§13ΣΩ. καὶ καλῶς γέ μοι, ὦ Εὐθύφρων, φαίνῃ λέγειν, ἀλλὰ σμικροῦ τινος ἔτι ἐνδεής εἰμι· τὴν γὰρ θεραπείαν οὔπω συνίημι ἥντινα ὀνομάζεις.
Socrates: And you seem to me, Euthyphro, to speak well, but I am still in need of some small thing; for I do not yet understand what care you mean.
οὐ γάρ που λέγεις γε, οἷαίπερ καὶ αἱ περὶ τὰ ἄλλα θεραπεῖαί εἰσιν, τοιαύτην καὶ περὶ θεούς— λέγομεν γάρ που—οἷόν φαμεν ἵππους οὐ πᾶς ἐπίσταται θεραπεύειν ἀλλὰ ὁ ἱππικός·
For you surely do not mean that the care concerning the gods is of such a kind as are also the cares concerning other things—for we say, I suppose—for example, we say that not everyone knows how to care for horses, but the horse trainer; is it not so?
ἦ γάρ; ΕΥΘ. πάνυ γε.
Euthyphro: By all means.
ΣΩ. ἡ γάρ που ἱππικὴ ἵππων θεραπεία.
Socrates: For horse training is, I suppose, the care of horses.
ΕΥΘ. ναί.
Euthyphro: Yes.
ΣΩ. οὐδέ γε κύνας πᾶς ἐπίσταται θεραπεύειν ἀλλὰ ὁ κυνηγετικός.
Socrates: Nor indeed does everyone know how to care for dogs, but the hunter.
ΕΥΘ. οὕτω.
Euthyphro: Quite so.
ΣΩ. ἡ γάρ που κυνηγετικὴ κυνῶν θεραπεία.
Socrates: For hunting is, I suppose, the care of dogs.
ΕΥΘ. ναί.
Euthyphro: Yes.
ΣΩ. ἡ δέ γε βοηλατικὴ βοῶν.
Socrates: And ox-herding indeed is that of oxen.
ΕΥΘ. πάνυ γε.
Euthyphro: By all means.
ΣΩ. ἡ δὲ δὴ ὁσιότης τε καὶ εὐσέβεια θεῶν, ὦ Εὐθύφρων;
Socrates: And is holiness and piety indeed the care of the gods, Euthyphro?
οὕτω λέγεις;
Is this what you say?
ΕΥΘ. ἔγωγε.
Euthyphro: I do indeed.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν θεραπεία γε πᾶσα ταὐτὸν διαπράττεται;
Socrates: Now does not all care accomplish the same thing?
οἷον τοιόνδε· ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ τινί ἐστι καὶ ὠφελίᾳ τοῦ θεραπευομένου, ὥσπερ ὁρᾷς δὴ ὅτι οἱ ἵπποι ὑπὸ τῆς ἱππικῆς θεραπευόμενοι ὠφελοῦνται καὶ βελτίους γίγνονται· ἢ οὐ δοκοῦσί σοι;
For instance: it is for some good and benefit of the one being cared for, just as you see that horses, being cared for by horse training, are benefited and become better; or do they not seem so to you?
ΕΥΘ. ἔμοιγε.
Euthyphro: To me indeed it does.
ΣΩ. καὶ οἱ κύνες γέ που ὑπὸ τῆς κυνηγετικῆς, καὶ οἱ βόες ὑπὸ τῆς βοηλατικῆς, καὶ τἆλλα πάντα ὡσαύτως· ἢ ἐπὶ βλάβῃ οἴει τοῦ θεραπευομένου τὴν θεραπείαν εἶναι;
Socrates: And dogs indeed, I suppose, by hunting, and oxen by ox-herding, and all other things likewise; or do you think care is for the harm of the one being cared for?
ΕΥΘ. μὰ Δίʼ οὐκ ἔγωγε.
Euthyphro: By Zeus, I do not.
ΣΩ. ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ὠφελίᾳ;
Socrates: But for benefit?
ΕΥΘ. πῶς δʼ οὔ;
Euthyphro: How indeed could it not be?
ΣΩ. ἦ οὖν καὶ ἡ ὁσιότης θεραπεία οὖσα θεῶν ὠφελία τέ ἐστι θεῶν καὶ βελτίους τοὺς θεοὺς ποιεῖ;
Socrates: Is then also holiness, being a care of the gods, a benefit to the gods and does it make the gods better?
καὶ σὺ τοῦτο συγχωρήσαις ἄν, ὡς ἐπειδάν τι ὅσιον ποιῇς, βελτίω τινὰ τῶν θεῶν ἀπεργάζῃ;
And would you agree to this, that whenever you do something holy, you make some one of the gods better?
ΕΥΘ. μὰ Δίʼ οὐκ ἔγωγε.
Euthyphro: By Zeus, I do not.
ΣΩ. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγώ, ὦ Εὐθύφρων, οἶμαί σε τοῦτο λέγειν —πολλοῦ καὶ δέω—ἀλλὰ τούτου δὴ ἕνεκα καὶ ἀνηρόμην τίνα ποτὲ λέγοις τὴν θεραπείαν τῶν θεῶν, οὐχ ἡγούμενός σε τοιαύτην λέγειν.
Socrates: For neither do I, Euthyphro, think you say this—far from it indeed—but it was indeed for this reason that I asked what care of the gods you meant, not believing that you meant such a thing.
ΕΥΘ. καὶ ὀρθῶς γε, ὦ Σώκρατες· οὐ γὰρ τοιαύτην λέγω.
Euthyphro: And rightly indeed, Socrates; for I do not mean such a thing.
ΣΩ. εἶεν· ἀλλὰ τίς δὴ θεῶν θεραπεία εἴη ἂν ἡ ὁσιότης;
Socrates: Well then; but what care of the gods would holiness be?
ΕΥΘ. ἥνπερ, ὦ Σώκρατες, οἱ δοῦλοι τοὺς δεσπότας θεραπεύουσιν.
Euthyphro: The kind, Socrates, with which slaves serve their masters.
ΣΩ. μανθάνω· ὑπηρετική τις ἄν, ὡς ἔοικεν, εἴη θεοῖς.
Socrates: I understand; it would be, as it seems, a kind of service to the gods.
ΕΥΘ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
Euthyphro: Most certainly.
ΣΩ. ἔχοις ἂν οὖν εἰπεῖν ἡ ἰατροῖς ὑπηρετικὴ εἰς τίνος ἔργου ἀπεργασίαν τυγχάνει οὖσα ὑπηρετική;
Socrates: Could you then say what work the service to physicians happens to be a service for the production of?
οὐκ εἰς ὑγιείας οἴει;
Do you not think it is for health?
ΕΥΘ. ἔγωγε.
Euthyphro: I do indeed.
ΣΩ. τί δὲ ἡ ναυπηγοῖς ὑπηρετική;
Socrates: And what about the service to shipbuilders?
εἰς τίνος ἔργου ἀπεργασίαν ὑπηρετική ἐστιν;
For the production of what work is it a service?
ΕΥΘ. δῆλον ὅτι, ὦ Σώκρατες, εἰς πλοίου.
Euthyphro: Clearly, Socrates, for a ship.
ΣΩ. καὶ ἡ οἰκοδόμοις γέ που εἰς οἰκίας;
Socrates: And that to housebuilders, I suppose, is for a house?
ΕΥΘ. ναί.
Euthyphro: Yes.
ΣΩ. εἰπὲ δή, ὦ ἄριστε· ἡ δὲ θεοῖς ὑπηρετικὴ εἰς τίνος ἔργου ἀπεργασίαν ὑπηρετικὴ ἂν εἴη;
Socrates: Tell indeed, my excellent friend: for the production of what work would the service to the gods be?
δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι σὺ οἶσθα, ἐπειδήπερ τά γε θεῖα κάλλιστα φῂς εἰδέναι ἀνθρώπων.
For it is clear that you know, since indeed you claim to know divine things best of men.
ΕΥΘ. καὶ ἀληθῆ γε λέγω, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Euthyphro: And indeed I speak the truth, Socrates.
ΣΩ. εἰπὲ δὴ πρὸς Διὸς τί ποτέ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο τὸ πάγκαλον ἔργον ὃ οἱ θεοὶ ἀπεργάζονται ἡμῖν ὑπηρέταις χρώμενοι;
Socrates: Tell then, by Zeus, what on earth is that all-beautiful work which the gods produce, using us as servants?