J. Adam, A. M. Adam, Commentary on Plato, Protagoras
J. Adam & A. M. Adam, Ed.

45. τρίβωνος. The ordinary clothing of an Athenian consisted of a χιτών, or shirt, with a ἱμάτιον or short mantle worn above it. The τρίβων was a short cloak of coarse material worn by the Spartans and sometimes by the Laconisers in other states to take the place of both χιτών and ἱμάτιον. It was the ordinary garment of Socrates (Symp. 219B), and was afterwards much affected by the more ascetic philosophers, such as the Cynics (Diog. Laert. VI. I. 13). Its use was supposed to be a mark of sturdy simplicity and austerity of manners.

48. οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἑνός. The two parts of οὐδείς are sometimes separated by ἄν or a preposition, often with the effect (as here) of increasing the emphasis by making οὐδέ = ne—quidem, cf. below 343Dοὐδὲ πρὸς ἔνα λόγον.

51. ὦ παῖ Ἱππονίκου: see on 328Dabove. With ἀεὶ μὲν— ἀτάρ Sauppe compares Rep. II. 367E καὶ ἐγὼ ἀκούσας ἀεὶ μὲν δὴ τὴν φύσιν τοῦ τε Γλαύκωνος καὶ τοῦ Ἁδειμάντου ἠγάμην, ἀτὰπ οὖν καὶ τότε πάνυ γε ἥσθην.

52. φιλοσοφίαν. The original meaning of the word φιλοσοφία was ‘love of knowledge for its own sake’, no particular kind of knowledge being specified. The verb φιλοσοφεῖν is first found in Hdt. I. 30 ὡς φιλοσοφέων γῆν πολλὴν θεωρίης εἵνεκεν ἐπελήλυθας. In the present passage (as in Thuc. II. 40 φιλοσοφοῦμεν ἄνευ μαλακίας) the word retains its original wider meaning, viz, ‘love of knowledge’ in general; but side by side with this in Plato it has the more restricted meaning of ‘Philosophy’, e.g. Rep. VI. 496A πάνσμικρον δή τι. . .λείπεται τῶν κατ᾽ ἀξίαν ὁμιλούντων φιλοσοφίᾳ. The wider meaning is also found in Aristotle, where he calls Theology the ‘Highest Study’ (πρώτη φιλοσοφία), and elsewhere.