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καὶ καταδεδουλῶσθαι is rejected by Cobet, but successfully defended by Heller (Fl. Jahrb. 1875 p. 172). There is in reality no pleonasm: we have first an attempt (ἐπιχειρεῖν), then a successful attempt (καταδεδουλῶσθαι), then the results of success (πολλὰς δὲ καὶ ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτῇ ἔχειν δουλωσαμένην). A powerful city like Athens might, and often did, display her energy in all three directions simultaneously. For the collocation of δουλοῦσθαι and καταδουλοῦσθαι (middle) Heller compares infra IX 589 D, E and Menex. 240 A.

ἀρίστη. Thrasymachus refuses to withdraw from the position that ἀδικία is ἀρετή, in spite of Socrates' refutation. This is why Socrates says μανθάνω κτλ. ‘I understand: (you say so) because this was your theory.’ ὅτι is not ‘that’: see above on 332 A. Richter suggested κρατίστη for ἀρίστη on account of κρείττων just below; but κρείττων is said not by Thrasymachus, but by Socrates.

εἰ -- ἔχει. After ἔχει, εἰ is inserted by Stallbaum, following a suggestion of Baiter's. Cf. also J. B. Mayor in Cl. Rev. X p. 111. It so happens that is written in A over an erasure large enough to have contained εἰ , but there is no trace of εἰ, and mere erasures in A are seldom useful in determining the text. For Richter suggests , which would however give a wrong meaning. Tucker also offers a variety of conjectures, but the text is perfectly sound: cf. II 359 B μάλιστ᾽ ἂν αἰσθοίμεθα, εἰ τοιόνδε ποιήσαιμεν τῇ διανοίᾳ: δόντες (i.e. εἰ δόντες) ἐξουσίανεἶτ᾽ ἐπακολουθήσαιμεν κτλ. and IX 589 D εἴπερ τοιόνδε τι γίγνεται, λαμβάνων (i.e. εἰ λαμβάνων)—καταδουλοῦται.

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    • Plato, Menexenus, 240a
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