree with Schneider and Campbell in taking the participle as neuter and not masculine (so Stallbaum and Jowett). ὑπακούειν is not ‘submit to’ but ‘respond to’—‘are willing to respond to,’ i.e. be cured by ‘a course of treatment without drugs’: cf. Prot. 325 A , and for δίαιτα contrasted with drugs III 406 D.

ἡγούμεθα κτλ. See cr. n. If εἶναι is retained after ἡγούμεθα, we must (with Ast in his second edition) understand Plato to mean ἡγούμεθα ἐξαρκεῖν καὶ φαυλότερον εἶναι, i.e. καίπερ φαυλότερον ὄντα, or else suppose that ἰατρὸν καὶ φαυλότερον εἶναι is an accusative and infinitive forming the subject to ἐξαρκεῖν. Neither explanation is simple or natural; and Stephanus, Madvig, and others have in my judgment some reason for expunging εἶναι, although its intrusion is not altogether easy to explain. It is possible enough that Plato wrote ἀνδρειοτέρου δεῖ <εἶναι> τοῦ ἰατροῦ in line 19 (cf. δεῖ ἄκρων εἶναι τῶν ἀρχόντων in B above); and the possibility is raised, I think, into a probability, when we thus obtain a natural explanation of the erroneous εἶναι after ἡγούμεθα. εἶναι following δεῖ appeared difficult, and was omitted, as it is in B above by q; a later scribe reinserted it in the wrong place. I have therefore ventured to transpose the word.

ἀνδρειοτέρου . It needs more courage to use drugs than to prescribe a regimen, because the risk is greater. Nothing could be more appropriate than Plato's use of the word, although it has been doubted by Richards. who proposed αὖ δριμυτέρου at first, and afterwards ἀνδρικωτέρου. With the general sentiment Poschenrieder ( die Plat. Dial. in ihrem Verhältnisse zu den Hippokr. Schr. p. 57) compares [Hippocr.] de victus ratione VI p. 592 c. 67 Littré προκαταλαμβάνειν τὴν <*>γίειαν, ὥστε τὰς νούσους μὴ προσπελάζειν, εἰ μή τις μεγάλα πάνυ ἐξαμαρτάνοι καὶ πολλάκις· ταῦτα δὲ φαρμάκων δέεται ἤδη.

ἔφαμεν . III 389 B. Cf. also II 382 C, D.

τὸ ὀρθὸν τοῦτο : i.e. this which you call right, viz. τὸ ψεῦδος. The medicinal lie frequently appears ( γίγνεται οὐκ ἐλάχιστον) in connexion with the marriages of the guardians, as Plato proceeds to shew. τοῖς γάμοις should not be made general; the reference is specific.

δεῖ μὲν κτλ. “The case resembles that of a breeding stud of horses and mares, to which Plato compares it: nothing else is wanted but the finest progeny attainable” Grote Plato III p. 205. It is worth while to compare Plato's arrangements with those of Aristophanes in Eccl. 616—634, in spite of the comedian's lewdness and buffoonery.

τῶν δὲ μή . Cf. 460 C and 461 C. It seems to me certain from these passages that Plato in this book lends his sanction to infanticide. This has often been denied, but without sufficient reason. The subject is discussed in App. IV.

ἀκρότατον . Cf. (with Schneider) σφόδρα ἄκρων in B above and ὡς ἀκρότατον in Laws 730 E. Stephanus' ἀκρατότατον is neat, but unnecessary, in spite of καθαρόν in 460 C.

ἀγέλη , like ποίμνιον, is intended “to recall the analogy of the lower animals” (J. and C.). Cf. 451 C note αὖ serves the same purpose, by suggesting that ἀγέλη has another and a more primitive signification.

ἑορταὶ κτλ. As the ἱερὸς γάμος was celebrated with a procession and sacrifices, ending with the κλίνη τῆς Ἥρας, so Plato's ἱεροὶ γάμοι are attended with religious rites and ceremonies: see 458 E note Plato apparently does not intend these State-marriages to last beyond the duration of a single festival. At each successive festival fresh unions would be tried.