James Adam, The Republic of Plato

ποἶ ἄττα -- δόξας. Cf. Symp. 210 D πολλοὺς καὶ καλοὺς λόγους καὶ μεγαλοπρεπεῖς τίκτῃ καὶ διανοήματα ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ ἀφθόνῳ. τίκτειν or γεννᾶν ἐν is the usual expression for begetting on or out of: cf. τόκος ἐν καλῷ Symp. 206 B.

προσήκοντα κτλ.: ‘deserving to be called sophisms.’ The fallacies in the Euthydemus are cases in point : cf. 495 D note With φρονήσεως ἀληθινῆς ἐχόμενον cf. Euthyd. 306 D. ἄξιον, which occurs in A after φρονήσεως, is probably, as Cobet supposed, a marginal note directing attention to this vigorous and highly elaborated passage: cf. 504 E note and see the curious description by Diogenes Laertius (III 65 f.) of the different σημεῖα by which it was customary to draw attention to noteworthy or difficult places in the text of Plato. Schneider and Jowett can hardly be right in retaining the word. Stephanus' conjecture οὐδὲ ἄξιον οὐδὲ φρονήσεως ἀληθινῆς is awkward and not likely to be correct. Campbell neatly conjectures ἀξίως, but Cobet's solution, which Ast foreshadowed, is more probable.

496A - 497A The few who, from various reasons, remain faithful to philosophy, withdraw from political life. By so doing, they keep themselves unspotted from the world—no mean achievement, yet not the greatest. If they meet with a commonwealth appropriate to them, they will themselves attain a larger growth, as well as prove the saviours of their country.