[399e]
“We are not innovating, my friend, in preferring Apollo and the
instruments of Apollo to Marsyas and his instruments.”
“No, by heaven!” he said, “I think
not.” “And by the dog,1” said I, “we
have all unawares purged the city which a little while ago we said was
wanton.2” “In that we show our good
sense,” he said.“Come
then, let us complete the purification. For upon harmonies would follow the
consideration of rhythms: we must not pursue complexity nor great variety in
the basic movements,3 but must observe what are the rhythms of a life that is orderly
and brave, and after observing them
1 The so-called Rhadamanthine oath to avoid taking the names of the gods in vain. Cf. 592 A, Apology 21 E, Blaydes on Aristophanes Wasps 83.
2 Cf. 372 E. Dummler, Proleg. p. 62, strangely affirms that this is an express retraction of the ἀληθινὴ πόλις. This is to misapprehend Plato's method. He starts with the indispensable minimum of a simple society, develops it by Herbert Spencer's multiplication of effects into an ordinary Greek city, then reforms it by a reform of education and finally transforms it into his ideal state by the rule of the philosopher kings. Cf. Introduction p. xiv.
3 Practically the feet.
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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