James Adam, Commentary on Plato, Republic, ed. James Adam, 10.595C

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[595C] τῶν καλῶν κτλ. καλῶν is of course ironical. For the sense cf. 598 D, 602 B, 607 A, Theaet. 152 E οἱ <*>κροι τῆς ποιήσεως ἑκατέρας, κωμῳδίας μὲν Ἐπίχαρμος, τραγῳδίας δὲ Ὅμηρος and ib. 153 A, with Arist. Poet. 4. 1448^{b} 35 ff., 5. 1449^{b} 16 ff. It will be remembered that Aeschylus called his dramas τεμάχη τῶν Ὁμήρου μεγάλων δείπνων (Athen. VIII 347 E). Herwerden, quite without reason, so far as I can see, brackets τῶν τραγικῶν. It is unkind of Aristotle to purloin this sentiment in order to introduce his attack on Plato's theory of Ideas in Eth. Nic. I 4. 1096^{a} 11 ff., and Plato might well complain, in the words of Aeschylus, τάδ’ οὐχ ὑπ’ ἄλλων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς αὑτῶν πτεροῖς. To read ἁνήρ for ἀνήρ, as has been proposed, would make a general statement particular, and spoil the antithesis between ἀνήρ and ἀληθείας. The reference in ὃ λέγω is to ῥητέον in line 11 above: cf. VII 541 B.

μίμησιν κτλ. In III 392 C ff., μίμησις, in its application to Poetry, was regarded primarily as a form of style or λέζις, viz. the imitative or dramatic )( the narrative, and in this sense it included tragedy, comedy, and the strictly dramatic parts of epic and other poetry (394 C). But even in Book III μίμησις and its cognate notions have sometimes a wider application (e.g. 401 B—402 C). The following discussion tries to define the essential meaning of μίμησις in general by its relation to the Theory of Ideas. It should be noted that Poetry and Art were admitted to be μιμήσεις in Plato's day: cf. Laws 668 B τοῦτό γε πᾶς ἂν ὁμολογοῖ περὶ τῆς μουσικῆς, ὅτι πάντα τὰ περὶ αὐτήν ἐστι ποιήματα μίμησίς τε καὶ ἀπεικασία, with Xen. Mem. III 10. 1 —8, Plato Crat. 424 D , 430 B ( τὰ ζῳγραφήματα —μιμήματα—πραγμάτων τινῶν, 434 A, Soph. 266 D ), Prot. 312 D , Critias 107 B et al. See also on III 392 C and cf. Stählin Poesie in d. plat. Phil. p. 25. On the contrast between Plato's view of Imitation in Book X and that of Aristotle in his Poetics, see Butcher Theory of Poetry^{2} etc. pp. 115—152. Walter has justly remarked ( Gesch. d. Aesthetik im Altertum p. 442) that μίμησις, with its question-begging connotation, was in many ways an unfortunate word by which to describe the essence of Art, though in view of what Aristotle made of it, I should not go so far as to say that ‘Imitation is an unproductive principle, and dries up aesthetic life’ (ib.). If Poetry, and not Painting and Statuary, had determined the Greek view of Art, we should probably hear more of Creation ( ποίησις), and less of Imitation, in ancient discussions on aesthetics; and it is difficult not to regret that Plato did not select a new and more fruitful point of view. See also on 598 A, B.

ἐπεὶ πολλὰ κτλ. is neither arrogant nor rude, if we realise the situation: see on VII 532 E f.

Commentary on Plato, Republic. James Adam. ed. James Adam. Cambridge. 1926-1929.

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Commentary on Plato, Republic (English) (Plato. The Republic, Vol 1-2. Adam, James, editor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1902-1903.)

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Πολιτεία Perseus (Platonis Opera Tomus IV: Tetralogia VIII. Burnet, John, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 10.595 focus

[595] 595a
καὶ μήν, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα περὶ αὐτῆς ἐννοῶ, ὡς παντὸς ἄρα μᾶλλον ὀρθῶς ᾠκίζομεν τὴν πόλιν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ἐνθυμηθεὶς περὶ ποιήσεως λέγω.
τὸ ποῖον; ἔφη.
τὸ μηδαμῇ παραδέχεσθαι αὐτῆς ὅση μιμητική· παντὸς γὰρ μᾶλλον οὐ παραδεκτέα νῦν καὶ ἐναργέστερον, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, φαίνεται, ἐπειδὴ χωρὶς ἕκαστα διῄρηται τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς 595b εἴδη.
πῶς λέγεις;
ὡς μὲν πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰρῆσθαι—οὐ γάρ μου κατερεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς τῆς τραγῳδίας ποιητὰς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας τοὺς μιμητικούς—λώβη ἔοικεν εἶναι πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα τῆς τῶν ἀκουόντων διανοίας, ὅσοι μὴ ἔχουσι φάρμακον τὸ εἰδέναι αὐτὰ οἷα τυγχάνει ὄντα.
πῇ δή, ἔφη, διανοούμενος λέγεις;
ῥητέον, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ· καίτοι φιλία γέ τίς με καὶ αἰδὼς ἐκ παιδὸς ἔχουσα περὶ Ὁμήρου ἀποκωλύει λέγειν. ἔοικε μὲν 595c γὰρ τῶν καλῶν ἁπάντων τούτων τῶν τραγικῶν πρῶτος διδάσκαλός τε καὶ ἡγεμὼν γενέσθαι. ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ πρό γε τῆς ἀληθείας τιμητέος ἀνήρ, ἀλλʼ, ὃ λέγω, ῥητέον.
πάνυ μὲν οὖν, ἔφη.
ἄκουε δή, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀποκρίνου.
Ἐρώτα.
μίμησιν ὅλως ἔχοις ἄν μοι εἰπεῖν ὅτι ποτʼ ἐστίν; οὐδὲ γάρ τοι αὐτὸς πάνυ τι συννοῶ τί βούλεται εἶναι.
ἦ που ἄρʼ, ἔφη, ἐγὼ συννοήσω.

Translations (1)

Republic Perseus (Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vol. 5-6. Shorey, Paul, translator. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1935-37 (printing).) — 10.595 focus

[595] 595a
And truly, I said, many other considerations assure me that we were entirely right in our organization of the state, and especially, I think, in the matter of poetry.¹ What about it? he said. In refusing to admit² at all so much of it as is imitative³; for that it is certainly not to be received is, I think, 595b still more plainly apparent now that we have distinguished the several parts⁴ of the soul. What do you mean? Why, between ourselves⁵—for you will not betray me to the tragic poets and all other imitators—that kind of art seems to be a corruption⁶ of the mind of all listeners who do not possess, as an antidote⁷ a knowledge of its real nature. What is your idea in saying this? he said. I must speak out, I said, though a certain love and reverence for Homer⁸ that has possessed me from a boy would stay me from speaking. 595c For he appears to have been the first teacher and beginner of all these beauties of tragedy. Yet all the same we must not honor a man above truth,⁹ but, as I say, speak our minds. By all means, he said. Listen, then, or rather, answer my question. Ask it, he said. Could you tell me in general what imitation is? For neither do I myself quite apprehend what it would be at. It is likely, then,¹⁰ he said, that I should apprehend!

James Adam Commentary on Plato, Republic 10.595C

ed. James Adam

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