ΣΩ. ἦ πολλὴν χάριν ὀφείλω σοι τῆς Θεαιτήτου γνωρίσεως, ὦ Θεόδωρε, ἅμα καὶ τῆς τοῦ ξένου.
ΘΕΟ. τάχα δέ [γε], ὦ Σώκρατες, ὀφειλήσεις ταύτης τριπλασίαν· ἐπειδὰν τόν τε πολιτικὸν ἀπεργάσωνταί σοι καὶ τὸν φιλόσοφον.
ΣΩ. εἶεν· οὕτω τοῦτο, ὦ φίλε Θεόδωρε, φήσομεν ἀκηκοότες εἶναι τοῦ περὶ λογισμοὺς καὶ τὰ γεωμετρικὰ κρατίστου;
ΘΕΟ. πῶς, ὦ Σώκρατες;
ΣΩ. τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἕκαστον θέντος τῆς ἴσης ἀξίας, οἳ τῇ τιμῇ πλέον ἀλλήλων ἀφεστᾶσιν ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τὴν τῆς ὑμετέρας τέχνης.
ΘΕΟ. εὖ γε νὴ τὸν ἡμέτερον θεόν, ὦ Σώκρατες, τὸν Ἄμμωνα, καὶ δικαίως, καὶ πάνυ μὲν οὖν μνημονικῶς ἐπέπληξάς μοι τὸ περὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἁμάρτημα. καὶ σὲ μὲν ἀντὶ τούτων εἰς αὖθις μέτειμι· σὺ δʼ ἡμῖν, ὦ ξένε, μηδαμῶς ἀποκάμῃς χαριζόμενος, ἀλλʼ ἑξῆς, εἴτε τὸν πολιτικὸν ἄνδρα πρότερον εἴτε τὸν φιλόσοφον προαιρῇ, προελόμενος διέξελθε.
ΞΕ. ταῦτʼ, ὦ Θεόδωρε, ποιητέον· ἐπείπερ ἅπαξ γε ἐγκεχειρήκαμεν, [καὶ] οὐκ ἀποστατέον πρὶν ἂν αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἔλθωμεν. ἀλλὰ γὰρ περὶ Θεαιτήτου τοῦδε τί χρὴ δρᾶν με;
ΘΕΟ. τοῦ πέρι;
ΞΕ. διαναπαύσωμεν αὐτὸν μεταλαβόντες αὐτοῦ τὸν συγγυμναστὴν τόνδε Σωκράτη; ἢ πῶς συμβουλεύεις;
ΘΕΟ. καθάπερ εἶπες, μεταλάμβανε· νέω γὰρ ὄντε ῥᾷον οἴσετον πάντα πόνον ἀναπαυομένω.
ΣΩ. καὶ μὴν κινδυνεύετον, ὦ ξένε, ἄμφω ποθὲν ἐμοὶ συγγένειαν ἔχειν τινά.
Soc. Really I am greatly indebted to you, Theodorus, for my acquaintance with Theaetetus and with the Stranger, too.
Theo. Presently, Socrates, you will be three times as much indebted, when they have worked out the statesman and the philosopher for you.
Soc. Indeed! My dear Theodorus, can I believe my ears? Were those really the words of the great calculator and geometrician?
Theo. Why, what do you mean, Socrates?
Soc. When you rated sophist, statesman, and philosopher at the same value, though they are farther apart in worth than your mathematical proportion can express.
Theo. By Ammon, our special divinity, that is a good hit, Socrates; evidently you haven’t forgotten your mathematics, and you are quite right in, finding fault with my bad arithmetic. I will get even with you at some other time; but now, Stranger, I turn to you. Do not grow tired of being kind to us, but go on and tell us about the statesman or the philosopher, whichever you prefer to take first.
Str. That is the thing to do, Theodorus, since we have once begun, and we must not stop until we have finished with them. But what shall I do about Theaetetus here?
Theo. In what respect?
Str. Shall we give him a rest and take his schoolmate here, the young Socrates, in his place? What is your advice?
Theo. Make the change as you suggest. They are young, and if they have a chance to rest by turns, they will bear any labor better.
Soc. And besides, Stranger, it seems to me that they are both related to me after a fashion;
ΣΩ. τὸν μέν γε οὖν ὑμεῖς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ προσώπου φύσιν ὅμοιον ἐμοὶ φαίνεσθαί φατε, τοῦ δʼ ἡμῖν ἡ κλῆσις ὁμώνυμος οὖσα καὶ ἡ πρόσρησις παρέχεταί τινα οἰκειότητα. δεῖ δὴ τούς γε συγγενεῖς ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ προθύμως διὰ λόγων ἀναγνωρίζειν. Θεαιτήτῳ μὲν οὖν αὐτός τε συνέμειξα χθὲς διὰ λόγων καὶ νῦν ἀκήκοα ἀποκρινομένου, Σωκράτους δὲ οὐδέτερα· δεῖ δὲ σκέψασθαι καὶ τοῦτον. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν εἰς αὖθις, σοὶ δὲ νῦν ἀποκρινέσθω.
ΞΕ. ταῦτʼ ἔσται. ὦ Σώκρατες, ἀκούεις δὴ Σωκράτους;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
ΞΕ. συγχωρεῖς οὖν οἷς λέγει;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
ΞΕ. οὐ τὰ σὰ κωλύειν φαίνεται, δεῖ δὲ ἴσως ἔτι ἧττον τἀμὰ διακωλύειν. ἀλλὰ δὴ μετὰ τὸν σοφιστὴν ἀναγκαῖον, ὡς ἐμοὶ φαίνεται, πολιτικὸν [τὸν ἄνδρα] διαζητεῖν νῷν· καί μοι λέγε πότερον τῶν ἐπιστημόνων τινʼ ἡμῖν καὶ τοῦτον θετέον, ἢ πῶς;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. οὕτως.
ΞΕ. τὰς ἐπιστήμας ἄρα διαληπτέον, ὥσπερ ἡνίκα τὸν πρότερον ἐσκοποῦμεν;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τάχʼ ἄν.
ΞΕ. οὐ μὲν δὴ κατὰ ταὐτόν γε, ὦ Σώκρατες, φαίνεταί μοι τμῆμα.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί μήν;
ΞΕ. κατʼ ἄλλο.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ἔοικέν γε.
ΞΕ. τὴν οὖν πολιτικὴν ἀτραπὸν πῇ τις ἀνευρήσει; δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀνευρεῖν, καὶ χωρὶς ἀφελόντας ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἰδέαν αὐτῇ μίαν ἐπισφραγίσασθαι, καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐκτροπαῖς ἓν ἄλλο εἶδος ἐπισημηναμένους πάσας τὰς ἐπιστήμας ὡς οὔσας δύο εἴδη διανοηθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν ποιῆσαι.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τοῦτʼ ἤδη σὸν οἶμαι τὸ ἔργον, ὦ ξένε, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐμὸν γίγνεται.
ΞΕ. δεῖ γε μήν, ὦ Σώκρατες, αὐτὸ εἶναι καὶ σόν, ὅταν ἐμφανὲς ἡμῖν γένηται.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. καλῶς εἶπες.
ΞΕ. ἆρʼ οὖν οὐκ ἀριθμητικὴ μὲν καί τινες ἕτεραι ταύτῃ συγγενεῖς τέχναι ψιλαὶ τῶν πράξεών εἰσι, τὸ δὲ γνῶναι παρέσχοντο μόνον;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ἔστιν οὕτως.
ΞΕ. αἱ δέ γε περὶ τεκτονικὴν αὖ καὶ σύμπασαν χειρουργίαν ὥσπερ ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν ἐνοῦσαν σύμφυτον τὴν ἐπιστήμην κέκτηνται, καὶ συναποτελοῦσι τὰ γιγνόμενα ὑπʼ αὐτῶν σώματα πρότερον οὐκ ὄντα.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί μήν;
ΞΕ. ταύτῃ τοίνυν συμπάσας ἐπιστήμας διαίρει, τὴν μὲν πρακτικὴν προσειπών, τὴν δὲ μόνον γνωστικήν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ἔστω σοι ταῦθʼ ὡς μιᾶς ἐπιστήμης τῆς ὅλης εἴδη δύο.
ΞΕ. πότερον οὖν τὸν πολιτικὸν καὶ βασιλέα καὶ δεσπότην καὶ ἔτʼ οἰκονόμον θήσομεν ὡς ἓν πάντα ταῦτα προσαγορεύοντες, ἢ τοσαύτας τέχνας αὐτὰς εἶναι φῶμεν ὅσαπερ ὀνόματα ἐρρήθη; μᾶλλον δέ μοι δεῦρο ἕπου.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῇ;
Soc. one of them anyhow, as you say, looks like me in his cast of countenance, and the other has the same name and appellation, which implies some sort of kinship. Of course we ought always to be eager to get acquainted with our relatives by debating with them. Now I myself had an argument with Theaetetus yesterday and have been listening to his answers just now, but I do not know Socrates in either way and must examine him, too. But let him reply to you now; my turn will come by and by.
Str. Very well; Socrates, do you hear what Socrates says?
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. And do you agree?
Y. Soc. Certainly.
Str. There seems to be no objection on your part, and I suppose there should be still less on mine. Well, then, after the sophist, I think it is our next duty to seek for the statesman; so please tell me: should we rank him also among those who have a science, or not?
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. Must the sciences, then, be divided as when we were examining the sophist?
Y. Soc. Perhaps.
Str. In that case, Socrates, I think the division will not be along the same lines.
Y. Soc. How will it be?
Str. Along other lines.
Y. Soc. Very likely.
Str. Where, then, shall we find the statesman’s path? For we must find it, separate it from the rest, and imprint upon it the seal of a single class; then we must set the mark of another single class upon all the other paths that lead away from this, and make our soul conceive of all sciences as of two classes.
Y. Soc. This, Stranger, is now your affair, I think, not mine.
Str. And yet, Socrates, it must be your affair, too, when we have found the path.
Y. Soc. Quite true.
Str. Are not arithmetic and certain other kindred arts pure sciences, without regard to practical application, which merely furnish knowledge?
Y. Soc. Yes, they are.
Str. But the science possessed by the arts relating to carpentering and to handicraft in general is inherent in their application, and with its aid they create objects which did not previously exist.
Y. Soc. To be sure.
Str. In this way, then, divide all science into two arts, calling the one practical, and the other purely intellectual.
Y. Soc. Let us assume that all science is one and that these are its two forms.
Str. Shall we then assume that the statesman, king, master, and householder too, for that matter, are all one, to be grouped under one title, or shall we say that there are as many arts as names? But let me rather help you to understand in this way.
Y. Soc. In what way?
ΞΕ. τῇδε. εἴ τῴ τις τῶν δημοσιευόντων ἰατρῶν ἱκανὸς συμβουλεύειν ἰδιωτεύων αὐτός, ἆρʼ οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον αὐτῷ προσαγορεύεσθαι τοὔνομα τῆς τέχνης ταὐτὸν ὅπερ ᾧ συμβουλεύει;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
ΞΕ. τί δʼ; ὅστις βασιλεύοντι χώρας ἀνδρὶ παραινεῖν δεινὸς ἰδιώτης ὢν αὐτός, ἆρʼ οὐ φήσομεν ἔχειν αὐτὸν τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἣν ἔδει τὸν ἄρχοντα αὐτὸν κεκτῆσθαι;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. φήσομεν.
ΞΕ. ἀλλὰ μὴν ἥ γε ἀληθινοῦ βασιλέως βασιλική;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
ΞΕ. ταύτην δὲ ὁ κεκτημένος οὐκ, ἄντε ἄρχων ἄντε ἰδιώτης ὢν τυγχάνῃ, πάντως κατά γε τὴν τέχνην αὐτὴν βασιλικὸς ὀρθῶς προσρηθήσεται;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. δίκαιον γοῦν.
ΞΕ. καὶ μὴν οἰκονόμος γε καὶ δεσπότης ταὐτόν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί μήν;
ΞΕ. τί δέ; μεγάλης σχῆμα οἰκήσεως ἢ σμικρᾶς αὖ πόλεως ὄγκος μῶν τι πρὸς ἀρχὴν διοίσετον;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. οὐδέν.
ΞΕ. οὐκοῦν, ὃ νυνδὴ διεσκοπούμεθα, φανερὸν ὡς ἐπιστήμη μία περὶ πάντʼ ἐστὶ ταῦτα· ταύτην δὲ εἴτε βασιλικὴν εἴτε πολιτικὴν εἴτε οἰκονομικήν τις ὀνομάζει, μηδὲν αὐτῷ διαφερώμεθα.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί γάρ;
ΞΕ. ἀλλὰ μὴν τόδε γε δῆλον, ὡς βασιλεὺς ἅπας χερσὶ καὶ σύμπαντι τῷ σώματι σμίκρʼ ἄττα εἰς τὸ κατέχειν τὴν ἀρχὴν δύναται πρὸς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς σύνεσιν καὶ ῥώμην.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. δῆλον.
ΞΕ. τῆς δὴ γνωστικῆς μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς χειροτεχνικῆς καὶ ὅλως πρακτικῆς βούλει τὸν βασιλέα φῶμεν οἰκειότερον εἶναι;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί μήν;
ΞΕ. τὴν ἄρα πολιτικὴν καὶ πολιτικὸν καὶ βασιλικὴν καὶ βασιλικὸν εἰς ταὐτὸν ὡς ἓν πάντα ταῦτα συνθήσομεν;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. δῆλον.
ΞΕ. οὐκοῦν πορευοίμεθʼ ἂν ἑξῆς, εἰ μετὰ ταῦτα τὴν γνωστικὴν διοριζοίμεθα;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πάνυ γε.
ΞΕ. πρόσεχε δὴ τὸν νοῦν ἂν ἄρα ἐν αὐτῇ τινα διαφυὴν κατανοήσωμεν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. φράζε ποίαν.
ΞΕ. τοιάνδε. λογιστική πού τις ἡμῖν ἦν τέχνη.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
ΞΕ. τῶν γνωστικῶν γε οἶμαι παντάπασι τεχνῶν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς δʼ οὔ;
ΞΕ. γνούσῃ δὴ λογιστικῇ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἀριθμοῖς διαφορὰν μῶν τι πλέον ἔργον δώσομεν ἢ τὰ γνωσθέντα κρῖναι;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί μήν;
ΞΕ. καὶ γὰρ ἀρχιτέκτων γε πᾶς οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐργατικὸς ἀλλʼ ἐργατῶν ἄρχων.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
ΞΕ. παρεχόμενός γέ που γνῶσιν ἀλλʼ οὐ χειρουργίαν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. οὕτως.
Str. By this example: If anyone, though himself in private station, is able to advise one of the public physicians, must not his art be called by the same name as that of the man whom he advises?
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. Well, then, if a man who is himself in private station is wise enough to advise him who is king of a country, shall we not say that he has the science which the ruler himself ought to possess?
Y. Soc. We shall.
Str. But certainly the science of a true king is kingly science?
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. And will not he who possesses this science, whether he happen to be a ruler or a private citizen, rightly be called “kingly,” when considered purely with reference to his art?
Y. Soc. At least he has a right to be.
Str. And surely the householder and the master of a family are the same.
Y. Soc. Yes, of course.
Str. Well, so far as government is concerned, is there any difference between the grandeur of a large house and the majesty of a small state?
Y. Soc. No.
Str. Then as for the point we were just discussing, it is clear that all these are the objects of one science, and whether a man calls this the art of kingship or statesmanship or householding, let us not quarrel with him.
Y. Soc. By no means.
Str. But this is plain, that any king can do little with his hands or his whole body toward holding his position, compared with what he can do with the sagacity and strength of his soul.
Y. Soc. Yes, that is plain.
Str. Shall we say, then, that the king is more akin to the intellectual than to the manual or the practical in general?
Y. Soc. Certainly.
Str. Shall we, therefore, put all these together as one—the political art and the statesman, the royal art and the king?
Y. Soc. Obviously.
Str. Then we should be proceeding in due order if we should next divide intellectual science?
Y. Soc. Certainly.
Str. Now pay attention to see if we can perceive any natural line of cleavage in it.
Y. Soc. Tell us of what sort it is.
Str. Of this sort. We recognized a sort of art of calculation.
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. It is, I suppose, most certainly one of the intellectual arts.
Y. Soc. Of course.
Str. And shall we grant to the art of calculation, when it has found out the difference between numbers, any further function than that of passing judgement on them when found out?
Y. Soc. No, certainly not.
Str. Every architect, too, is a ruler of workmen, not a workman himself.
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. As supplying knowledge, not manual labor.
Y. Soc. True.
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