James Adam, The Republic of Plato

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ὀλιγαρχίας -- δημοκρατίαν. See cr. n. Schneider defends the MSS by explaining μεταβολὴ ὀλιγαρχική as “ea quae ad ὀλιγαρχίαν pertinet eamque efficit,” and referring τῆς ἐν ἑαυτῷ “ad ipsam ὀλιγαρχίαν in adjectivo latentem.” δημοκρατικήν he thinks is written for δημοκρατίαν by a sort of attraction. This explanation is much too difficult and obscure. Nor can ὀλιγαρχικῆς by itself stand for ὀλιγαρχικῆς πολιτείας, at all events in this connexion. The MS reading can only mean ‘of the oligarchical change within himself into a democratical,’ an expression which bears no sense. I formerly wrote ὀλιγαρχικοῦ τοῦ—δημοκρατικόν, comparing 559 E, 560 A; but it may fairly be objected that the ‘oligarchical element’ within the man does not change into a democratical: it is the government that changes. For this reason I now prefer my old suggestion (Cl. Rev. IV p. 357), although the corruption of ὀλιγαρχικοῦ — δημοκρατικόν is perhaps somewhat easier to explain. For the combination of genitives cf. V 449 A note An alternative solution would be to insert πολιτείας after ἑαυτῷ. This gives excellent sense, but it is difficult to assign a plausible reason for the loss of πολιτείας in all our MSS. I am unable to resist the conclusion that the text is corrupt, otherwise I should not venture to make any alteration. If Plato did not write the passage as it is printed above, there can be little doubt that πολιτείας has accidentally disappeared.

μετέβαλλε κτλ. See 556 E. τῷ ἑτέρῳ τῶν means of course τῷ ἑτέρῳ εἴδει τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν.

τῷ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὀλιγαρχικῷ: ‘the oligarchical element within one.’ ἑαυτῷ is ‘oneself’: cf. III 407 C μελέτας πρὸς ἑαυτόν. ἐν αὐτῷ, which Ast adopted (after Stephanus), would be easier; but I think Plato means to suggest that the oligarchical element present in this νεανίας is a universal feature of the human race. J. and C. think ἐκείνῳ and ἑαυτῷ may have changed places—a conjecture which is surely too bold. Schneider, taking ἑαυτῷ as ‘himself’ and not ‘oneself,’ compares ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸς αὑτόν below and αὐτῷ—ἐν ἑαυτῷ in 559 D, E; but here there is nothing corresponding to the αὐτῷ in each of these passages, and ἑαυτῷ cannot therefore be translated in Schneider's way.