Gonzalez Lodge, Commentary on Plato: Gorgias

δοκεῖ δέ μοι: introduces a new element,—the authority of Pindar. Knowledge of the poets was a requirement of the culture of the period. Cf. Prot. 338 e. The last words of the fragment are restored by Bergk (Poet. Lyr. Gr. p. 344, ed. 3) from the citation of the Scholiast as follows:— ἔργοισιν Ἡρακλέος ἐπεὶ Γηρυόνα βόας Κυκλωπίων ἐπὶ προθύρων Εὐρυσθέος ἀναιτήτας τε καὶ ἀπριάτας ἤλασεν. Since we do not know the context in which these verses stand, Pindar's views cannot be determined from them with certainty; but they were probably based on the principles of religious belief. In this νόμος ὁ πάντων βασιλεύς Pindar may be thinking of the power of that fate which is superior even to the gods themselves. —Geryones, son of Chrysaor (“lightning”) and the Oceanid Callirhoe (“beautiful stream”), was a giant with three bodies and three heads. He lived with his dog Orthros, or Orthos, on the fertile island Erytheia, and possessed great herds of cattle. These were stolen from him by Hercules in the expedition celebrated in the story. Cf. Preller, Mythol.^{2} ii. 202-216.

ἐνδεικνύναι: is used of all kinds of practical proof; ἀποδεικνύναι, of demonstration.

οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι: says Callicles, because the exact words of the poem are not at his command. The verb has the same meaning in Port. 339 b, Phaedo 61 b. After ἀπριάτας Callicles breaks off, intending to give the sense of what follows, and resumes the idea with οὔτε πριάμενος.

ἠλάσατο: the use of the middle instead of the active is normal, but is well suited to Callicles' conception.