James Adam, The Republic of Plato

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οἱ εἰς φιλοσοφίαν ἀνάγοντες: ‘those who would lead us upwards to philosophy (“welche zur Wissenschaftsliebe hinaufführen wollen,” Schneider). Plato is thinking of teachers who recognise (with Isocr. Antid. 261) that Astronomy and kindred subjects are the παρασκευὴ φιλοσοφίας, but nevertheless teach Astronomy on methods directly calculated to turn the soul's eye down. His description fits some of the Sophists, particularly Hippias (see Prot. 318 E and cf. Isocr. Pan. 26—28). In οἱ—ἀνάγοντες Plato takes them at their own valuation. For the Greek cf. 521 C ψυχῆς περιαγωγὴ ἐκ νυκτερινῆς τινος ἡμέρας εἰς ἀληθινήν, τοῦ ὄντος οὖσαν ἐπάνοδον, ἣν δὴ φιλοσοφίαν ἀληθῆ φήσομεν εἶναι, where ἀληθῆ points the contrast with the false philosophy to which some would lead the soul. ἀνάγοντες preserves the idea of education as an ascent, in harmony with the prevailing metaphor throughout this book. The translation “those who embark on philosophy” (D. and V.) is untenable: so also are the two other versions in J. and C. (‘raise astronomy to the rank of a science,’ ‘refer astronomy to philosophy’), as Shorey—whose view is more nearly correct—has pointed out (A. J. Ph. XVI p. 237).

οὐκ ἀγεννῶς: ‘with a fine audacity,’ “non sine generosa fiducia” (Schneider), as in Gorg. 492 D οὐκ ἀγεννῶς γε—ἐπεξέρχει τῷ λόγῳ παρρησιαζόμενος, and elsewhere.