§6ΕΥΘ. λέγω τοίνυν ὅτι τὸ μὲν ὅσιόν ἐστιν ὅπερ ἐγὼ νῦν ποιῶ, τῷ ἀδικοῦντι ἢ περὶ φόνους ἢ περὶ ἱερῶν κλοπὰς ἤ τι ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων ἐξαμαρτάνοντι ἐπεξιέναι, ἐάντε πατὴρ ὢν τυγχάνῃ ἐάντε μήτηρ ἐάντε ἄλλος ὁστισοῦν, τὸ δὲ μὴ ἐπεξιέναι ἀνόσιον·
Euthyphro: I say, then, that the pious is just what I am doing now, to prosecute the wrongdoer, whether committing a crime concerning murders or temple-thefts or any other such thing, whether he happens to be father or mother or anyone else whatsoever, and not to prosecute is impious.
ἐπεί, ὦ Σώκρατες, θέασαι ὡς μέγα σοι ἐρῶ τεκμήριον τοῦ νόμου ὅτι οὕτως ἔχει—ὃ καὶ ἄλλοις ἤδη εἶπον, ὅτι ταῦτα ὀρθῶς ἂν εἴη οὕτω γιγνόμενα—μὴ ἐπιτρέπειν τῷ ἀσεβοῦντι μηδʼ ἂν ὁστισοῦν τυγχάνῃ ὤν.
Indeed, Socrates, look at how great a proof of the law I will tell you that it is so—which I have already told others as well, that these things would be rightly done in this way—not to yield to the one committing impiety, not even if he happens to be anyone whatsoever.
αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι τυγχάνουσι νομίζοντες τὸν Δία τῶν θεῶν ἄριστον καὶ δικαιότατον, καὶ τοῦτον ὁμολογοῦσι τὸν αὑτοῦ πατέρα δῆσαι ὅτι τοὺς ὑεῖς κατέπινεν οὐκ ἐν δίκῃ, κἀκεῖνόν γε αὖ τὸν αὑτοῦ πατέρα ἐκτεμεῖν διʼ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα·
For the men themselves happen to believe that Zeus is the best and most righteous of the gods, and they agree that he bound his own father because he swallowed his sons unjustly, and that the latter in turn castrated his own father because of other such deeds.
ἐμοὶ δὲ χαλεπαίνουσιν ὅτι τῷ πατρὶ ἐπεξέρχομαι ἀδικοῦντι, καὶ οὕτως αὐτοὶ αὑτοῖς τὰ ἐναντία λέγουσι περί τε τῶν θεῶν καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ.
Yet they are angry with me because I prosecute my father for doing wrong, and in this way they say opposite things to themselves both concerning the gods and concerning me.
ΣΩ. ἆρά γε, ὦ Εὐθύφρων, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν οὕνεκα τὴν γραφὴν φεύγω, ὅτι τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπειδάν τις περὶ τῶν θεῶν λέγῃ, δυσχερῶς πως ἀποδέχομαι;
Socrates: Is it indeed for this reason, Euthyphro, that I am a defendant in this suit, because whenever someone says such things about the gods, I accept them with difficulty?
διὸ δή, ὡς ἔοικε, φήσει τίς με ἐξαμαρτάνειν.
On this account, indeed, as it seems, someone will say that I err.
νῦν οὖν εἰ καὶ σοὶ ταῦτα συνδοκεῖ τῷ εὖ εἰδότι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων, ἀνάγκη δή, ὡς ἔοικε, καὶ ἡμῖν συγχωρεῖν.
Now therefore, if these things seem the same also to you, who know well about such matters, it is necessary, as it seems, for us also to concede.
τί γὰρ καὶ φήσομεν, οἵ γε καὶ αὐτοὶ ὁμολογοῦμεν περὶ αὐτῶν μηδὲν εἰδέναι;
For what indeed shall we say, we who ourselves agree that we know nothing about them?
ἀλλά μοι εἰπὲ πρὸς Φιλίου, σὺ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἡγῇ ταῦτα οὕτως γεγονέναι;
But tell me, by the god of friendship, do you truly believe that these things happened in this way?
ΕΥΘ. καὶ ἔτι γε τούτων θαυμασιώτερα, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἃ οἱ πολλοὶ οὐκ ἴσασιν.
Euthyphro: And even more wonderful things than these, Socrates, which the multitude do not know.
ΣΩ. καὶ πόλεμον ἆρα ἡγῇ σὺ εἶναι τῷ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς θεοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ ἔχθρας γε δεινὰς καὶ μάχας καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα πολλά, οἷα λέγεταί τε ὑπὸ τῶν ποιητῶν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν γραφέων τά τε ἄλλα ἱερὰ ἡμῖν καταπεποίκιλται, καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῖς μεγάλοις Παναθηναίοις ὁ πέπλος μεστὸς τῶν τοιούτων ποικιλμάτων ἀνάγεται εἰς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν;
Socrates: And do you really believe there is indeed war among the gods against one another, and terrible enmities and battles and many other such things, such as are told by the poets, and by which our other sacred places have been decorated by good painters, and especially at the Great Panathenaia, the robe full of such embroideries is carried up to the Acropolis?
ταῦτα ἀληθῆ φῶμεν εἶναι, ὦ Εὐθύφρων;
Are we to say these things are true, Euthyphro?
ΕΥΘ. μὴ μόνον γε, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ ἄρτι εἶπον, καὶ ἄλλα σοι ἐγὼ πολλά, ἐάνπερ βούλῃ, περὶ τῶν θείων διηγήσομαι, ἃ σὺ ἀκούων εὖ οἶδʼ ὅτι ἐκπλαγήσῃ.
Euthyphro: Not only that, Socrates, but as I just said, I will also relate to you many other things, if you wish, about divine matters, which I know well you will be amazed to hear.
ΣΩ. οὐκ ἂν θαυμάζοιμι.
Socrates: I would not be surprised.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μέν μοι εἰς αὖθις ἐπὶ σχολῆς διηγήσῃ·
But you shall relate these things to me another time at leisure.
νυνὶ δὲ ὅπερ ἄρτι σε ἠρόμην πειρῶ σαφέστερον εἰπεῖν.
For now, try to say more clearly what I just asked you.
οὐ γάρ με, ὦ ἑταῖρε, τὸ πρότερον ἱκανῶς ἐδίδαξας ἐρωτήσαντα τὸ ὅσιον ὅτι ποτʼ εἴη, ἀλλά μοι εἶπες ὅτι τοῦτο τυγχάνει ὅσιον ὂν ὃ σὺ νῦν ποιεῖς, φόνου ἐπεξιὼν τῷ πατρί.
For, my companion, you did not teach me sufficiently before when I asked what the pious might ever be, but you told me that this happens to be pious which you are doing now, prosecuting your father for murder.
ΕΥΘ. καὶ ἀληθῆ γε ἔλεγον, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Euthyphro: And I was telling the truth, Socrates.
ΣΩ. ἴσως.
Socrates: Perhaps.
ἀλλὰ γάρ, ὦ Εὐθύφρων, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ φῂς εἶναι ὅσια.
But indeed, Euthyphro, you say that many other things also are pious.
ΕΥΘ. καὶ γὰρ ἔστιν.
Euthyphro: And indeed they are.
ΣΩ. μέμνησαι οὖν ὅτι οὐ τοῦτό σοι διεκελευόμην, ἕν τι ἢ δύο με διδάξαι τῶν πολλῶν ὁσίων, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο αὐτὸ τὸ εἶδος ᾧ πάντα τὰ ὅσια ὅσιά ἐστιν;
Socrates: Do you remember then, that I did not command you this, to teach me some one or two of the many pious things, but that form itself by which all pious things are pious?
ἔφησθα γάρ που μιᾷ ἰδέᾳ τά τε ἀνόσια ἀνόσια εἶναι καὶ τὰ ὅσια ὅσια· ἢ οὐ μνημονεύεις;
For you said, I think, that by one idea the impious things are impious and the pious things are pious; or do you not remember?
ΕΥΘ. ἔγωγε.
Euthyphro: I do.
ΣΩ. ταύτην τοίνυν με αὐτὴν δίδαξον τὴν ἰδέαν τίς ποτέ ἐστιν, ἵνα εἰς ἐκείνην ἀποβλέπων καὶ χρώμενος αὐτῇ παραδείγματι, ὃ μὲν ἂν τοιοῦτον ᾖ ὧν ἂν ἢ σὺ ἢ ἄλλος τις πράττῃ φῶ ὅσιον εἶναι, ὃ δʼ ἂν μὴ τοιοῦτον, μὴ φῶ.
Socrates: Teach me then this very idea, what it ever is, so that looking upon it and using it as a pattern, whatever is such among the things which either you or anyone else performs, I may say is pious, and whatever is not such, I may say is not.
ΕΥΘ. ἀλλʼ εἰ οὕτω βούλει, ὦ Σώκρατες, καὶ οὕτω σοι φράσω.
Euthyphro: But if you wish it so, Socrates, I will also tell you in this way.
ΣΩ. ἀλλὰ μὴν βούλομαί γε.
Socrates: Indeed, I do wish it.