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οὔτ᾽ ἐδιδάχθη. The ordinary antithesis between learning from others and perceiving for oneself; cf. Thuc. i. 138. 3 of Themistocles οἰκείᾳ συνέσει καὶ οὔτε προμαθὼν ἐς αὐτὴν οὐδὲν οὔτε έπιμαθών. The reproach against democracy is its lack of intelligence (ἀξυνετώτερον), and its consequent unprofitableness (ἀχρήιου); cf. Hes. W. and D. 296 ὃς δέ κε μήτ᾽ αὐτὸς νοέῃ μήτ᾽ ἄλλου ἀκούων ἐν θυμῷ βάλληται, δ᾽ αὖτ̓ ἀχρήιος ἀνήρ.

This passage is supposed by Maass (v.s.) to resemble Isocrates, Nic. 18, who would not prefer τοιαύτης πολιτείας μετέχειν ἐν ῂ̂ μὴ διαλήσει χρηστὸς ὢν μᾶλλον φέρεσθαι μετὰ τοῦ πλήθους μὴ γιγνωσκόμενος ὁποῖός τις ἐστι; but the meaning is quite different; H. refers to the blind impulses of a mob, Isocrates to merit lost in a crowd.

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