James A. Towle, Commentary on Plato: Protagoras
James A. Towle, Ed.

At that time the Prytanes had the conduct of the general assemblies, exercising their function through the ἐπιστάτης of the day. It was his duty, in case any speaker behaved unbecomingly, to have the police if necessary remove him (ἕλκειν) from the bema, and put him out of the assembly, (αἴρειν, ἐξαίρειν), cf. Poll. viii. 131. These policemen, slaves of the state, were called from their weapons τοξόται, and from the nationality of the most of them Σκύθαι. Boeckh, Staatsh. i. 291 f. Cf. Ar. Eq. 665 κᾆθ᾽ εἷλκον αὐτὸν οἱ πρυτάνεις χοἱ τοξόται the Prytanes and the police began to drag him out, Eccl. 258 ἐκεῖνο μόνον ἄσκε- πτον, ἤν σ᾽ οἱ τοξόται ἕλκωσιν, ὅτι δράσεις. ἡμεῖς δέ γ̓, ἢν αἴρως᾿, ἐᾶν κελεύσομεν that alone is unconsidered, if the police try to drag you away, what you will do. But we, if they take you up, will bid them let you alone. Ach. 54 such a scene is described. The mid. (ἐξαίρωνται) occurs only here.

Const. ταῦτα, περὶ ὧν οἴονται ἐν τέχνῃ εἶναι, οὕτω διαπράττονται. Things before termed ὅσα μαθητὰ καὶ διδακτά are now designated as those περὶ ὧν ἐν τέχνῃ ἐστίν, see on 310 d.—Socrates reasons thus: “when the Athenians believe a matter to turn upon professional knowledge, they allow only professional men to speak upon it; but on matters connected with the civil administration they listen to all without distinction; this ἀρετή therefore, which relates to civil administration, in the view of Athenians is not a matter of art, and so cannot be learned.” Cf. 322

δ ε.