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τινες. It has been supposed that τινες refers to Isocrates, who in his Antidosis (180—185) expounds at length the usual Greek view of gymnastic. This is possible only if the present section was added within the last four years or so of Plato's life, which is most improbable. See Hirmer Entst. u. Komp. d. pl. Pol. p. 663, and Introd. § 4. In other passages the Antidosis has been held to presuppose the Republic: see Dümmler Chronologische Beitr. etc. pp. 12, 13. καθιστᾶσιν. Cf. Dem. 24. 145 οὗτος γὰρ (sc. ὁ νόμος）—οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς κεκριμένοις—κεῖται, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀκρίτοις, ἵνα μὴ—ἀναγκάζοιντο ἀγωνίζεσθαι, and Phil. 34 C (where however it is easy to write λάβωμεν). In the first of these cases the reference is, as here, to the establishment of laws or ordinances. καθιστᾶσιν is used somewhat like φησί 407 A. Madvig's emendation καθίστασαν commends itself to Weber (Entwick. d. Absichtssätze in Schanz's Beiträge II 2 p. 58) and others, but has not yet been proved to be necessary, and καθιστάναι below tells rather against it. For other examples of the idiom see Kühner Gr. Gr. II pp. 897, 898. Cases like Soph. O. C. 11 and El. 57, 760 are different, and have been justly emended. As regards the sentiment, it is characteristic of Plato to invent a historical sanction for his theories (cf. 414 B ff.); but he doubtless sincerely believed that the spirit of Greek gymnastics had degenerated.
The Republic of Plato. James Adam. 1902. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
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