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οἵανπερ ἂν sc. ἐποιησάμεθα, the verb being omitted as it frequently is with ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ. ἕρμαιον -- τυγχάνει. I have followed Schneider in printing a colon before ἕρμαιον: for the sentence ἕρμαιον— τυγχάνει is not the grammatical apodosis to the εἰ clause, but a further result. The asyndeton with ἕρμαιον is the usual asyndeton of ampliative clauses. For the principle underlying the method of inquiry here enunciated, see Soph. 218 C ὅσα δ᾽ αὖ τῶν μεγάλων δεῖ διαπονεῖσθαι καλῶς, περὶ τῶν τοιούτων δέδοκται πᾶσι καὶ πάλαι τὸ πρότερον ἐν σμικροῖς καὶ ῥᾴοσιν αὐτὰ δεῖν μελετᾶν, πρὶν ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς μεγίστοις and Pol. 286 A. (Contrast Phil. 48 B, where the opposite course is recommended.) In the special case of the State versus the Individual, the words ἐν σμικροῖς, ἐν ἐλάττοσιν are not applicable, but ἐν ῥᾴοσιν πρότερον δεῖ μελετᾶν is the essential part of the principle, and Justice in the State is ῥᾴων καταμαθεῖν (368 E) than in the Individual. Cf. also infra 377 C ἐν τοῖς μείζοσιν—μύθοις ὀψόμεθα καὶ τοὺς ἐλάττους. Illustrations from letters are tolerably frequent in Plato: cf. e.g. IV 402 A f., Theaet. 205 D—206 A, Pol. 277 E ff.
The Republic of Plato. James Adam. 1902. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
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