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ἐπειδὰν κτλ.: “when they utter the mysterious word ‘good’.” For φθέγγεσθαι of a high-sounding, oracular, impressive utterance cf. VII 527 A, VIII 568 A, Prot. 342 E, Phaedr. 238 D, Ar. Clouds 315. Plato's criticism applies to himself, in common with the other pupils of Socrates, and was doubtless intended to do so. He constantly declares that ‘knowledge of the good’ is the all-important possession for man: see on εἰ δὲ μὴ ἴσμεν 505 A. The present discussion removes the petitio principii by explaining what the ἰδέα τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ really means. ἢ οὐ καὶ οὗτοι κτλ. This is exactly what happens to Callicles in Gorg. 495 A—499 C. If Plato is referring to any dialogue at all, the Gorgias l.c. illustrates his point much better than the Philebus (13 A—C), to which Zeller^{4} II 1. p. 548, Susemihl Gen. Entw. II p. 192, and others of the older generation of scholars suppose that Plato is alluding. But there is nothing to suggest any crossreference at all. On the question whether the Philebus is or is not prior to the Republic see Jackson in J. Ph. XXV pp. 65—82.
The Republic of Plato. James Adam. 1902. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
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