76. Ἡσίοδον: in Works and Days, 289 ff. τῆς δ᾽ ἀρετῆς
ἱδπῶτα θεοὶ ρποράποιθεν ἔθηκαν ἀθάνατοι: μακπὸς δὲ καὶ ὄπθιος
οἶμος ἐς αὐτὴν καὶ τπηχὺς τὸ ρπῶτον: ἐρὴν δ᾽ εἰς ἄκπον ἵκηται,
ῥηιδίη δἤπειτα πέλει, χαλεπή περ ἐοῦσα. This passage was very
famous in antiquity: Plato cites it again in Rep. II. 364C, Laws,
IV. 718E. Hesiod in effect says it is difficult to become good, but
easy to be good. Simonides himself refers to Hesiod's verses in
Frag. 58 (Bergk) ἔστι τις λόγος τὰν ἀρετὰν ναίειν δυσαμβάτοις ἐπὶ
ρέτπαις, νῦν δέ μιν θεῶν χῶπον ἁγνὸν ἀμφέρειν. . .οὐδ᾽ ἀραντᾶν βλεφάποις θνατῶν ἔσορτον, ᾧ μὴ δακέθυμος ἱδπὼς ἔνδοθεν μόλῃ θ᾽ ἵκηταί
τ᾽ ἐς ἄκρον ἀνδρείας.
80. ἐκτῆσθαι: to be taken with ῥηϊδίην. B and T read
κτῆσθαι, but cf. 340E For the form see above on 319A
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