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οὐκ ἦν σοφὸς -- εἰπών. Teichmüller (Lit. Fehd. I p. 22 note) finds in this an allusion to Xenophon, who puts into the mouth of Socrates (addressing Critobulus in Mem. II 6. 35) the words ἔγνωκας ἀνδρὸς ἀρετὴν εἶναι, νικᾶν τοὺς μὲν φίλους εὖ ποιοῦντα, τοὺς δὲ ἐχθροὺς κακῶς: but the reference is only to 331 E σοφὸς γὰρ καὶ θεῖος ἀνήρ. The presents φησίν and νοεῖ are used in a general way, because such a theory and such an interpretation of it might be held by any one at any time: in οὐκ ἦν σοφὸς ὁ ταῦτα εἰπών the time is changed to the past to suggest οὐκ ἦν Σιμωνίδης ὁ ταῦτα εἰπών (Simonides being σοφός 331 E). But for ὁ ταῦτα εἰπών, ἦν would be ἐστι. It is a mistake to take ἦν as ‘is after all’: ἦν is hardly so used in Plato without ἄρα, nor is Phaedr. 230 A (cited by Goodwin MT. p. 13) an example of that idiom. ἐάν τις αὐτὸ φῇ -- Σιμωνίδην: as Xenophon virtually does in Hier. II 2: see 331 E note τῶν σοφῶν τε καὶ μακαρίων ἀνδρῶν . μακάριος is somewhat stronger than θεῖος, which it suggests, μάκαρες being a usual epithet of gods. The whole phrase is intended to carry us back to 331 E σοφὸς γὰρ καὶ θεῖος ἀνήρ. Ast's view that μακαρίων means “qui ante nostram aetatem floruerunt,” as if ‘sainted,’ misses the allusion to 331 E, and is a little far-fetched: it is enough that μακάριος conveys the same ironical commendation as θεῖος: cf. (with Stallbaum) Men. 71 A. ἐγὼ γοῦν. See cr. n. With Hartman, I adopt Bekker's restoration: cf. VII 527 D. For γοῦν A everywhere writes γοὖν.
The Republic of Plato. James Adam. 1902. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
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