Barbaros: Our take

Thinking through Plato's use of the term barbarian

Barbaros is usually used by Plato in the Republic in conjunction with “Greek.”  Between these two words a contrast is established, “on the one hand, what is one’s own and akin, and what is alien and foreign, on the other” (470b), but also between what is civilized and what is savage as well.  Only in one instance is this not the case (533d), yet this usage is in the final analysis consistent with the other uses.