Gonzalez Lodge, Commentary on Plato: Gorgias

ἡ τέχνη: const., in spite of the article, not with ἑκάστη, but with οὗ. This is the pred. while ἑκάστη is sub-ject. “Of which each (art) is the art.”

ἣ ἂν ἦ: the indef. rel. sentence is necessary, owing to the very general character of Gorgias' statements hitherto.

ταύτην: as referring to ἣ ἂν ᾖ is also indefinite. “If this you call rhetoric—any art which has to do with discourses.”

ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν: this phrase occurs in Plato 77 times (GMT. 777, 1). The ὡς is not to be considered as final, as in the Eng. ‘so to speak,’ but is rather comparative, in the meaning ‘in a word,’ though it is often convenient to translate by ‘so to speak.’ It is closely connected with the following πᾶσα, as in 456 a with ἁπάσας, 450 d with οὐδενός, Phaedo 78 e with οὐδαμῶς. Cf. Kr. 55, 1, 2. Its force is shown by its opposition to ἀκριβεῖ λόγῳ in Rep. i. 341 b ποτέρως λέγεις τὸν ἄρχοντα, τὸν ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν ἢ τὸν ἀκριβεῖ λόγῳ, and its employment here shows the inability of Gorgias to give a clear and sharp definition of his art.

κύρωσις: accomplishment, consequently effect, power. This unusual word, which Thucydides vi. 103 uses in the meaning decision, resolution, determination, is replaced below in e by the equally unusual κῦρος. More common is the verb κυροῦν confirm and κυροῦσθαι bring to pass, 451 b, c. Cf. also ἄκυρος void, inoperative, Crito 50 b, Prot. 356 d.