James Adam, The Republic of Plato

τοὺς ταῖς χορδαῖς κτλ.: ‘who persecute and torture the strings, racking them upon the pegs. But lest my figure become somewhat tedious if I dwell upon the blows delivered with the plectrum, and the accusations brought against the strings, as well as their denials and braggadocio behaviour’ etc. The figure (εἰκών) is from torturing and beating slaves, as βασανίζοντας, στρεβλοῦντας and πληγῶν shew: even πράγματα παρέχοντας suggests a court of law (cf. Crit. 44 E). The strings are the victims, while the pegs are the pulleys by which they were racked upon the τροχός (see Dict. Ant. s. v. eculeus). For ἐπί Herwerden proposes ὑπό: but the strings are racked by the musicians upon the pegs.

πλήκτρῳ τε πληγῶν κτλ. The etymological meaning of πλῆκτρον adds point to this part of the comparison.

πέρι from its position divides πληγῶν and κατηγορίας, which refer to the behaviour of the musicians, from ἐξαρνήσεως καὶ ἀλαζονείας, in which the behaviour of the strings is described. For the anastrophe of πέρι see Lina de praeposit. usu Plat. pp. 26—30. The angry musician is like the prosecutor, and blames the strings, which in their turn repudiate the charge and swagger away like a stubborn slave however savagely the screw is turned. For a further discussion of this passage see App. XI.

ἐκείνους: i.e. the Pythagoreans, and not the μουσικοί, as Glauco supposed.