§234ΘΕΑΙ. τίνα δὴ λέγων τὴν ποίησιν;
THEAI. What kind of making do you mean?
οὐ γὰρ δὴ γεωργόν γε ἐρεῖς τινα· καὶ γὰρ ζῴων αὐτὸν εἶπες ποιητήν.
For surely you do not mean a farmer; indeed, you called him a maker of living things.
ΞΕ. φημί, καὶ πρός γε θαλάττης καὶ γῆς καὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ θεῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συμπάντων·
STR. I do say so, and moreover, of the sea and earth and heaven and gods and all other things.
καὶ τοίνυν καὶ ταχὺ ποιήσας αὐτῶν ἕκαστα πάνυ σμικροῦ νομίσματος ἀποδίδοται.
And what is more, having made each of them quickly, he sells them for a very small sum of money.
ΘΕΑΙ. παιδιὰν λέγεις τινά.
THEAI. You are speaking of some kind of play.
ΞΕ. τί δέ;
STR. And what?
τὴν τοῦ λέγοντος ὅτι πάντα οἶδε καὶ ταῦτα ἕτερον ἂν διδάξειεν ὀλίγου καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ, μῶν οὐ παιδιὰν νομιστέον;
Must we not consider as play the ability of the one who says he knows all things and could teach these very things to another for a small fee and in a short time?
ΘΕΑΙ. πάντως που.
THEAI. Assuredly.
ΞΕ. παιδιᾶς δὲ ἔχεις ἤ τι τεχνικώτερον ἢ καὶ χαριέστερον εἶδος ἢ τὸ μιμητικόν;
STR. Can you mention any form of play that is either more artistic or more delightful than the imitative form?
ΘΕΑΙ. οὐδαμῶς·
THEAI.
πάμπολυ γὰρ εἴρηκας εἶδος εἰς ἓν πάντα συλλαβὼν καὶ σχεδὸν ποικιλώτατον.
In no way; for you have described an immense form, gathering all things into one, and practically the most diverse of all.
ΞΕ. οὐκοῦν τόν γʼ ὑπισχνούμενον δυνατὸν εἶναι μιᾷ τέχνῃ πάντα ποιεῖν γιγνώσκομέν που τοῦτο, ὅτι μιμήματα καὶ ὁμώνυμα τῶν ὄντων ἀπεργαζόμενος τῇ γραφικῇ τέχνῃ δυνατὸς ἔσται τοὺς ἀνοήτους τῶν νέων παίδων, πόρρωθεν τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐπιδεικνύς, λανθάνειν ὡς ὅτιπερ ἂν βουληθῇ δρᾶν, τοῦτο ἱκανώτατος ὢν ἀποτελεῖν ἔργῳ.
STR. Therefore, regarding the one who promises to be able to make all things by a single art, we surely know this: that by producing imitations and homonyms of real things through the art of painting, and by showing his drawings from a distance, he will be able to deceive the foolish among young children, making them believe that whatever he wishes to do, he is most capable of accomplishing in actual deed.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς γὰρ οὔ;
THEAI. How indeed could it not be so?
ΞΕ. τί δὲ δή;
STR. What then?
περὶ τοὺς λόγους ἆρʼ οὐ προσδοκῶμεν εἶναί τινα ἄλλην τέχνην, ᾗ αὖ δυνατὸν ὂν τυγχάνει τοὺς νέους καὶ ἔτι πόρρω τῶν πραγμάτων τῆς ἀληθείας ἀφεστῶτας διὰ τῶν ὤτων τοῖς λόγοις γοητεύειν, δεικνύντας εἴδωλα λεγόμενα περὶ πάντων, ὥστε ποιεῖν ἀληθῆ δοκεῖν λέγεσθαι καὶ τὸν λέγοντα δὴ σοφώτατον πάντων ἅπαντʼ εἶναι;
Concerning words, do we not expect that there is some other art, by which it is possible in turn to bewitch the young who are still standing far off from the truth of things, through their ears with words, by showing them spoken images about all things, so as to make them believe that what is said is true and that the speaker himself is indeed the wisest of all in all things?
ΘΕΑΙ. τί γὰρ οὐκ ἂν εἴη ἄλλη τις τοιαύτη τέχνη;
THEAI. Indeed, why should there not be some other such art?
ΞΕ. τοὺς πολλοὺς οὖν, ὦ Θεαίτητε, τῶν τότε ἀκουόντων ἆρʼ οὐκ ἀνάγκη χρόνου τε ἐπελθόντος αὐτοῖς ἱκανοῦ καὶ προϊούσης ἡλικίας τοῖς τε οὖσι προσπίπτοντας ἐγγύθεν καὶ διὰ παθημάτων ἀναγκαζομένους ἐναργῶς ἐφάπτεσθαι τῶν ὄντων, μεταβάλλειν τὰς τότε γενομένας δόξας, ὥστε σμικρὰ μὲν φαίνεσθαι τὰ μεγάλα, χαλεπὰ δὲ τὰ ῥᾴδια, καὶ πάντα πάντῃ ἀνατετράφθαι τὰ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις φαντάσματα ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν ἔργων παραγενομένων;
STR. Is it not necessary then, Theaetetus, for most of those who listened then, when sufficient time has passed and they have advanced in age, as they encounter real things from close at hand and are forced by their experiences to lay hold of realities clearly, to change the opinions they had then, so that what was great appears small, and what was easy appears difficult, and all the appearances in words are utterly overturned by the facts occurring in action?
ΘΕΑΙ. ὡς γοῦν ἐμοὶ τηλικῷδε ὄντι κρῖναι.
THEAI. At least as far as someone of my age can judge.
οἶμαι δὲ καὶ ἐμὲ τῶν ἔτι πόρρωθεν ἀφεστηκότων εἶναι.
And I think that I too am one of those who are still standing far off.
§235ΞΕ. τοιγαροῦν ἡμεῖς σε οἵδε πάντες πειρασόμεθα καὶ νῦν πειρώμεθα ὡς ἐγγύτατα ἄνευ τῶν παθημάτων προσάγειν.
STR. Therefore, all of us here will try, and are now trying, to bring you as close as possible without those experiences.
περὶ δʼ οὖν τοῦ σοφιστοῦ τόδε μοι λέγε· πότερον ἤδη τοῦτο σαφές, ὅτι τῶν γοήτων ἐστί τις, μιμητὴς ὢν τῶν ὄντων, ἢ διστάζομεν ἔτι μὴ περὶ ὅσωνπερ ἀντιλέγειν δοκεῖ δυνατὸς εἶναι, περὶ τοσούτων καὶ τὰς ἐπιστήμας ἀληθῶς ἔχων τυγχάνει;
But tell me this about the sophist: is it already clear that he is one of the magicians, being an imitator of real things, or do we still doubt whether he might actually possess true knowledge about all those things he appears to be capable of contradicting?
ΘΕΑΙ. καὶ πῶς ἄν, ὦ ξένε;
THEAI. How indeed could he, O stranger?
ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν ἤδη σαφὲς ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων, ὅτι τῶν τῆς παιδιᾶς μετεχόντων ἐστί τις μερῶν εἷς.
On the contrary, it is already almost clear from what has been said that he is one of those who participate in one of the parts of play.
ΞΕ. γόητα μὲν δὴ καὶ μιμητὴν ἄρα θετέον αὐτόν τινα.
STR. Then we must define him as a certain magician and imitator.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς γὰρ οὐ θετέον;
THEAI. How indeed could we not?
ΞΕ. ἄγε δή, νῦν ἡμέτερον ἔργον ἤδη τὸν θῆρα μηκέτʼ ἀνεῖναι·
STR.
σχεδὸν γὰρ αὐτὸν περιειλήφαμεν ἐν ἀμφιβληστρικῷ τινι τῶν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ὀργάνων, ὥστε οὐκέτʼ ἐκφεύξεται τόδε γε.
Come then, it is now our task not to let the beast go any longer; for we have practically enclosed him in a sort of casting-net of the instruments used in arguments about such matters, so that he will no longer escape this at least.
ΘΕΑΙ. τὸ ποῖον;
THEAI. Escape what?
ΞΕ. τὸ μὴ οὐ τοῦ γένους εἶναι τοῦ τῶν θαυματοποιῶν τις εἷς.
STR. His not being one of the class of jugglers.
ΘΕΑΙ. κἀμοὶ τοῦτό γε οὕτω περὶ αὐτοῦ συνδοκεῖ.
THEAI. I too agree with this view concerning him.
ΞΕ. δέδοκται τοίνυν ὅτι τάχιστα διαιρεῖν τὴν εἰδωλοποιικὴν τέχνην, καὶ καταβάντας εἰς αὐτήν, ἐὰν μὲν ἡμᾶς εὐθὺς ὁ σοφιστὴς ὑπομείνῃ, συλλαβεῖν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὰ ἐπεσταλμένα ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ λόγου, κἀκείνῳ παραδόντας ἀποφῆναι τὴν ἄγραν·
STR. It is decided, then, to divide the image-making art as quickly as possible, and having entered into it, if the sophist immediately awaits us, we must seize him according to the instructions given by the kingly reason, and hand him over to show the prey.
ἐὰν δʼ ἄρα κατὰ μέρη τῆς μιμητικῆς δύηταί πῃ, συνακολουθεῖν αὐτῷ διαιροῦντας ἀεὶ τὴν ὑποδεχομένην αὐτὸν μοῖραν, ἕωσπερ ἂν ληφθῇ.
But if, on the other hand, he slips into some parts of the imitative art, we must follow close after him, always dividing the section that receives him until he is caught.
πάντως οὔτε οὗτος οὔτε ἄλλο γένος οὐδὲν μή ποτε ἐκφυγὸν ἐπεύξηται τὴν τῶν οὕτω δυναμένων μετιέναι καθʼ ἕκαστά τε καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα μέθοδον.
In any case, neither he nor any other class will ever boast of having escaped the method of those who are capable of pursuing things in detail and over the whole.
ΘΕΑΙ. λέγεις εὖ, καὶ ταῦτα ταύτῃ ποιητέον.
THEAI. You speak well, and we must do it in this way.
ΞΕ. κατὰ δὴ τὸν παρεληλυθότα τρόπον τῆς διαιρέσεως ἔγωγέ μοι καὶ νῦν φαίνομαι δύο καθορᾶν εἴδη τῆς μιμητικῆς· τὴν δὲ ζητουμένην ἰδέαν, ἐν ὁποτέρῳ ποθʼ ἡμῖν οὖσα τυγχάνει, καταμαθεῖν οὐδέπω μοι δοκῶ νῦν δυνατὸς εἶναι.
STR. According to the past method of division, I seem to myself even now to discern two forms of the imitative art; but as to which of the two the form we are seeking happens to be in, I do not yet seem to myself to be able to comprehend now.
ΘΕΑΙ. σὺ δʼ ἀλλʼ εἰπὲ πρῶτον καὶ δίελε ἡμῖν τίνε τὼ δύο λέγεις.
THEAI. Well then, first tell us and divide for us what the two are that you mean.
ΞΕ. μίαν μὲν τὴν εἰκαστικὴν ὁρῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τέχνην.
STR. One of them I see in it as the likeness-making art.
ἔστι δʼ αὕτη μάλιστα ὁπόταν κατὰ τὰς τοῦ παραδείγματος συμμετρίας τις ἐν μήκει καὶ πλάτει καὶ βάθει, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἔτι χρώματα ἀποδιδοὺς τὰ προσήκοντα ἑκάστοις, τὴν τοῦ μιμήματος γένεσιν ἀπεργάζηται.
This is most of all when someone, according to the proportions of the model in length, breadth, and depth, and in addition giving the colors appropriate to each, accomplishes the generation of the imitation.
ΘΕΑΙ. τί δʼ;
THEAI. What then?
οὐ πάντες οἱ μιμούμενοί τι τοῦτʼ ἐπιχειροῦσι δρᾶν;
Do not all who imitate something attempt to do this?