Cupidines (non) necessariae: forme del desiderio e degenerazione psico-politica (Apul. Plat. II 241)

In Plat. II 241 we can read "sed eius etiam qua non necessariae cupidines sunt" and "sed his etiam quae obvia atque occursantia", taking into account Plato's distinction between "necessary" and "unnecessary" desires (Resp. 558d-559c). In the oligarchic man, whom the first pericope refers to, "necessary" desires control both the "unnecessary" ones and the other two "parts" of the soul. On the other side, the democratic man (second pericope) is also assailed also by "unnecessary" desires, which "obvia and occursantia" refer to, according to Plat. Resp. 561c.