Gonzalez Lodge, Commentary on Plato: Gorgias

ἐκεῖνα, ἐκεῖνο: the immediate repetition of the same pronoun with different reference is remarkable.

ταῦτα: refers back to ἅ.

σφάττειν: is purposely substituted as a harsher word for ἀποκτεινύναι. It implies that the person killed is defenseless: “to slaughter like an ox.”

ἁπλῶς οὕτως. thus sim- ply, “without limitation,” as one would have to assume if the view of Polus is to stand. Cf. Prot. 351 c οὐκ οἶδα ἁπλῶς οὕτω, ὡς σὺ ἐρωτᾷς, εἰ ἐμοὶ ἀποκριτέον ἐστίν, ὡς τὰ ἡδέα τε ἀγαθά ἐστιν κτἑ. Cf. 464 b.

τί οὐκ ἀποκρίνει: a challenge in the form of a question, because Polus hesitates to answer. He is beginning to feel concerned for his fondly cherished view and bold state ments. The same form recurs a few lines below, where Polus is just clearly recognizing his defeat. These artifices belong to the dramatic side of the dialogue, and take the place of the tedious repetitions which weary us in the narrative form; i.e., in Prot. 360 c, d συνέφη—ἐπένευσεν— καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔτι ἐπένευσεν—πάνυ μόγις ἐνταῦθα ἐπένευσεν—οὐκέτι ἐνταῦθα οὔτ᾽ ἐπινεῦσαι ἠθέλησεν ἐσίγα τε.