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22. Πρωταγόρας σοφὸς καὶ δεινός ἐστιν. The ἢ ἄλλον τινά
is neglected, and Πρωταγόρας takes us back to σέ: cf. note on
ἐνδείξασθαι καὶ καλλωπίσασθαι in 317C The collocation σοφὸς
καὶ δεινός is tolerably frequent in ironical characterisations, e.g.
Theaet. 173B δεινοί τε καὶ σοφοὶ γεγονότες, ὡς οἴονται.
23. ἐρωτᾷ explains νουθετεῖ, whence the asyndeton explicativum: see on 335Aabove.
24. τὸ γὰρ δεινὸν—κακόν ἐστιν. Prodicus' canon—which
rests on the derivation of δεινόν from δέος—is not borne out by
Greek usage, except to this extent, that when a man is called
δεινός, it is generally implied that he is more clever than good.
25. δεινοῦ πλούτου κτλ. Genitives of exclamation in the
Platonic dialogues are generally (as Turner remarks) preceded
by an interjection, e.g. Euthyd, 303A πυππὰξ ὦ Ἡράκλεις καλοῦ
λόγου and ibid. ὦ Πόσειδον δεινῶν λόγων. Here of course the
exclamation is left out as irrelevant: the only relevant point is
the use of δεινός.
27. ἴσως οὖν καὶ τὸ χαλεπόν. Sauppe remarks that we
should expect οὕτω καὶ τὸ χαλεπόν to introduce the apodosis to
the ὥσπερ clause (341A l. 20); καί is however enough to show
that we have reached the application; οὖν is introduced on
account of the parenthesis from τὸ γὰρ δεινόν to κακοῦ ὄντος;
and ἴσως marks the suggestion as only tentative.
31. φωνήν: ‘dialect’ as often, e.g. Phaedo, 62A καὶ ὁ
Κέβης—ἴττω Ζεύς, ἔφη, τῇ αὑτοῦ φωνῇ εἰπών.
Plato. Protagoras. J. Adam & A. M. Adam. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1893.
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