Achaeans in the Iliad, the followers of Achilles or the entire Greek army; another name for the Greeks. (Historically, the Achaeans were one of the first Hellenic tribes to invade Greece, probably during the third millennium B.C.)
Achilles counseled to help the Greeks if they gave him gifts Iliad IX, 515.
Achilles the son of the human Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis, and a Greek warrior and leader in the Trojan War; he is the great hero of Homer's Iliad. Achilles was angry at Agamemnon as the Trojan War began and required gifts to stop pouting and come out into battle; later he became maddened at the death in battle of his dear friend Patroclus and behaved wildly and dishonorably. These are the actions that Socrates wants the young Guardians to be prevented from reading or hearing.
Achilles unwilling to restore Hector's dead body Iliad XXIV, 175.
Achilles' dragging of Hector's body round the tomb of Patroclus Iliad XXII, 394.
Achilles' insubordination to the river god Iliad XXI, 130, 223 and following lines.
Achilles' offering to the dead Patroclus of his own hair Iliad XXIII, 151.
Achilles' slaughter of the captives Iliad XXIII, 175.
Aeschylus (525?–456 b.c.) Greek writer of tragedies.
Agamemnon in myth, a son of Atreus and brother of Menelaus; he was king of Mycenae and the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War.
agora the marketplace (literally and, as here, figuratively — meaning commerce in general).
Ajax one of the bravest of Greek warriors in the Iliad; see Iliad VII, 321, for the incident Socrates refers to here.
Alas my misery! . . . Iliad, XVIII, 54; Thetis is lamenting the death of her son Achilles. (This and the quotations and references that follow, up to Cheiron, are illustrative of the kinds of incidents that Socrates believes the young Guardians ought not to be exposed to, because they show the mythical figures and legendary heroes in various kinds of bad light. Many translators, to save space, do not include this section of Book III in their translations. We have taken the list of sources in this series, all but one from the Iliad or Odyssey, from Scott Buchanan, ed., The Portable Plato [Viking], whose edition uses the Benjamin Jowett translation.)
anarchy the complete absence of government; a state without rule of any kind; a chaotic state.
Any of the craftsmen, whether he be priest or physician or carpenter . . . . Odyssey XVII, 383.
Apollo an Olympian god, son of Zeus, brother of Artemis; he was a god of light, prophecy, healing, music, and archery, and a protector of herds. The shrine at Delphi was sacred to Apollo, and the oracle there was his.
Apollo and his instruments . . . Marsyas and his instruments In Greek mythology, Marsyas was a satyr (a minor forest god, part man and part goat) who played the flute so well that he entered a contest with Apollo and lost; Apollo, as his prize, was allowed to do whatever he liked to Marsyas so he flayed the satyr alive. (In the following section of the dialogue, Socrates refers to various contemporary theories of music which held that certain kinds of harmony, rhythm, etc., are conducive to certain states of mind, emotions, etc. Socrates wants the future Guardians exposed only to those kinds of music that will prepare them to be courageous in battle; however, he here affects not to know much about the technical details of these musical theories.)
Archilochus seventh-century B.C. Greek poet, regarded as the inventor of iambics (a poetic meter).
Ares and Aphrodite . . . . Odyssey VIII, 266.
Argos ancient city-state in the northeastern Peloponnesus: It dominated the Peloponnesus from the seventh century B.C. until the rise of Sparta.
Arion's dolphin Arion was a Greek lyric poet, probably of the seventh century B.C., of legendary fame. Supposedly he was thrown from a ship by a sailor who wished to rob him, but he was permitted to sing one song before he died. He sang so beautifully that a dolphin who heard him was moved to rescue him.
aristocracies plural of aristocracy, a government by the best, or by a small, privileged class.
Asclepius in Greek mythology, the god of healing and medicine.
Atalanta a mythological huntress, who (in one story) refused to marry any suitor who could not win a footrace against her.
becomes a water-drinker . . . . i.e., stops using alcohol.
Better to be the poor servant . . . . Odyssey IX, 489.
By the dog of Egypt a mild oath; the "dog of Egypt" is Anubis, an Egyptian god pictured as having the head of a dog who leads the dead to judgment. Socrates probably "swears" by this barbarian god to express emphasis without being sacrilegious, as he would be were he to invoke the name of a god of the Hellenes.
caitiff a mean, evil, or cowardly person; a wretch.
Cerberus a mythical three-headed dog that guards the gate of Hades.
Cheiron Achilles' teacher.
Chimera a mythical monster, usually depicted as having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.
Chryses in the Iliad, a priest of Apollo and the father of Chryseis, a young woman taken captive by the Greeks; he comes to ransom her, but Agamemnon refuses to give her up, so Apollo sends a pestilence upon the Greek army.
Cocytus the river of wailing, a tributary of the Acheron in Hades.
collet a small metal band used in ring settings.
concupiscent having strong desire or appetite, especially sexual desire.
confectioners persons whose work or business is making or selling confectionery (sweet edibles, such as candies and cakes).
contemn to scorn, to despise, to treat or think of with contempt.
Cretans Hellenic people from the island of Crete.
Croesus (d. 546 b.c.) last king of Lydia (560–546), noted for his great wealth. He is often used as an exemplar of great wealth (as in the simile "rich as Croesus").
cubit an ancient unit of linear measure, about 18–22 inches; originally, the length of the forearm from middle fingertip to elbow. (A man who believed he was four cubits high, in other words, would believe he was about six-foot-six, unusually tall for an ancient Greek.)
