§191ΣΩ. οὐκ ἐρῶ σοι πρὶν ἂν πανταχῇ πειραθῶ σκοπῶν.
SOCRATES: I will not tell you until I have tried examining in every way.
αἰσχυνοίμην γὰρ ἂν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἐν ᾧ ἀποροῦμεν, ἀναγκαζομένων ὁμολογεῖν οἷα λέγω.
For I should be ashamed on our behalf, while we are in difficulties, if we were forced to admit the sort of things I am saying.
ἀλλʼ ἐὰν εὕρωμεν καὶ ἐλεύθεροι γενώμεθα, τότʼ ἤδη περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐροῦμεν ὡς πασχόντων αὐτὰ ἐκτὸς τοῦ γελοίου ἑστῶτες· ἐὰν δὲ πάντῃ ἀπορήσωμεν, ταπεινωθέντες οἶμαι τῷ λόγῳ παρέξομεν ὡς ναυτιῶντες πατεῖν τε καὶ χρῆσθαι ὅτι ἂν βούληται.
But if we find a way out and become free, then at last we shall speak of others as experiencing these things, standing ourselves outside of the ridiculous; but if we are completely baffled, then, humbled, I suppose we shall yield ourselves to the argument, like seasick people, to be trampled upon and treated however it wishes.
ᾗ οὖν ἔτι πόρον τινὰ εὑρίσκω τοῦ ζητήματος ἡμῖν, ἄκουε.
Listen, then, to how I still find some way out of the inquiry for us.
ΘΕΑΙ. λέγε μόνον.
THEAETETUS: Just speak.
ΣΩ. οὐ φήσω ἡμᾶς ὀρθῶς ὁμολογῆσαι, ἡνίκα ὡμολογήσαμεν ἅ τις οἶδεν, ἀδύνατον δοξάσαι ἃ μὴ οἶδεν εἶναι αὐτὰ καὶ ψευσθῆναι· ἀλλά πῃ δυνατόν.
SOCRATES: I will say that we did not agree correctly when we agreed that it is impossible for someone to opine what he does not know as being those things which he knows, and so to be mistaken; rather, it is in some way possible.
ΘΕΑΙ. ἆρα λέγεις ὃ καὶ ἐγὼ τότε ὑπώπτευσα, ἡνίκʼ αὐτὸ ἔφαμεν τοιοῦτον εἶναι, ὅτι ἐνίοτʼ ἐγὼ γιγνώσκων Σωκράτη, πόρρωθεν δὲ ὁρῶν ἄλλον ὃν οὐ γιγνώσκω, ᾠήθην εἶναι Σωκράτη ὃν οἶδα;
THEAETETUS: Do you mean what I too suspected at that time, when we said it was of that sort, namely that sometimes I, knowing Socrates, but seeing from afar another whom I do not know, thought him to be Socrates whom I know?
γίγνεται γὰρ δὴ ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ οἷον λέγεις.
For it does indeed happen in such a case as you describe.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ἀπέστημεν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἃ ἴσμεν ἐποίει ἡμᾶς εἰδότας μὴ εἰδέναι;
SOCRATES: Did we not, then, reject it, because it made us who know the things we know not know them?
ΘΕΑΙ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
THEAETETUS: Certainly indeed.
ΣΩ. μὴ γὰρ οὕτω τιθῶμεν, ἀλλʼ ὧδε· ἴσως πῃ ἡμῖν συγχωρήσεται, ἴσως δὲ ἀντιτενεῖ.
SOCRATES: For let us not set it down in that way, but as follows: perhaps in some way we shall be agreed with, but perhaps we shall be resisted.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐν τοιούτῳ ἐχόμεθα, ἐν ᾧ ἀνάγκη πάντα μεταστρέφοντα λόγον βασανίζειν.
However, we are held in such a state that it is necessary to turn every argument upside down and test it.
σκόπει οὖν εἰ τὶ λέγω.
Examine, then, if I am saying anything.
ἆρα ἔστιν μὴ εἰδότα τι πρότερον ὕστερον μαθεῖν;
Is it possible for one who does not know something earlier to learn it later?
ΘΕΑΙ. ἔστι μέντοι.
THEAETETUS: Yes, indeed.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ αὖθις ἕτερον καὶ ἕτερον;
SOCRATES: And again, another thing and another?
ΘΕΑΙ. τί δʼ οὔ;
THEAETETUS: Why not?
ΣΩ. θὲς δή μοι λόγου ἕνεκα ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐνὸν κήρινον ἐκμαγεῖον, τῷ μὲν μεῖζον, τῷ δʼ ἔλαττον, καὶ τῷ μὲν καθαρωτέρου κηροῦ, τῷ δὲ κοπρωδεστέρου, καὶ σκληροτέρου, ἐνίοις δὲ ὑγροτέρου, ἔστι δʼ οἷς μετρίως ἔχοντος.
SOCRATES: Set down for me, then, for the sake of the argument, that there is in our souls a waxen block, in one person larger, in another smaller, and in one of purer wax, in another of more muddy and harder, in some of wetter, and in some of moderate quality.
ΘΕΑΙ. τίθημι.
THEAETETUS: I set it down.
ΣΩ. δῶρον τοίνυν αὐτὸ φῶμεν εἶναι τῆς τῶν Μουσῶν μητρὸς Μνημοσύνης, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ὅτι ἂν βουληθῶμεν μνημονεῦσαι ὧν ἂν ἴδωμεν ἢ ἀκούσωμεν ἢ αὐτοὶ ἐννοήσωμεν, ὑπέχοντας αὐτὸ ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι καὶ ἐννοίαις, ἀποτυποῦσθαι, ὥσπερ δακτυλίων σημεῖα ἐνσημαινομένους· καὶ ὃ μὲν ἂν ἐκμαγῇ, μνημονεύειν τε καὶ ἐπίστασθαι ἕως ἂν ἐνῇ τὸ εἴδωλον αὐτοῦ· ὃ δʼ ἂν ἐξαλειφθῇ ἢ μὴ οἷόν τε γένηται ἐκμαγῆναι, ἐπιλελῆσθαί τε καὶ μὴ ἐπίστασθαι.
SOCRATES: Let us say, then, that this is a gift of Memory, the mother of the Muses, and that into this, whatever we wish to remember of what we see or hear or think of ourselves, we imprint, holding it under our senses and thoughts, just as we stamp the marks of rings; and that whatever is imprinted, we remember and know as long as its image is in it; but whatever is erased or cannot be imprinted, we have forgotten and do not know.
ΘΕΑΙ. ἔστω οὕτως.
THEAETETUS: Let it be so.
ΣΩ. ὁ τοίνυν ἐπιστάμενος μὲν αὐτά, σκοπῶν δέ τι ὧν ὁρᾷ ἢ ἀκούει, ἄθρει εἰ ἄρα τοιῷδε τρόπῳ ψευδῆ ἂν δοξάσαι.
SOCRATES: One, then, who knows these things, but is examining something of what he sees or hears, watch if indeed he might opine falsely in such a way.
ΘΕΑΙ. ποίῳ δή τινι;
THEAETETUS: In what sort of way, indeed?
ΣΩ. ἃ οἶδεν, οἰηθεὶς εἶναι τοτὲ μὲν ἃ οἶδε, τοτὲ δὲ ἃ μή.
SOCRATES: By thinking that the things he knows are at one time the things he knows, and at another time the things he does not.
ταῦτα γὰρ ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν οὐ καλῶς ὡμολογήσαμεν ὁμολογοῦντες ἀδύνατα.
For we did not agree correctly in our previous agreement when we said these things were impossible.
ΘΕΑΙ. νῦν δὲ πῶς λέγεις;
THEAETETUS: But how do you say it now?