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πρῶτον μὲν κτλ. A certain measure of communism in property seems to have existed among the Pythagoreans (RP.^{7} p. 43); but there is no reason to suppose that Plato is deliberately borrowing from them here: cf. Steinhart Einleitung p. 179. The main object of Plato is of course to prevent the formation of private interests likely to compete with the claims of public duty. We remark that there has been no hint so far of common wives and children, although Blaschke (der Zusammenhang d. Fam. u. Gütergemeinschaft d. pl. St. m. d. pol. u. phil. Syst. Platos p. 7) thinks he finds one in 415 A. Cf. 415 D note ἂν μὴ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη. For ᾖ omitted see II 371 A note The conjecture ἥν for ἄν (Herwerden) is elegant, but superfluous. τὰ δ̓ ἐπιτήδεια -- μισθόν. It is fair that the lower classes should provide the others with the means of leisure, for it is they who ‘reap all the benefit of the laborious training bestowed on the guardians.’ They are the ‘ultimate and capital objects’ of Plato's solicitude. Grote justly adds that “this is a larger and more generous view of the purpose of political institutions than we find either in Aristotle or in Xenophon” (l.c. III p. 213). ταξαμένους is strangely represented in Schneider's translation by “zu bestimmten Zeiten.” It refers to the fixing of fees or payments in return for services rendered. Cf. Men. 91 B.
The Republic of Plato. James Adam. 1902. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
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