James Adam, The Republic of Plato

---

φιλεῖν is ‘kiss’ (as Schneider rightly translates the word): cf. V 468 B and Arist. Pol. B 4. 1262^{a} 32 ff., where χρήσεις (as Hicks observes) means ‘endearments.’

ἅπτεσθαι κτλ. We think of Socrates and the ‘disciple whom he loved’ in the Phaedo: εἰώθει γάρ, ὁπότε τύχοι, παίζειν μου εἰς τὰς τρίχας (89 B).

ὥσπερ ὑέος. Herwerden's conjecture ὡς πατὴρ ὑέος (or ὥσπερ πατὴρ ὑέος) deserves the praise of ingenuity, but Plato's text is better and more expressive, because it represents the object of affection almost as the lover's very son. It should be noted that in Plato's ἔρως it is the elder who loves, and the younger who is loved; and that the aim and purpose of Platonic love is τόκος ἐν καλῷ (Symp. 206 B）—the bringing to birth of noble thoughts and aspirations from the beautiful soul of youth. Socrates was the embodiment of Plato's ideal in this respect (Symp. 216 D ff.). Some true and excellent observations on the subject will be found in Dugas L'Amitié Antique pp. 50—53 al.

τῶν καλῶν χάριν. Plato is resolved that Love, as well as Art, shall serve Virtue and not Vice.

τὰ δ̓ ἄλλα -- ξυγγίγνεσθαι . σπουδάζειν πρός τινα occurs with the same sense in Gorg. 510 C. Madvig's περὶ ὧν for πρὸς ὅν would give quite a wrong meaning. σπουδάζει has been suggested for σπουδάζοι (Ast, Richards, Hartman), but the optative puts the case more generally: any one in whom one may be interested. Cf. Soph. Ant. 666 ἀλλ᾽ ὃν πόλις στήσειε, τοῦδε χρὴ κλύειν, with Jebb's note. The previous sentence has told us what the actual relations of the pair of friends must be; and Plato now forbids all conduct likely in any way to occasion scandal or misapprehension: hence δόξει (‘be supposed to’). Such conduct is in bad taste (ψόγον ἀμουσίας), rather than positively αἰσχρόν or immoral, like actual vice. μαργότερα τούτῳ (Herwerden) instead of μακρότερα τούτων is a singularly gross conjecture.