[560c]
and guardians1 in the minds of men who are dear to the gods.”
“Much the best,” he said. “And then false and
braggart words2 and opinions charge up the height and take their place and
occupy that part of such a youth.” “They do
indeed.” “And then he returns, does he not, to those
Lotus-eaters3
and without disguise lives openly with them. And if any support4 comes from his kin to
the thrifty element in his soul, those braggart discourses close the gates
of the royal fortress within him
1 For the idea of guardians of the soul Cf. Laws 961 D, 549 B Cf. also on Phaedo 113 D, What Plato Said, p. 536.
2 Cf. Phaedo 92 D.
3 Plato, like Matthew Arnold, liked to use nicknames for classes of people: Cf. Rep. 415 Dγηγενεῖς, Theaet. 181 Aῥέοντας, Soph. 248 Aεἰδῶν φίλους, Phileb. 44 Eτοῖς δυσχερέσιν. So Arnold in Culture and Anarchy uses Populace, Philistines, Barbarians, Friends of Culture, etc., Friends of Physical Science, Lit. and Dogma, p. 3.
Plato. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 5 & 6 translated by Paul Shorey. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1969.
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