James Adam, The Republic of Plato

---

αὐτὸ δικαιοσύνην. Not αὐτοδικαιοσύνην (with the second hand in A), which would be the (chiefly postPlatonic) expression for the Idea of Justice (cf. αὐτοάνθ ρωπος and the like). αὐτό is ipsum, ‘by itself,’ as in αὐτοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν: cf. Theaet. 146 E γνῶναι ἐπιστήμην αὐτὸ ὄ τι ποτ᾽ ἐστιν, and infra V 472 C, X 612 B (cited by J. and C.). αὐτό may be thus used even when the feminine of the article is present, e.g. Prot. 361 A αὐτὸ ἡ ἀρετή: cf. also Crat. 411 D.

γίγνηται. The nominatives are treated as equivalent to a neuter plural, whence the singular verb. Cf. Symp. 188 B, Laws 925 E, Andocides I 145. γίγνεσθαι is the verb in each of these examples. See also infra V 462 E.

τῷ δικαίῳ. Schneider is right in refusing to change the δικαίῳ of A, II and most MSS to ἀδίκῳ, which has the authority of a few inferior MSS. The reference in διῆλθεν ἄρτι is no doubt to 362 B, where the benefits accrue to the man who seems to be just, although in reality he is unjust. But ὄντα etc. should be taken, not with διῆλθεν, but as part of the parents' exhortation. This yields a better rhythm, and much better sense. The parents exhort their children to be just, in order that (ἵνα depends on χρὴ δίκαιον εἶναι) they may obtain the rewards ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐδοκιμεῖν ὄντα τῷ δικαίῳ. They very properly assume that the surest way to seem to be just (and so to obtain the rewards of justice) is to be just: cf. Xen. Mem. II 6. 39 συντομωτάτη τε καὶ ἀσφαλεστάτη καὶ καλλίστη ὁδὸς—ὅ τι ἂν βούλῃ δοκεῖν ἀγαθὸς εἶναι, τοῦτο καὶ γενέσθαι ἀγαθὸν πειρᾶσθαι and ib. I 7. 1 with Heracl. Fr. 137 ed. Bywater συντομωτάτην ὁδὸν—εἰς εὐδοξίαν τὸ γενέσθαι ἀγαθόν. Glauco's picture of the just man as one who seems to be unjust is untrue to the facts of experience, as Socrates points out in X 612 D: nor did even Glauco go so far as to say that the unjust man, qua unjust, ηὐδοκίμει, but only ὁ δοκῶν δίκαιος εἶναι (who may, of course, be unjust). The divorce between appearance and reality is purely argumentative, and out of place in parental exhortations. Further, in order to make ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐδοκιμεῖν ὄντα etc. represent what Glauco said, we should have to read τῷ ἀδίκῳ μὲν δοκοῦντι δὲ δικαίῳ: otherwise the words δοξαζομένων δὲ ἀδίκων in the corresponding phrase (363 E) might just as well be omitted. If ὄντα is construed with διῆλθεν, the words τῷ δικαίῳ must (with Ast) be expunged: but that the clause represents what the parents say is further proved by the exact correspondence of ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐδοκιμεῖν ὄντα τῷ δικαίῳ with τὰς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς (sc. δικαιοσύνης) εὐδοκιμήσεις, which is what the parents praise. I have dwelt on this point at some length because recent English editors (except Tucker) have wrongly deserted Paris A.

τοῖς ὁσίοις depends on ἀγαθά (‘good things for the pious’): cf. ἀγαθὰ διῆλθε τῷ τοῦ ἀδίκου I 348 A note This is much simpler than to punctuate ἀγαθά, τοῖς ο<*>σίοις ἅ as the other editors do. Such a postponement of the relative is rare, and here, I think, unduly harsh, in spite of the analogy of III 390 B and IV 425 C. Cobet felt the difficulty when in an unhappy moment he suggested ἀγαθά, ἃ τοῖς ὁσίοις κτλ.

Ἡσίοδός τε κτλ. Hesiod and Homer are appealed to as recognised theological authorities: see Hdt. II 53.