The Homeric Quotation in Plato, Republic V 468e1–2.

The article examines a quotation in Plato's Republic (V 468e1–2) that closely resembles lines from two passages in Homer's Iliad: Il. 8.162, where Hector taunts Diomedes, and Il. 12.311, part of Sarpedon's speech to Glaucus. While some scholars attribute the quotation only to Il. 8.162, the article argues that Plato intentionally alludes to both passages simultaneously. This dual reference supports thematic contrasts between Homeric ideals of male-exclusive valor and Socrates' proposal in the Republic to honor both men and women for bravery. Furthermore, the Platonic context reinterprets the Homeric lines, shifting their original meanings to explore philosophical ideas about virtue, reward, and heroic death.