Who, according to Plato, can only tell lies and in what context?

According to Plato in "The Republic," only poets who write about gods and heroes can tell lies. Plato argues that these poets often portray the gods and heroes in a negative or morally ambiguous light and that their stories can therefore promote false beliefs and harmful emotions.

Plato's critique of these poets is based on his belief that the ideal state must be based on rationality and virtue, and that the arts, including poetry, can be deceptive and misleading. He argues that poets who write about gods and heroes are particularly dangerous because their stories can shape the beliefs and emotions of their audience, potentially leading to a disordered and irrational state of mind.

Plato's criticism of these poets is not necessarily that they deliberately set out to deceive their audience, but instead that the very nature of their art form makes it difficult to accurately represent reality. He believes that poetry, by its very nature, is characterized by imitation and portrayal and can often lead to a distortion of reality.

Therefore, in the context of Plato's ideal state, poets who write about gods and heroes are seen as untrustworthy and potentially harmful. Their stories are seen as promoting false beliefs and harmful emotions, and as such, they are not given a place in the ideal state. Instead, the ideal state is based on reason, virtue, and a commitment to truth, with a focus on education and philosophy rather than the arts.