§238ΞΕ. μήπω μέγʼ εἴπῃς· ἔτι γάρ, ὦ μακάριε, ἔστι, καὶ ταῦτά γε τῶν ἀποριῶν ἡ μεγίστη καὶ πρώτη.
STR. Do not speak boastfully yet; for, my blessed friend, there is still more, and indeed this is the greatest and the first of the difficulties.
περὶ γὰρ αὐτὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν οὖσα τυγχάνει.
For it happens to be about its very beginning.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς φῄς;
THEAI. How do you mean?
λέγε καὶ μηδὲν ἀποκνήσῃς.
Speak, and do not hesitate at all.
ΞΕ. τῷ μὲν ὄντι που προσγένοιτʼ ἄν τι τῶν ὄντων ἕτερον.
STR. To that which is, I suppose, some other of the things that are might be added.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς γὰρ οὔ;
THEAI. How indeed could it not be?
ΞΕ. μὴ ὄντι δέ τι τῶν ὄντων ἆρά ποτε προσγίγνεσθαι φήσομεν δυνατὸν εἶναι;
STR. But shall we ever say it is possible for some of the things that are to be added to that which is not?
ΘΕΑΙ. καὶ πῶς;
THEAI. And how could that be?
ΞΕ. ἀριθμὸν δὴ τὸν σύμπαντα τῶν ὄντων τίθεμεν.
STR. Now, we set down the whole of number as among the things that are.
ΘΕΑΙ. εἴπερ γε καὶ ἄλλο τι θετέον ὡς ὄν.
THEAI. Yes, if indeed anything else at all is to be set down as being.
ΞΕ. μὴ τοίνυν μηδʼ ἐπιχειρῶμεν ἀριθμοῦ μήτε πλῆθος μήτε ἓν πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὂν προσφέρειν.
STR. Therefore let us not even attempt to apply either plurality or singularity of number to that which is not.
ΘΕΑΙ. οὔκουν ἂν ὀρθῶς γε, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐπιχειροῖμεν, ὥς φησιν ὁ λόγος.
THEAI. At any rate we would not be attempting it correctly, as it seems, according to what the argument says.
ΞΕ. πῶς οὖν ἂν ἢ διὰ τοῦ στόματος φθέγξαιτο ἄν τις ἢ καὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ τὸ παράπαν λάβοι τὰ μὴ ὄντα ἢ τὸ μὴ ὂν χωρὶς ἀριθμοῦ;
STR. How then could anyone either utter through the mouth or even grasp altogether in thought 'things that are not' or 'that which is not' apart from number?
ΘΕΑΙ. λέγε πῇ;
THEAI. Tell me how.
ΞΕ. μὴ ὄντα μὲν ἐπειδὰν λέγωμεν, ἆρα οὐ πλῆθος ἐπιχειροῦμεν ἀριθμοῦ προστιθέναι;
STR. When we say 'things that are not', are we not attempting to add a plurality of number?
ΘΕΑΙ. τί μήν;
THEAI. Of course.
ΞΕ. μὴ ὂν δέ, ἆρα οὐ τὸ ἓν αὖ;
STR. And when we say 'that which is not', is it not, in turn, the singular?
ΘΕΑΙ. σαφέστατά γε.
THEAI. Most clearly indeed.
ΞΕ. καὶ μὴν οὔτε δίκαιόν γε οὔτε ὀρθόν φαμεν ὂν ἐπιχειρεῖν μὴ ὄντι προσαρμόττειν.
STR. And yet we say it is neither just nor correct to attempt to attach that which is to that which is not.
ΘΕΑΙ. λέγεις ἀληθέστατα.
THEAI. You speak most truly.
ΞΕ. συννοεῖς οὖν ὡς οὔτε φθέγξασθαι δυνατὸν ὀρθῶς οὔτʼ εἰπεῖν οὔτε διανοηθῆναι τὸ μὴ ὂν αὐτὸ καθʼ αὑτό, ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ἀδιανόητόν τε καὶ ἄρρητον καὶ ἄφθεγκτον καὶ ἄλογον;
STR. Do you understand then that it is impossible either to utter, to say, or to think correctly 'that which is not' itself by itself, but that it is unthinkable, unspeakable, unutterable, and irrational?
ΘΕΑΙ. παντάπασι μὲν οὖν.
THEAI. Yes, absolutely.
ΞΕ. ἆρʼ οὖν ἐψευσάμην ἄρτι λέγων τὴν μεγίστην ἀπορίαν ἐρεῖν αὐτοῦ πέρι, τὸ δὲ ἔτι μείζω τινὰ λέγειν ἄλλην ἔχομεν;
STR. Did I then speak falsely just now when I said I would state the greatest difficulty concerning it, or can we state another one that is still greater?
ΘΕΑΙ. τίνα δή;
THEAI. What is that indeed?
ΞΕ. ὦ θαυμάσιε, οὐκ ἐννοεῖς αὐτοῖς τοῖς λεχθεῖσιν ὅτι καὶ τὸν ἐλέγχοντα εἰς ἀπορίαν καθίστησι τὸ μὴ ὂν οὕτως, ὥστε, ὁπόταν αὐτὸ ἐπιχειρῇ τις ἐλέγχειν, ἐναντία αὐτὸν αὑτῷ περὶ ἐκεῖνο ἀναγκάζεσθαι λέγειν;
STR. My admirable friend, do you not perceive from the very things that have been said that 'that which is not' puts even the one who refutes it into such a difficulty that, whenever anyone attempts to refute it, he is forced to speak in a way that contradicts himself concerning it?
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς φῄς;
THEAI. How do you mean?
εἰπὲ ἔτι σαφέστερον.
Speak still more clearly.
ΞΕ. οὐδὲν δεῖ τὸ σαφέστερον ἐν ἐμοὶ σκοπεῖν.
STR. There is no need to look for a clearer explanation in my case.
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ὑποθέμενος οὔτε ἑνὸς οὔτε τῶν πολλῶν τὸ μὴ ὂν δεῖν μετέχειν, ἄρτι τε καὶ νῦν οὕτως ἓν αὐτὸ εἴρηκα· τὸ μὴ ὂν γὰρ φημί.
For although I laid down the premise that 'that which is not' must share neither in the one nor in the many, just now and again now I have spoken of it as one; for I say 'that which is not'.
συνίης τοι.
You understand, surely.
ΘΕΑΙ. ναί.
THEAI. Yes.
ΞΕ. καὶ μὴν αὖ καὶ σμικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἄφθεγκτόν τε αὐτὸ καὶ ἄρρητον καὶ ἄλογον ἔφην εἶναι.
STR. And furthermore, slightly earlier, I also said that it is unutterable, unspeakable, and irrational.
συνέπῃ;
Do you follow?
ΘΕΑΙ. συνέπομαι.
THEAI. I follow.
πῶς γὰρ οὔ;
How indeed could I not?
§239ΞΕ. οὐκοῦν τό γε εἶναι προσάπτειν πειρώμενος ἐναντία τοῖς πρόσθεν ἔλεγον;
STR. Was I not then, in trying to attach 'being' to it, saying things contrary to what went before?
ΘΕΑΙ. φαίνῃ.
THEAI. So you appear.
ΞΕ. τί δέ;
STR. What then?
τοῦτο προσάπτων οὐχ ὡς ἑνὶ διελεγόμην;
In attaching this, was I not speaking of it as one?
ΘΕΑΙ. ναί.
THEAI. Yes.
ΞΕ. καὶ μὴν ἄλογόν γε λέγων καὶ ἄρρητον καὶ ἄφθεγκτον ὥς γε πρὸς ἓν τὸν λόγον ἐποιούμην.
STR. And surely, in calling it irrational, unspeakable, and unutterable, I was at least making my argument in reference to one thing.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς δʼ οὔ;
THEAI. How indeed could it not be?
ΞΕ. φαμὲν δέ γε δεῖν, εἴπερ ὀρθῶς τις λέξει, μήτε ὡς ἓν μήτε ὡς πολλὰ διορίζειν αὐτό, μηδὲ τὸ παράπαν αὐτὸ καλεῖν· ἑνὸς γὰρ εἴδει καὶ κατὰ ταύτην ἂν τὴν πρόσρησιν προσαγορεύοιτο.
STR. But yet we say that, if one is to speak correctly, one must define it neither as one nor as many, nor even call it 'it' at all; for even by this designation it would be addressed in accordance with the form of the one.
ΘΕΑΙ. παντάπασί γε.
THEAI. Yes, absolutely.
ΞΕ. τὸν μὲν τοίνυν ἐμέ γε τί τις ἂν λέγοι;
STR. What then could anyone say of me?
καὶ γὰρ πάλαι καὶ τὰ νῦν ἡττημένον ἂν εὕροι περὶ τὸν τοῦ μὴ ὄντος ἔλεγχον.
For one would find me, both in the past and now, defeated concerning the refutation of that which is not.
ὥστε ἐν ἔμοιγε λέγοντι, καθάπερ εἶπον, μὴ σκοπῶμεν τὴν ὀρθολογίαν περὶ τὸ μὴ ὄν, ἀλλʼ εἶα δὴ νῦν ἐν σοὶ σκεψώμεθα.
Therefore, as I said, let us not look for correct speech about that which is not in my speaking, but come, let us now examine it in yours.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς φῄς;
THEAI. How do you mean?
ΞΕ. ἴθι ἡμῖν εὖ καὶ γενναίως, ἅτε νέος ὤν, ὅτι μάλιστα δύνασαι συντείνας πειράθητι, μήτε οὐσίαν μήτε τὸ ἓν μήτε πλῆθος ἀριθμοῦ προστιθεὶς τῷ μὴ ὄντι, κατὰ τὸ ὀρθὸν φθέγξασθαί τι περὶ αὐτοῦ.
STR. Come, for our sake, well and noble, since you are young, try with all your might, without adding either being or the one or a plurality of number to that which is not, to utter something correctly about it.
ΘΕΑΙ. πολλὴ μεντἄν με καὶ ἄτοπος ἔχοι προθυμία τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως, εἰ σὲ τοιαῦθʼ ὁρῶν πάσχοντα αὐτὸς ἐπιχειροίην.
THEAI. Indeed, a great and strange eagerness for the attempt would possess me, if I, seeing you suffer such things, were to attempt it myself.
ΞΕ. ἀλλʼ εἰ δοκεῖ, σὲ μὲν καὶ ἐμὲ χαίρειν ἐῶμεν·
STR.
ἕως δʼ ἄν τινι δυναμένῳ δρᾶν τοῦτο ἐντυγχάνωμεν, μέχρι τούτου λέγωμεν ὡς παντὸς μᾶλλον πανούργως εἰς ἄπορον ὁ σοφιστὴς τόπον καταδέδυκεν.
Well, if you think so, let us leave you and me aside; and until we meet someone who is able to do this, let us say until then that the sophist has, more than anything, craftily slunk down into an impossible place.
ΘΕΑΙ. καὶ μάλα δὴ φαίνεται.
THEAI. Indeed, it very much appears so.
ΞΕ. τοιγαροῦν εἴ τινα φήσομεν αὐτὸν ἔχειν φανταστικὴν τέχνην, ῥᾳδίως ἐκ ταύτης τῆς χρείας τῶν λόγων ἀντιλαμβανόμενος ἡμῶν εἰς τοὐναντίον ἀποστρέψει τοὺς λόγους, ὅταν εἰδωλοποιὸν αὐτὸν καλῶμεν, ἀνερωτῶν τί ποτε τὸ παράπαν εἴδωλον λέγομεν.
STR. Therefore, if we say that he possesses some appearance-making art, he will easily, taking hold of us from this usage of arguments, turn the arguments around to the opposite direction, when we call him an image-maker, asking in return what on earth we mean by 'image' altogether.
σκοπεῖν οὖν, ὦ Θεαίτητε, χρὴ τί τις τῷ νεανίᾳ πρὸς τὸ ἐρωτώμενον ἀποκρινεῖται.
It is necessary then, O Theaetetus, to consider what one will answer to the young man in response to his question.
ΘΕΑΙ. δῆλον ὅτι φήσομεν τά τε ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ κατόπτροις εἴδωλα, ἔτι καὶ τὰ γεγραμμένα καὶ τὰ τετυπωμένα καὶ τἆλλα ὅσα που τοιαῦτʼ ἔσθʼ ἕτερα.
THEAI. Obviously we shall say: the images in water and in mirrors, and further, things painted and sculpted, and all other such things.
ΞΕ. φανερός, ὦ Θεαίτητε, εἶ σοφιστὴν οὐχ ἑωρακώς.
STR. It is clear, O Theaetetus, that you have not seen a sophist.
ΘΕΑΙ. τί δή;
THEAI. Why is that?
ΞΕ. δόξει σοι μύειν ἢ παντάπασιν οὐκ ἔχειν ὄμματα.
STR. He will seem to you to have his eyes shut, or to have no eyes at all.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς;
THEAI. How so?