§14ΕΥΘ. πολλὰ καὶ καλά, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Euthyphro: Many and beautiful things, Socrates.
ΣΩ. καὶ γὰρ οἱ στρατηγοί, ὦ φίλε· ἀλλʼ ὅμως τὸ κεφάλαιον αὐτῶν ῥᾳδίως ἂν εἴποις, ὅτι νίκην ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἀπεργάζονται· ἢ οὔ;
Socrates: For so do generals indeed, my friend; but nevertheless you could easily state the chief point of them, that they produce victory in war; or not?
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ΕΥΘ. πῶς δʼ οὔ;
Euthyphro: How indeed not?
ΣΩ. πολλὰ δέ γʼ, οἶμαι, καὶ καλὰ καὶ οἱ γεωργοί· ἀλλʼ ὅμως τὸ κεφάλαιον αὐτῶν ἐστιν τῆς ἀπεργασίας ἡ ἐκ τῆς γῆς τροφή.
Socrates: And many and beautiful things indeed, I think, also farmers [produce]; but nevertheless the chief point of their production is sustenance from the earth.
ΕΥΘ. πάνυ γε.
Euthyphro: By all means.
ΣΩ. τί δὲ δὴ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ καλῶν ἃ οἱ θεοὶ ἀπεργάζονται;
Socrates: What indeed of the many and beautiful things which the gods produce?
τί τὸ κεφάλαιόν ἐστι τῆς ἐργασίας;
What is the chief point of their work?
ΕΥΘ. καὶ ὀλίγον σοι πρότερον εἶπον, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὅτι πλείονος ἔργου ἐστὶν ἀκριβῶς πάντα ταῦτα ὡς ἔχει μαθεῖν· τόδε μέντοι σοι ἁπλῶς λέγω, ὅτι ἐὰν μὲν κεχαρισμένα τις ἐπίστηται τοῖς θεοῖς λέγειν τε καὶ πράττειν εὐχόμενός τε καὶ θύων, ταῦτʼ ἔστι τὰ ὅσια, καὶ σῴζει τὰ τοιαῦτα τούς τε ἰδίους οἴκους καὶ τὰ κοινὰ τῶν πόλεων· τὰ δʼ ἐναντία τῶν κεχαρισμένων ἀσεβῆ, ἃ δὴ καὶ ἀνατρέπει ἅπαντα καὶ ἀπόλλυσιν.
Euthyphro: I also told you a little earlier, Socrates, that it is a greater task to learn all these things accurately as they are; this much, however, I tell you simply, that if someone knows how to say and do things gratifying to the gods by praying and sacrificing, these are holy things, and such things save both private houses and the common affairs of cities; and the opposites of gratifying things are unholy, which indeed overturn and destroy everything.
ΣΩ. ἦ πολύ μοι διὰ βραχυτέρων, ὦ Εὐθύφρων, εἰ ἐβούλου, εἶπες ἂν τὸ κεφάλαιον ὧν ἠρώτων· ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ πρόθυμός με εἶ διδάξαι—δῆλος εἶ.
Socrates: Truly, Euthyphro, you would have told me the chief point of what I was asking in much shorter terms, if you had wished; but indeed you are not eager to teach me—it is clear.
καὶ γὰρ νῦν ἐπειδὴ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἦσθα ἀπετράπου, ὃ εἰ ἀπεκρίνω, ἱκανῶς ἂν ἤδη παρὰ σοῦ τὴν ὁσιότητα ἐμεμαθήκη.
For just now, when you were right at it, you turned aside; if you had answered that, I would have already sufficiently learned holiness from you.
νῦν δὲ ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὸν ἐρῶντα τῷ ἐρωμένῳ ἀκολουθεῖν ὅπῃ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ὑπάγῃ, τί δὴ αὖ λέγεις τὸ ὅσιον εἶναι καὶ τὴν ὁσιότητα;
But now—for it is necessary for the lover to follow the beloved wherever he leads—what indeed do you say again that the holy and holiness is?
οὐχὶ ἐπιστήμην τινὰ τοῦ θύειν τε καὶ εὔχεσθαι;
Is it not a certain knowledge of sacrificing and praying?
ΕΥΘ. ἔγωγε.
Euthyphro: I do.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν τὸ θύειν δωρεῖσθαί ἐστι τοῖς θεοῖς, τὸ δʼ εὔχεσθαι αἰτεῖν τοὺς θεούς;
Socrates: Is not sacrificing giving gifts to the gods, and praying asking of the gods?
ΕΥΘ. καὶ μάλα, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Euthyphro: Very much so, Socrates.
ΣΩ. ἐπιστήμη ἄρα αἰτήσεως καὶ δόσεως θεοῖς ὁσιότης ἂν εἴη ἐκ τούτου τοῦ λόγου.
Socrates: Knowledge, then, of asking of and giving to the gods would holiness be, according to this argument.
ΕΥΘ. πάνυ καλῶς, ὦ Σώκρατες, συνῆκας ὃ εἶπον.
Euthyphro: Very well, Socrates, did you understand what I said.
ΣΩ. ἐπιθυμητὴς γάρ εἰμι, ὦ φίλε, τῆς σῆς σοφίας καὶ προσέχω τὸν νοῦν αὐτῇ, ὥστε οὐ χαμαὶ πεσεῖται ὅτι ἂν εἴπῃς.
Socrates: For I am a lover, my friend, of your wisdom and I direct my mind to it, so that what you say will not fall to the ground.
ἀλλά μοι λέξον τίς αὕτη ἡ ὑπηρεσία ἐστὶ τοῖς θεοῖς;
But tell me, what is this service to the gods?
αἰτεῖν τε φῂς αὐτοὺς καὶ διδόναι ἐκείνοις;
You say it is to ask of them and to give to them?
ΕΥΘ. ἔγωγε.
Euthyphro: I do.
ΣΩ. ἆρʼ οὖν οὐ τό γε ὀρθῶς αἰτεῖν ἂν εἴη ὧν δεόμεθα παρʼ ἐκείνων, ταῦτα αὐτοὺς αἰτεῖν;
Socrates: Would not, then, to ask rightly be to ask them for those things of which we stand in need from them?
ΕΥΘ. ἀλλὰ τί;
Euthyphro: What else?
ΣΩ. καὶ αὖ τὸ διδόναι ὀρθῶς, ὧν ἐκεῖνοι τυγχάνουσιν δεόμενοι παρʼ ἡμῶν, ταῦτα ἐκείνοις αὖ ἀντιδωρεῖσθαι;
Socrates: And again, to give rightly, to give gifts in return to them of those things which they happen to stand in need of from us?
οὐ γάρ που τεχνικόν γʼ ἂν εἴη δωροφορεῖν διδόντα τῳ ταῦτα ὧν οὐδὲν δεῖται.
For surely it would not be artful to give gifts, presenting to someone things of which he has no need.
ΕΥΘ. ἀληθῆ λέγεις, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Euthyphro: You speak the truth, Socrates.
ΣΩ. ἐμπορικὴ ἄρα τις ἂν εἴη, ὦ Εὐθύφρων, τέχνη ἡ ὁσιότης θεοῖς καὶ ἀνθρώποις παρʼ ἀλλήλων.
Socrates: An art of commerce, then, Euthyphro, would holiness be, between gods and men with each other.
ΕΥΘ. ἐμπορική, εἰ οὕτως ἥδιόν σοι ὀνομάζειν.
Euthyphro: Of commerce, if it is more pleasing to you to name it so.