batch.motif.greek-plato-republic-jowett-gutenberg-l4961-l5048
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-plato-republic-jowett-gutenberg-l4961-l5048
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/republic-jowett.md
passage_locator:
label: The Republic / THE REPUBLIC / INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS.; lines 4961-5048
start: '4961'
end: '5048'
translation: The Republic
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage explains mathematical and musical terms used in interpreting
Plato's number, summarizes Dr. Donaldson's reconstruction of the perfect or divine
cycle, the number of the world, the imperfect cycle, the number of the state,
the Platonic Tetractys, two harmonies, and gives reasons for identifying 216 as
the Platonic number of births, including its relation to the Pythagorean triangle,
metempsychosis, the musical scale, and the figure of marriage.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A perfect number is defined as one equal to the sum of its divisors; 6 is
identified as the first perfect or cyclical number.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage treats terms for numbers, intervals, bases, proportions, squares,
cubes, rational and irrational diameters as applicable to music, number, and figure.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Donaldson's interpretation assumes a perfect or divine cycle as the number
of the world and an imperfect cycle as the number of the state.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: In Donaldson's summary, the world's period is defined by the perfect number
6, while the state's period is defined by 216, the cube of 6.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: 'The Platonic Tetractys is described as a seven-term series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9,
8, 27.'
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: The number 216 is related to 8 and 27, to 3 cubed, 4 cubed, and 5 cubed, and
to the Pythagorean triangle with sides 3, 4, 5.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The passage identifies 216 as the proposed Platonic number of births.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: The passage states that 216 is also the period of the Pythagorean Metempsychosis.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:9
text: The passage states that the bases 3, 4, 5 correspond to the third, fourth,
and fifth in the musical scale.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:10
text: The Pythagorean triangle is said to be called the figure of marriage.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Dr. Donaldson
description: A cited interpreter whose article on the Platonic Number supplies several
explanations and whose conclusions are summarized.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Schleiermacher
description: A cited interpreter with whom the narrator agrees in supposing that
216 is the Platonic number of births.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Greek mathematician
description: A generic ancient mathematical knower for whom the passage says 216
and its permutations would have been familiar.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: cited interpreter
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: The passage cites Donaldson and Schleiermacher as authorities or interpreters
for the Platonic number.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: mathematical knower
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage says the number 216 with its permutations would have been familiar
to a Greek mathematician.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: perfect or divine cycle
literal_form: number 6
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: number of the state / number of births
literal_form: number 216
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: Platonic Tetractys
literal_form: series 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 8, 27
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: Pythagorean triangle
literal_form: 3, 4, 5 triangle
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: figure of marriage
literal_form: Pythagorean triangle called the figure of marriage
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: musical scale correspondence
literal_form: 3, 4, 5 as third, fourth, fifth in the musical scale
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:7
label: Pythagorean Metempsychosis period
literal_form: 216 as period of Pythagorean Metempsychosis
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Explanation of mathematical-musical terms
summary: The passage defines perfect, waxing, waning, commensurable, proportional,
square, oblong, rational, and irrational numerical terms as part of interpreting
Plato's number.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Donaldson's reconstruction of cycles and harmonies
summary: 'Donaldson''s view is summarized: the perfect number 6 defines the period
of the world, 216 defines the period of the state, and the Platonic Tetractys,
musical ratios, and two harmonies explain the calculation.'
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Reasons for identifying 216 as the Platonic number of births
summary: The narrator lists reasons for agreeing that 216 is the Platonic number
of births, including its cubic form, its relation to 3, 4, 5, the Pythagorean
triangle, metempsychosis, musical scale positions, the Platonic Tetractys, and
the figure of marriage.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: cosmic and civic cycles expressed through number
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage links the perfect or divine cycle to the world and the imperfect
cycle to the state, with periods expressed by 6 and 216.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: This is philosophical-mathematical exposition rather than a narrative
mythic episode; the wisdom taxonomy is used only for numerical-cosmological knowledge.
- id: motif:2
label: births governed by a sacred or philosophical number
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_birth
basis: The passage identifies 216 as the Platonic number of births and connects
it to mathematical, musical, and Pythagorean structures.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage discusses interpretation of Plato's number, not a story of
a particular sacred birth.
- id: motif:3
label: transmigration cycle measured by number
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
basis: The passage states that 216 is also the period of the Pythagorean Metempsychosis.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: Metempsychosis is mentioned briefly and not narrated or explained in detail
in this excerpt.
- id: motif:4
label: marriage figured by geometric form
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_marriage
basis: The passage says the Pythagorean triangle is called the figure of marriage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: low
cautions: The phrase is a mathematical-geometrical designation; the passage does
not describe a marriage rite, divine couple, or sacred-marriage narrative.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage explicitly aligns the Platonic number 216 with a Pythagorean
pattern by saying it is also the period of the Pythagorean Metempsychosis and
by connecting it with the Pythagorean triangle and Tetractys.
claim_level: same_function
target: Pythagorean numerical and metempsychosis tradition
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The claim is based on the passage's own summary of interpretive tradition;
it does not demonstrate historical dependence beyond the stated school tradition.
- id: claim:2
claim: The passage reports that later authorities or school tradition connected
the Pythagorean triangle with the Platonic passage.
claim_level: historical_contact
target: Pythagorean school tradition as reported through Plutarch, Proclus, and
Quintilian
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: low
limitations: The excerpt reports a tradition pointing in the same direction but
does not provide the cited texts or detailed argumentation.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4961-4994
quote_or_summary: The passage defines perfect numbers, gives 6 as the first perfect
or cyclical number, and explains numerical, musical, and geometrical terms including
base, intervals, ratios, square, oblong, rational, and irrational diameters; it
credits Dr. Donaldson for several explanations.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/republic-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 4995-5031
quote_or_summary: 'Donaldson''s conclusions are summarized: the perfect or divine
cycle is the number of the world, the imperfect cycle the number of the state;
the world''s period is 6 and the state''s period is 216; the account invokes the
Platonic Tetractys, 8 and 27, mean proportionals 12 and 18, ratios, the numbers
3, 4, 5, and two harmonies.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/republic-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5032-5048
quote_or_summary: 'The narrator gives reasons for agreeing that 216 is the Platonic
number of births: it fits the description, would be familiar to a Greek mathematician,
is the cube of 6 and the sum of 3 cubed, 4 cubed, and 5 cubed, relates to the
Pythagorean triangle, is the period of Pythagorean Metempsychosis, corresponds
to musical scale positions, derives from the cubes of 2 and 3 in the Platonic
Tetractys, and the Pythagorean triangle is called the figure of marriage.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/republic-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is explicit about numerical-symbolic associations but is an interpretive
and mathematical exposition, not a myth narrative; motif mapping is therefore
cautious.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No available symbol taxonomy items such as cave, fire, milk, mountain, serpent, tree, or water are present in this passage, so symbol taxonomy references are left empty.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-plato-republic-jowett-gutenberg__l4961-l5048
passage_sha256=135f867afb103eb224115fb92f0a0a74b389a3c1a96cfe9b3d11e9d6799960a5