James A. Towle, Commentary on Plato: Protagoras
James A. Towle, Ed.

σεαυτόν: (before ὑποκηρυξάμενος) belongs to ἀπέφηνας.—ὑποκηρυξάμενος: lit. have proclaimed by the crier. Cf. Aeschin. III. 41 ἄλλοι δέ τινες ὑποκηρυξάμενοι τοὺς αὑτῶν οἰκέτας ἀφίεσαν ἀπελευθέρους let them go free. Here used figuratively, expressing a boastful praise of himself, in which Protagoras indulged.

εἰς πάντας τοὺς Ἕλληνας: see on 312 a.

μισθόν: cf. 328 b. The Homeric ἄρνυσθαι had been preserved in the expression μισθὸν ἄρνυσθαι, this commonly taking the derived form μισθαρνεῖν. But many other Homeric words are found in Plato, cf. Sengebusch Homerica Dissert. i. 122.—The innovation of the sophists, in asking pay for their instruction, must seem, to the high spirit of a free Athenian, an unworthy act of trade.—After the discomfort of Protagoras in 333

α β, and the unexpected outcome of the discussion of Simonides's poem, it would seem that the sophist would hardly have listened with unmixed pleasure to Socrates's recapitulation of his ample professions, closing with the fact that he was the first to charge a fee; especially when this rehearsal constituted an argument for his doing what he was especially disinclined to do: πῶς οὖν κτἑ.

ἀναμνησθῆναι: ironically indicates the fear that he has forgotten some point. Cf. 350 c, l. 35 οὐ καλῶς μνημονεύεις.