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μείζονά τε αὖ τήν . τέ is ἀνακόλουθον (Hoefer de part. Pl. p. 14): for other instances in the Republic see V 463 D, VII 522 B, IX 575 A. In this passage Richter would change τε αὖ τήν into τοιαύτην, comparing 372 E; but the text is sound, and τοιαύτην would be quite wrong. αὐτὴν τὴν πόλιν (cf. 370 E), conjectured by Heller instead of αὖ τὴν πόλιν, is neat but needless.

πλήθους : i.e. πλήθους τούτων , as Ficinus understood the words. Stallbaum's alternative suggestion (that refers directly to ὄγκου and πλήθους) gives a poor sense. Cf. infra 373 E note

θηρευταὶ πάντες. The addition of πάντες shews that θηρευταί is used in a wide sense, including every variety of fishing as well as hunting: Laws 823 B θήρα γὰρ πάμπολύ τι πρᾶγμά ἐστί, περιειλημμένον ὀνόματι νῦν σχεδὸν ἑνί. πολλὴ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐνύδρων, πολλὴ δὲ τῶν πτηνῶν, πάμπολυ δὲ καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰ πεζὰ θηρεύματα. In Euthyd. 290 B—D, Soph. 219 E ff., and Laws (l.c.), Plato makes θηρευτική include ‘fishing for men’ e.g. in war, or by Sophists etc. This wider meaning clearly rests upon a Platonic—or rather Socratic (see Xen. Mem. II 6. 29, quoted by J. and C.)—metaphor, and is not intended here. Cf. Benseler in Fl. Jahrb. 1881, pp. 236 ff. Aristotle on the other hand regards hunting as characteristic of the most primitive society (Pol. A 8. 1256^{a} 35 ff.), and so too Plato himself in Laws 679 A.

ῥαψῳδοί -- ἐργολάβοι are the poet's servants. In Athens and elsewhere they formed regular guilds or σύνοδοι τῶν περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον τεχνιτῶν: cf. Arist. Probl. XXX 10. 956^{b} 11 οἱ Διονυσιακοὶ τεχνῖται. The ἐργολάβος contracted with the poet for the performance of his play, acting as a kind of financial agent or middleman between him and the σύνοδος to which he belonged. See Müller Bühnenalterthümer, pp. 392—414.

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  • Commentary references from this page (3):
    • Plato, Sophist, 219e
    • Plato, Euthydemus, 290b
    • Xenophon, Memorabilia, 2.6.29
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