τὰ μέσα τῆς πόλεως: is emphasized together with the ἀγορά, in opposition with the following ἐν γωνίᾳ. Cf. Cic. de Or. i. 13. 57 quibus (philosophis) ego ut de his rebus in angulis consumendi otii causa disserant cum concessero, illud tamen oratori tribuam, etc.
ὁ ποιητής: the poet, of course, is Homer. He says, I 440, νήπιον, οὔπω εἰδόθ᾽ ὁμοιίοο πτολέμοιο | οὐδ̓ ἀγορέων, ἵνα τ̓ ἄνδρες ἀριπρεπέες τελέθουσιν.—
καταδεδυκότι: “in retirement,” as contrasted with the brilliant life of the public man. The word is used somewhat differently in Rep. ix. 579 b, where it is said of a tyrant οὔτ᾽ ἀποδημῆσαι ἔξεστιν (αὐτῷ) οὐδαμόσε οὔτε θεωρῆσαι ὅσων δὴ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἐλεύθεροι ἐπιθυμηταί εἰσι, καταδεδυκὼς δὲ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τὰ πολλὰ ὡς γυνὴ ζῇ.
μετὰ μειρακίων: as contrasted with association with men and with the whole people. It is evident that, in spite of Callicles' exaggeration, he is striking continually at Socrates' (and Plato's) occupation. Quite naturally and conversationally ψιθυρίζοντα suggests again its opposite, which is added in ἐλεύθερον φθέγξασθαι.
