James Adam, The Republic of Plato

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, C 7 κινδυνεύεις γὰρ κτλ. Glauco conceives of astronomy in exactly the same way as the Aristophanic Socrates; and this indignant repudiation by the Platonic Socrates is the more intelligible, if (with Nettleship Lect. and Rem. II p. 274 note) we suppose that Plato is thinking of the Clouds. Our astronomy (says Plato in effect), our vision upward, is not what Aristophanes made it appear to be, but something very different. See below on ἄνω κεχηνώς in B and ἐξ ὑπτίας νέων in C.

ἄλλο τι νομίσαι κτλ.: ‘think any other study one that makes,’ etc. “Aliud esse puto νομίσαι τι ποιεῖν, aliud ποιοῦν idque huic loco magis aptum, scilicet non solum facere sive faciendo in praesentia occupatum esse, sed vim et consuetudinem faciendi habere aliquid existimare” (Schneider). ποιοῦν is half adjectival, like συμφέρον in Xen. Rep. Lac. I 6 (quoted by Ast) τοῦτο συμφέρον τῇ εὐγονίᾳ νομίζων. Heindorf's conjecture ποιεῖν was approved by Kühner Gr. Gr. II p. 631; but ποιοῦν is in all the MSS, and should be retained.

ἐάν τέ τις κτλ.: ‘and if any one attempts to learn aught which is perceivable I care not whether his open mouth yawn upwards or his closed mouth look below—he will never, as I hold, learn’ etc. For ἐάν τε, Hermann and Stallbaum read ἐὰν δέ on slight MS authority; but οὐ δύναμαι and οὔ (τε）—φημι are properly joined by τε (Schneider). The English translators understand συμμεμυκώς of closed eyes; but the eyes must of course be open in any case, and the balance with ἄνω κεχηνώς is conclusive against this view. συμμύω, as the Lexica shew, is used of closing any bodily aperture. The state of the mouth is ludicrously irrelevant, but κεχηνώς, which betokens rapt stupidity, inevitably suggests συμμεμυκώς, and the whole expression is a finely indignant outburst of exuberant and extravagant satire on a gross misapprehension of Socratico-Platonic views.

ἄνω κεχηνώς refers perhaps specifically to Clouds 171—173 ζητοῦντος αὐτοῦ τῆς σελήνης τὰς ὁδοὺς | καὶ τὰς περιφορὰς εἶτ᾽ ἄνω κεχηνότος | ἀπὸ τῆς ὀροφῆς νύκτωρ γαλεώτης κατέχεσεν. It will be admitted that Plato had some ground for his anger. I don't in the least care, he says in effect to Aristophanes, whether your Socrates looks up or down: so long as he studies αἰσθητά, he is not my Socrates, and I disown your caricature. For the general sense cf. (with J. and C.) Tim. 91 D.

ἐπιστήμην -- ἔχειν: ‘admits of knowledge.’