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Socrates recommends Crito, who complains of being pestered by sycophants, to secure against them the assistance of the poor but worthy Archedēmus. By his efficient services Archedēmus gains the gratitude and friendship, not only of Crito, but also of other prominent citizens.
Κρίτωνος: a wealthy Athenian, and one of Socrates's best friends. After the philosopher's condemnation, Crito vainly tried to induce him to escape from prison (cf. Plato Crito). Like other rich citizens, he suffered from the vexatious calumnies and lawsuits fastened on him by malicious accusers (συκοφάνται). This species of blackmail seems to have been viewed indulgently by the community, as affording a wholesome check to the rapacity of ‘capital,’ and as conducing to the success of the democracy. See Becker, Charicles, pp. 55, 56, and the passages there cited. χαλεπὸν ὁ βίος: for the neut., see on χρησιμώτερον ii. 3. 1. τὰ ἑαυτοῦ: his own affairs. πράγματα ἔχειν: have trouble, occasioned by lawsuits.
κύνας δέ: for δέ, see on i.3.13. ἀπερύκωσι: Ionic and poetic. Cf. An. iii. 1. 25. οὐκ ἂν οὖν θρέψαις: should you not, then, keep? ὅστις ἐθέλοι: for the opt. by assimilation, see on αἰσθανοίμεθα i. 5. 1. ἡδέως γ᾽ ἄν: sc. θρέψαιμι. ὅπως μή: instead of the more usual simple μή. G. 1379; H. 887 a. ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν με: stronger than ἐπ̓ ἐμαυτόν. τράποιτο: see on ἐθέλοι above.
οἵῳ σοι ἀνδρί: equivalent to τοιούτῳ ἀνδρὶ οἷος σὺ εἶ. For the peculiar assimilation of οἵῳ σοι, see G. 1036; H. 1002. Cf. τοῖς οἵοις ἡμῖν τε καὶ ὑμῖν to such persons as we and you, Hell. ii. 3. 25. εἰσὶν τῶν τοιούτων: there are some among such persons. πάνυ ἂν φιλοτιμηθεῖεν: would feel greatly honored. φίλῳ: for the pred. dat. with χράομαι, see H. 777 a.
ἐκ τούτων (sc. λόγων): as a result of this conversation. Ἀρχέδημον: prob. the same man that afterward attained considerable power in Athens. Cf. Ἀρχέδημος ὁ τοῦ δήμου τότε προεστηκώς Hell. i.7.2, where he is mentioned as having charge of the distribution of the διωβελία or theater fund. As a popular orator, he was ridiculed by Aristophanes Frogs v. 417 ff. οἷος κερδαίνειν: for the inf., see on οἵους i. 4. 6. ἀπὸ παντός: “from any and every occupation,” good or bad. Cf. the adj. πανοῦργος ready to do anything, hence unscrupulous. ἀπὸ τῶν συκοφαντῶν: ἀπό with the gen., instead of παρά, as implying an unwilling surrender on the part of the συκοφάνται, while λαμβάνειν παρά τινος is equivalent to accipere ab aliquo. Archedēmus knew how to make the accusers disgorge their ill-gotten gains. ἂν ἔδωκε: for the iterative aor. with ἄν, see G. 1296; H. 835 a. ἐκάλει: sc. to the sacrificial feast. See on ii. 3. 11.— τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπεμελεῖτο (sc. αὐτοῦ): paid him similar attentions. For the cognate acc., see on φροντίζοντας τὰ τοιαῦτα i. 1. 11. Cf. τὰ ἄλλα Hell. iv.1.40
οἷ: sibi. For the indir. refl., see on i.2.32. μάλα περιεῖπεν (impf.) αὐτόν: treated him (Crito) with great respect. Cf. καί μιν Ἄμασις εὖ περιεῖπε Hdt. ii. 169. προσεκαλεῖτο εἰς δίκην δημοσίαν: began public proceedings against. ἔδει κριθῆναι: he would have had to submit to decision. For ἔδει without ἄν, see on προαιρετέον ἦν ii. 7. 10. ὅ τι δεῖ παθεῖν ἢ ἀποτεῖσαι: a judicial formula, meaning corporal punishment or fine. Cf. Plato Apol. 36B, and πολλάκις ἐκρίθην ὅ τι χρὴ παθεῖν ἢ ἀποτεῖσαι Oec. xi. 25. The passage thus implies that the fellows would not have got off without punishment.
συνειδὼς αὑτῷ πολλὰ καὶ πονηρά: conscious of many rascalities. ἀπαλλαγῆναι: liberari. ἀφῆκε: released, withdrew the suit against him. αὐτῷ: i.e. Archedemus.
ἤδη τότε: for the more usual τότ᾽ ἤδη. Cf. iv.8.1. For ἤδη, see on ii.1.5.
ἐχρίζετο: sc. τοῦτο, i.e. to serve Crito's friends. καὶ οὐχ ὅτι: and not only, condensed expression for οὐ λέγω ὅτι I do not say that, “it is not enough to say that.” G. 1504; H. 1035. Cf. μὴ ὅτι i. 6. 11. εἰ ὀνειδίζοι, ἔφη: like ὁπότε θύοι, ἐκάλει in 4. διαφέρεσθαι: to be at variance with. ἤ: sc. αἰσχρόν ἐστιν. πειρᾶσθαι φίλους ποιεῖσθαι: Xenophon seems to imply that true friendship among rascals is impossible.
Xenophon: Memorabilia. Josiah Renick Smith. Boston. Ginn and Company. 1903.
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