§144ΘΕΟ. καὶ μήν, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἐμοί τε εἰπεῖν καὶ σοὶ ἀκοῦσαι πάνυ ἄξιον οἵῳ ὑμῖν τῶν πολιτῶν μειρακίῳ ἐντετύχηκα.
THEODORUS: Indeed, Socrates, it is well worth my telling and your hearing what a remarkable youth among your citizens I have met with.
καὶ εἰ μὲν ἦν καλός, ἐφοβούμην ἂν σφόδρα λέγειν, μὴ καί τῳ δόξω ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ αὐτοῦ εἶναι.
If he were handsome, I should be very afraid to say so, lest someone should suspect I was in love with him.
νῦν δέ—καὶ μή μοι ἄχθου—οὐκ ἔστι καλός, προσέοικε δὲ σοὶ τήν τε σιμότητα καὶ τὸ ἔξω τῶν ὀμμάτων·
But as it is—and do not be angry with me—he is not handsome, but resembles you in his snub nose and protruding eyes, though he has these features less markedly than you.
ἧττον δὲ ἢ σὺ ταῦτʼ ἔχει. ἀδεῶς δὴ λέγω.
So I speak without fear.
εὖ γὰρ ἴσθι ὅτι ὧν δὴ πώποτε ἐνέτυχον —καὶ πάνυ πολλοῖς πεπλησίακα—οὐδένα πω ᾐσθόμην οὕτω θαυμαστῶς εὖ πεφυκότα.
For you may be sure that of all those I have ever met—and I have associated with very many—I have never yet perceived anyone so wonderfully gifted by nature.
τὸ γὰρ εὐμαθῆ ὄντα ὡς ἄλλῳ χαλεπὸν πρᾷον αὖ εἶναι διαφερόντως, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀνδρεῖον παρʼ ὁντινοῦν, ἐγὼ μὲν οὔτʼ ἂν ᾠόμην γενέσθαι οὔτε ὁρῶ γιγνόμενον·
For that one who is quick at learning, which is generally difficult for others, should also be exceptionally gentle, and besides this, brave beyond anyone else, is something I should not have thought could happen, nor do I see it occurring.
ἀλλʼ οἵ τε ὀξεῖς ὥσπερ οὗτος καὶ ἀγχίνοι καὶ μνήμονες ὡς τὰ πολλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰς ὀργὰς ὀξύρροποί εἰσι, καὶ ᾁττοντες φέρονται ὥσπερ τὰ ἀνερμάτιστα πλοῖα, καὶ μανικώτεροι ἢ ἀνδρειότεροι φύονται, οἵ τε αὖ ἐμβριθέστεροι νωθροί πως ἀπαντῶσι πρὸς τὰς μαθήσεις καὶ λήθης γέμοντες.
On the contrary, those who are sharp, quick-witted, and of good memory like him are for the most part also quick-tempered; they are swept along like ships without ballast, and their nature is more manic than brave; while those, on the other hand, who are more steady present themselves as somewhat dull when facing studies, and full of forgetfulness.
ὁ δὲ οὕτω λείως τε καὶ ἀπταίστως καὶ ἀνυσίμως ἔρχεται ἐπὶ τὰς μαθήσεις τε καὶ ζητήσεις μετὰ πολλῆς πρᾳότητος, οἷον ἐλαίου ῥεῦμα ἀψοφητὶ ῥέοντος, ὥστε θαυμάσαι τὸ τηλικοῦτον ὄντα οὕτως ταῦτα διαπράττεσθαι.
But he goes to his studies and investigations so smoothly, without tripping, and effectively, with such great gentleness, like a stream of oil flowing without a sound, that one is amazed that someone of his age can accomplish this so well.
ΣΩ. εὖ ἀγγέλλεις.
SOCRATES: That is good news.
τίνος δὲ καὶ ἔστι τῶν πολιτῶν;
And whose son of your citizens is he?
ΘΕΟ. ἀκήκοα μὲν τοὔνομα, μνημονεύω δὲ οὔ.
THEODORUS: I have heard the name, but I do not remember it.
ἀλλὰ γάρ ἐστι τῶνδε τῶν προσιόντων ὁ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ· ἄρτι γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἔξω δρόμῳ ἠλείφοντο ἑταῖροί τέ τινες οὗτοι αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτός, νῦν δέ μοι δοκοῦσιν ἀλειψάμενοι δεῦρο ἰέναι.
However, he is the one in the middle of those who are approaching; for just now in the outside running-track he and some of his companions were anointing themselves, and now they seem to have finished and to be coming here.
ἀλλὰ σκόπει εἰ γιγνώσκεις αὐτόν.
See if you recognize him.
ΣΩ. γιγνώσκω·
SOCRATES: I do recognize him.
ὁ τοῦ Σουνιῶς Εὐφρονίου ἐστίν, καὶ πάνυ γε, ὦ φίλε, ἀνδρὸς οἷον καὶ σὺ τοῦτον διηγῇ, καὶ ἄλλως εὐδοκίμου, καὶ μέντοι καὶ οὐσίαν μάλα πολλὴν κατέλιπεν.
He is the son of Euphronius of Sunium, who was indeed, my friend, just the sort of man you describe his son to be, and highly esteemed in other respects; and besides, he left a very large fortune.
τὸ δʼ ὄνομα οὐκ οἶδα τοῦ μειρακίου.
But I do not know the youth's name.
ΘΕΟ. Θεαίτητος, ὦ Σώκρατες, τό γε ὄνομα·
THEODORUS: His name is Theaetetus, Socrates.
τὴν μέντοι οὐσίαν δοκοῦσί μοι ἐπίτροποί τινες διεφθαρκέναι.
But I believe some guardians have ruined his fortune.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἐλευθεριότητα θαυμαστός, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Nevertheless, even in his generosity with money, he is wonderful, Socrates.
ΣΩ. γεννικὸν λέγεις τὸν ἄνδρα.
SOCRATES: You describe a noble man.
καί μοι κέλευε αὐτὸν ἐνθάδε παρακαθίζεσθαι.
Tell him, then, to come and sit here beside us.
ΘΕΟ. ἔσται ταῦτα.
THEODORUS: I will.
Θεαίτητε, δεῦρο παρὰ Σωκράτη.
Theaetetus, come here and sit by Socrates.
ΣΩ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν, ὦ Θεαίτητε, ἵνα κἀγὼ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνασκέψωμαι ποῖόν τι ἔχω τὸ πρόσωπον· φησὶν γὰρ Θεόδωρος ἔχειν με σοὶ ὅμοιον.
SOCRATES: Yes, by all means, Theaetetus, so that I too may look at myself and see what sort of face I have; for Theodorus says I resemble you.
ἀτὰρ εἰ νῷν ἐχόντοιν ἑκατέρου λύραν ἔφη αὐτὰς ἡρμόσθαι ὁμοίως, πότερον εὐθὺς ἂν ἐπιστεύομεν ἢ ἐπεσκεψάμεθʼ ἂν εἰ μουσικὸς ὢν λέγει;
Now, if each of us had a lyre, and he said they were tuned alike, should we believe him at once, or should we examine whether he speaks as a musician?
ΘΕΑΙ. ἐπεσκεψάμεθʼ ἄν.
THEAETETUS: We should examine him.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν τοιοῦτον μὲν εὑρόντες ἐπειθόμεθʼ ἄν, ἄμουσον δέ, ἠπιστοῦμεν;
SOCRATES: Therefore, if we found he was a musician, we should believe him, but if he was unmusical, we should disbelieve him?
ΘΕΑΙ. ἀληθῆ.
THEAETETUS: True.