Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities

Use in the book

The companion initially contrasts the two brothers: Rhadamanthys, people say, was just, whereas Minos was savage and unjust (318d). Socrates later reverses the apparent evidential priority. In his account of Homer, it is Minos who is depicted judging with a golden scepter in the Nekyia, and Minos who associates with Zeus. Rhadamanthys receives neither of those descriptions there (319d). This is a statement about Homer's depiction as Socrates presents it, not a denial that other traditions can describe Rhadamanthys as an underworld judge.

At 320b–c Socrates gives Rhadamanthys a positive but derivative qualification: he had been educated by Minos. The education comprised enough of the kingly craft to preside in courts, not the whole craft. He served Minos as guardian of the laws in the town. The sequence of grounds matters: good judgment can be acknowledged while the comprehensive lawgiving and educational competence remain with Minos. Rhadamanthys is not simply expelled from the class of good lawgivers, since the conclusion again joins him with Minos among the best ancient lawgivers (321b–c). The text combines shared traditional attribution with a differentiated account of functions.

Talos supplies the corresponding administration outside the town. He travels through the villages three times a year, guarding the laws and carrying them written on bronze tablets. Socrates explains the name or description “bronze” from this equipment. The result is a civic interpretation of a marvellous figure: the narrative gives Talos written laws and a regular circuit rather than describing a bronze body. The edition's note compares Apollonius and Apollodorus, but their different circuits and frequencies must not be imported into the present account. Here the expressly stated frequency is three times in the year.

The division between town and the rest of Crete also makes law concrete. The lawgiver's knowledge does not eliminate courts, custodians, writing or territorial administration. The passage is nevertheless not a constitution of Crete: no appointment process, appeal procedure or independent account of the guardians' authority is supplied.

Places to read

1. 318dῬαδάμανθύν γέ φασιν — The companion explicitly appeals to what people say
2. 319dοὐ τὸν Ῥαδάμανθυν — Socrates differentiates Homer's depiction of Minos from Rhadamanthys
3. 320b–cἐπεπαίδευτο γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Μίνω — Rhadamanthys' education is attributed to Minos
4. 320cἀλλ’ ὑπηρεσίαν τῇ βασιλικῇ — Service to the kingly craft is distinguished from possessing the whole craft
5. 320cὅσον ἐπιστατεῖν ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις — The practical competence is presiding in courts
6. 320cὁ γὰρ Τάλως τρὶς περιῄει τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ κατὰ τὰς κώμας — Talos' circuit is through the villages three times yearly

Translation in this edition

“Service to the kingly craft” keeps the hierarchy explicit without calling the service itself deficient. The bronze-tablet explanation belongs to Socrates' speech. The mythographic comparisons in note 24 identify other accounts and do not silently correct this one.

Preside — ἐπιστατεῖν (epistatein)

ἐπιστατεῖν (epistatein)

Preside. To supervise or preside, specifically in the courts; this is the practical competence attributed to Rhadamanthys. Attested: ἐπιστατεῖν (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Rhadamanthys — Ῥαδάμανθυς (Rhadamanthys)

Ῥαδάμανθυς (Rhadamanthys)

Rhadamanthys. Minos' brother, introduced as a good king and later assigned judicial service learned from Minos rather than the whole kingly craft. Attested: Ῥαδάμανθυς (318d). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Service — ὑπηρεσία (hypēresia)

ὑπηρεσία (hypēresia)

Service. Subordinate service to the kingly craft, the limited scope of Rhadamanthys' education; service is not here a denial of his goodness. Attested: ὑπηρεσίαν (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Talos — Τάλως (Talōs)

Τάλως (Talōs)

Talos. The guardian who visits Cretan villages three times a year carrying laws on bronze tablets; this explains the description bronze in Socrates' account. Attested: Τάλως (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Three times — τρίς (tris)

τρίς (tris)

Three times. The frequency of Talos' circuit within each year in this account; not the three-times-daily circuit of another mythographic version. Attested: τρὶς (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Town — ἄστυ (asty)

ἄστυ (asty)

Town. The town in which Rhadamanthys guards the laws, contrasted with the rest of Crete administered through Talos' circuit. Attested: ἄστυ (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Employ — χρῆσθαι (chrēsthai)

χρῆσθαι (chrēsthai)

Employ. Minos uses Rhadamanthys as a guardian of laws in the town; the verb with a dative here describes employing a person in a function, rather than a community’s observing a law. Attested: ἐχρῆτο (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Villages — κώμη (kōmē)

κώμη (kōmē)

Villages. Villages through which Talos passes while guarding the laws; the local units of his rural circuit. Attested: κώμας (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Went round — περίειμι (perieimi)

περίειμι (perieimi)

Went round. To go around on a circuit; the imperfect describes Talos' recurring administration of the villages. Attested: περιῄει (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Year — ἐνιαυτός (eniautos)

ἐνιαυτός (eniautos)

Year. A year, in the time expression fixing Talos' three annual circuits through the villages. Attested: ἐνιαυτοῦ (320c). Rhadamanthys, Talos, and divided responsibilities.

Enough to preside in the courts (contextual phrase)

320c: οὐχ ὅλην τὴν βασιλικὴν τέχνην … ὅσον ἐπιστατεῖν ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις. Rhadamanthys' education has a limited scope: service to kingship sufficient for presiding in courts. This preserves both his goodness as a judge and Minos' superiority in comprehensive kingly expertise. “Not the whole” is not “none,” and “service” is not a second complete kingship. See Rhadamanthys and Talos.