§389ΣΩ. οὐκ ἄρα παντὸς ἀνδρός, ὦ Ἑρμόγενες, ὄνομα θέσθαι ἀλλά τινος ὀνοματουργοῦ· οὗτος δʼ ἐστίν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὁ νομοθέτης, ὃς δὴ τῶν δημιουργῶν σπανιώτατος ἐν ἀνθρώποις γίγνεται.
SOCRATES: Therefore, Hermogenes, it is not the part of just any man to establish a name, but of some namemaker; and this, as it seems, is the lawgiver, who indeed is the rarest of craftsmen among men.
ΕΡΜ. ἔοικεν.
HERMOGENES: It seems so.
ΣΩ. ἴθι δή, ἐπίσκεψαι ποῖ βλέπων ὁ νομοθέτης τὰ ὀνόματα τίθεται· ἐκ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν δὲ ἀνάσκεψαι.
SOCRATES: Come then, consider where the lawgiver looks when establishing names; and inspect this from what went before.
ποῖ βλέπων ὁ τέκτων τὴν κερκίδα ποιεῖ;
Where does the carpenter look when making a shuttle?
ἆρʼ οὐ πρὸς τοιοῦτόν τι ὃ ἐπεφύκει κερκίζειν;
Is it not toward something of such a kind as is naturally constituted to weave?
ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.
HERMOGENES: Certainly.
ΣΩ. τί δέ;
SOCRATES: What then?
ἂν καταγῇ αὐτῷ ἡ κερκὶς ποιοῦντι, πότερον πάλιν ποιήσει ἄλλην πρὸς τὴν κατεαγυῖαν βλέπων, ἢ πρὸς ἐκεῖνο τὸ εἶδος πρὸς ὅπερ καὶ ἣν κατέαξεν ἐποίει;
If the shuttle should break while he is making it, will he make another looking again at the broken one, or toward that form looking at which he made the one he broke?
ΕΡΜ. πρὸς ἐκεῖνο, ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ.
HERMOGENES: Toward that form, so it seems to me.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ἐκεῖνο δικαιότατʼ ἂν αὐτὸ ὃ ἔστιν κερκὶς καλέσαιμεν;
SOCRATES: Therefore, might we most justly call that form "the shuttle itself"?
ΕΡΜ. ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ.
HERMOGENES: So it seems to me.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὰν δέῃ λεπτῷ ἱματίῳ ἢ παχεῖ ἢ λινῷ ἢ ἐρεῷ ἢ ὁποιῳοῦν τινι κερκίδα ποιεῖν, πάσας μὲν δεῖ τὸ τῆς κερκίδος ἔχειν εἶδος, οἵα δʼ ἑκάστῳ καλλίστη ἐπεφύκει, ταύτην ἀποδιδόναι τὴν φύσιν εἰς τὸ ἔργον ἕκαστον;
SOCRATES: Therefore, whenever it is necessary to make a shuttle for a thin garment, or a thick one, or a linen one, or a woolen one, or any other kind, must they all possess the form of the shuttle, but whichever nature is best constituted for each, must he embody this nature in each work?
ΕΡΜ. ναί.
HERMOGENES: Yes.
ΣΩ. καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὴ ὀργάνων ὁ αὐτὸς τρόπος· τὸ φύσει ἑκάστῳ πεφυκὸς ὄργανον ἐξευρόντα δεῖ ἀποδοῦναι εἰς ἐκεῖνο ἐξ οὗ ἂν ποιῇ, οὐχ οἷον ἂν αὐτὸς βουληθῇ, ἀλλʼ οἷον ἐπεφύκει.
SOCRATES: And indeed, the same manner applies to other instruments; having found the instrument naturally constituted for each thing, one must embody it in that from which they make it, not as they might wish, but as it was naturally constituted.
τὸ φύσει γὰρ ἑκάστῳ, ὡς ἔοικε, τρύπανον πεφυκὸς εἰς τὸν σίδηρον δεῖ ἐπίστασθαι τιθέναι.
For one must know how to embody in iron the drill naturally constituted for each thing.
ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.
HERMOGENES: Certainly.
ΣΩ. καὶ τὴν φύσει κερκίδα ἑκάστῳ πεφυκυῖαν εἰς ξύλον.
SOCRATES: And the shuttle naturally constituted for each thing in wood.
ΕΡΜ. ἔστι ταῦτα.
HERMOGENES: That is so.
ΣΩ. φύσει γὰρ ἦν ἑκάστῳ εἴδει ὑφάσματος, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἑκάστη κερκίς, καὶ τἆλλα οὕτως.
SOCRATES: For each shuttle, as it seems, was naturally constituted for each kind of web, and the others likewise.
ΕΡΜ. ναί.
HERMOGENES: Yes.
ΣΩ. ἆρʼ οὖν, ὦ βέλτιστε, καὶ τὸ ἑκάστῳ φύσει πεφυκὸς ὄνομα τὸν νομοθέτην ἐκεῖνον εἰς τοὺς φθόγγους καὶ τὰς συλλαβὰς δεῖ ἐπίστασθαι τιθέναι, καὶ βλέποντα πρὸς αὐτὸ ἐκεῖνο ὃ ἔστιν ὄνομα, πάντα τὰ ὀνόματα ποιεῖν τε καὶ τίθεσθαι, εἰ μέλλει κύριος εἶναι ὀνομάτων θέτης;
SOCRATES: Is it not then necessary, my excellent friend, that that lawgiver also should know how to embody in sounds and syllables the name naturally constituted for each thing, and looking toward that which is the name itself, make and establish all names, if he is to be an authoritative establisher of names?
εἰ δὲ μὴ εἰς τὰς αὐτὰς συλλαβὰς ἕκαστος ὁ νομοθέτης τίθησιν, οὐδὲν δεῖ τοῦτο ἀμφιγνοεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν σίδηρον ἅπας χαλκεὺς τίθησιν, τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἕνεκα ποιῶν τὸ αὐτὸ ὄργανον·
But if each lawgiver does not establish them in the same syllables, we must not be ignorant of this; for not every blacksmith embodies the form in the same iron, even though he makes the same instrument for the same purpose.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως, ἕως ἂν τὴν αὐτὴν ἰδέαν ἀποδιδῷ, ἐάντε ἐν ἄλλῳ σιδήρῳ, ὅμως ὀρθῶς ἔχει τὸ ὄργανον, ἐάντε ἐνθάδε ἐάντε ἐν βαρβάροις τις ποιῇ.
Nevertheless, as long as he reproduces the same form, even if in other iron, the instrument is nevertheless correct, whether one makes it here or among barbarians.
ἦ γάρ;
Is that not so?
§390ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.
HERMOGENES: Certainly.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν οὕτως ἀξιώσεις καὶ τὸν νομοθέτην τόν τε ἐνθάδε καὶ τὸν ἐν τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἕως ἂν τὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος εἶδος ἀποδιδῷ τὸ προσῆκον ἑκάστῳ ἐν ὁποιαισοῦν συλλαβαῖς, οὐδὲν χείρω νομοθέτην εἶναι τὸν ἐνθάδε ἢ τὸν ὁπουοῦν ἄλλοθι;
SOCRATES: Therefore, will you not also judge the lawgiver both here and among barbarians in this way: as long as he reproduces the proper form of the name in any syllables whatsoever, the lawgiver here is in no way worse than the one anywhere else?
ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.
HERMOGENES: Certainly.
ΣΩ. τίς οὖν ὁ γνωσόμενος εἰ τὸ προσῆκον εἶδος κερκίδος ἐν ὁποιῳοῦν ξύλῳ κεῖται;
SOCRATES: Who then is the one who will know whether the proper form of the shuttle is placed in any wood whatsoever?
ὁ ποιήσας, ὁ τέκτων, ἢ ὁ χρησόμενος ὑφάντης;
The one who made it, the carpenter, or the weaver who will use it?
ΕΡΜ. εἰκὸς μὲν μᾶλλον, ὦ Σώκρατες, τὸν χρησόμενον.
HERMOGENES: It is more likely, Socrates, the one who will use it.
ΣΩ. τίς οὖν ὁ τῷ τοῦ λυροποιοῦ ἔργῳ χρησόμενος;
SOCRATES: Who then is the one who will use the work of the lyre-maker?
ἆρʼ οὐχ οὗτος ὃς ἐπίσταιτο ἂν ἐργαζομένῳ κάλλιστα ἐπιστατεῖν καὶ εἰργασμένον γνοίη εἴτʼ εὖ εἴργασται εἴτε μή;
Is it not he who would know how to direct the maker best, and would recognize what has been made, whether it has been made well or not?
ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.
HERMOGENES: Certainly.
ΣΩ. τίς;
SOCRATES: Who is he?
ΕΡΜ. ὁ κιθαριστής.
HERMOGENES: The lyre-player.
ΣΩ. τίς δὲ ὁ τῷ τοῦ ναυπηγοῦ;
SOCRATES: And who will use the work of the shipbuilder?
ΕΡΜ. κυβερνήτης.
HERMOGENES: The helmsman.
ΣΩ. τίς δὲ τῷ τοῦ νομοθέτου ἔργῳ ἐπιστατήσειέ τʼ ἂν κάλλιστα καὶ εἰργασμένον κρίνειε καὶ ἐνθάδε καὶ ἐν τοῖς βαρβάροις;
SOCRATES: And who would best direct the work of the lawgiver and judge what has been made, both here and among barbarians?
ἆρʼ οὐχ ὅσπερ χρήσεται;
Is it not the one who will use it?
ΕΡΜ. ναί.
HERMOGENES: Yes.
ΣΩ. ἆρʼ οὖν οὐχ ὁ ἐρωτᾶν ἐπιστάμενος οὗτός ἐστιν;
SOCRATES: And is this not the one who knows how to ask questions?
ΕΡΜ. πάνυ γε.
HERMOGENES: Certainly.
ΣΩ. ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς καὶ ἀποκρίνεσθαι;
SOCRATES: And the same one also knows how to answer?
ΕΡΜ. ναί.
HERMOGENES: Yes.
ΣΩ. τὸν δὲ ἐρωτᾶν καὶ ἀποκρίνεσθαι ἐπιστάμενον ἄλλο τι σὺ καλεῖς ἢ διαλεκτικόν;
SOCRATES: And the one who knows how to ask and answer, do you call him anything other than a dialectician?
ΕΡΜ. οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο.
HERMOGENES: No, but exactly that.
ΣΩ. τέκτονος μὲν ἄρα ἔργον ἐστὶν ποιῆσαι πηδάλιον ἐπιστατοῦντος κυβερνήτου, εἰ μέλλει καλὸν εἶναι τὸ πηδάλιον.
SOCRATES: Therefore, it is the work of the carpenter to make a rudder under the direction of the helmsman, if the rudder is to be good.
ΕΡΜ. φαίνεται.
HERMOGENES: So it appears.
ΣΩ. νομοθέτου δέ γε, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὄνομα, ἐπιστάτην ἔχοντος διαλεκτικὸν ἄνδρα, εἰ μέλλει καλῶς ὀνόματα θήσεσθαι.
SOCRATES: And it is the work of the lawgiver, as it seems, to make a name, having a dialectician as director, if he is to establish names well.
ΕΡΜ. ἔστι ταῦτα.
HERMOGENES: That is so.
ΣΩ. κινδυνεύει ἄρα, ὦ Ἑρμόγενες, εἶναι οὐ φαῦλον, ὡς σὺ οἴει, ἡ τοῦ ὀνόματος θέσις, οὐδὲ φαύλων ἀνδρῶν οὐδὲ τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων.
SOCRATES: Therefore, Hermogenes, the establishment of a name is likely to be no trivial matter, as you think, nor the work of trivial men, nor of any chance persons.
καὶ Κρατύλος ἀληθῆ λέγει λέγων φύσει τὰ ὀνόματα εἶναι τοῖς πράγμασι, καὶ οὐ πάντα δημιουργὸν ὀνομάτων εἶναι, ἀλλὰ μόνον ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἀποβλέποντα εἰς τὸ τῇ φύσει ὄνομα ὂν ἑκάστῳ καὶ δυνάμενον αὐτοῦ τὸ εἶδος τιθέναι εἴς τε τὰ γράμματα καὶ τὰς συλλαβάς.
And Cratylus speaks the truth when he says that names belong naturally to things, and that not every craftsman is a maker of names, but only that one who looks toward the name naturally existing for each thing and is able to embody its form in letters and syllables.