 The most substantive comment cited by Olympiodorus from Ammonius’ lectures on the Gorgias (§32,2–3) is a defense of the four democratic politicians Socrates declines to call statesmen (499b–503c); Ammonius says they are practitioners of the ‘intermediate’ rhetoric, rather than of the false kind. He draws his explanation from the Republic (425c-427a), where he distinguishes three kinds of physician: the false kind that gives prescriptions aimed at flattery and pleasing the patient, the true kind that insists the patient do what is best for him, and the intermediate kind that gives the patient a true prescription but does not insist that he follow it. In this explanation, Ammonius follows the lead of his father Hermeias, who cited (in Phdr. p. 231,26–232,14 Lucarini-Moreschini) this passage of the Gorgias in his explanation of Phaedrus 260d as referring to true, popular, and intermediate rhetoric and the different kinds of therapy of the masses they apply. Ammonius’ lectures on Plato seem to have been enlivened by wit and personal remarks, some apparently cited as apophthegms from the great teacher. Socrates (Gorgias 513a) warns Callicles against assimilating himself to the current Athenian dēmos, thereby attaining power but perhaps losing all he holds dear. Such assimilation, Olympiodorus says, destroys one’s soul utterly; the proper object to which one should assimilate one’s soul is the cosmos, that is, God. Like the Thessalian witches mentioned by Socrates, nowadays too the Egyptian magicians claim to have the power to ‘draw down the moon’ and run such risk of destruction, if they fail. Olympiodorus notes that we must not believe these mythical stories, though most people are deceived by them: this is simply an eclipse; similarly, even now they say that there are magicians in Egypt who can change men into crocodiles, asses, or any shape they like—but one must not believe it. Indeed, Ammonius told them, in his exegesis, “this experience overpowered me too, and when I was a boy I used to believe these things were true” (in Gorg. §39,2). Known for astronomical expertise, Ammonius was chiding his credulous audience. Another remark of Ammonius’ is cited in Olympiodorus’ argument that the myth at the end of the Gorgias that emphasizes the judgement of our souls in the underworld over that of judges in our present life shows that our actions derive from our own souls’ autonomy. Olympiodorus notes (§48,5) that it is up to us to choose virtue or vice and that there is no place for astrology, which would nullify foresight, law, and justice: “Ammonius the philosopher says ‘I know some men who have the astrological horoscope of adulterers, yet are temperate, since the self-moving nature of the soul dominates’”. Again, Ammonius does not deny the influence of the stars in our lives, but insists that our individual choice plays an overriding role. Explaining that aristocracy is the best government, Olympiodorus (§42,1–2) likens the city to the cosmos, ruled best by God, citing the Homeric line so favored by Aristotle (Metaphysics 12.10, 1076a4) and his Neoplatonic exegetes: “Rule of many is not good: let there be one chief!”. If someone objects that this is rather monarchy than aristocracy, respond with Ammonius: “Keep silent; let him have your fist”! 