§243ΞΕ. διαφερόμενον γὰρ ἀεὶ συμφέρεται, φασὶν αἱ συντονώτεραι τῶν Μουσῶν· αἱ δὲ μαλακώτεραι τὸ μὲν ἀεὶ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν ἐχάλασαν, ἐν μέρει δὲ τοτὲ μὲν ἓν εἶναί φασι τὸ πᾶν καὶ φίλον ὑπʼ ἀφροδίτης, τοτὲ δὲ πολλὰ καὶ πολέμιον αὐτὸ αὑτῷ διὰ νεῖκός τι.
STR. "For that which differs is always brought together," say the more tense of the Muses; but the more relaxed Muses slackened this requirement that these things should always be so, and say by turns that at one time the all is one and friendly under Aphrodite, and at another time many and hostile to itself because of some strife.
ταῦτα δὲ πάντα εἰ μὲν ἀληθῶς τις ἢ μὴ τούτων εἴρηκε, χαλεπὸν καὶ πλημμελὲς οὕτω μεγάλα κλεινοῖς καὶ παλαιοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐπιτιμᾶν· ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀνεπίφθονον ἀποφήνασθαι—
ΘΕΑΙ. τὸ ποῖον;
Now, whether anyone among them has spoken truly or not about all these things, it is difficult and offensive to censure men so great and ancient; but to declare this much is free from offense— THEAI. What sort of thing?
ΞΕ. ὅτι λίαν τῶν πολλῶν ἡμῶν ὑπεριδόντες ὠλιγώρησαν· οὐδὲν γὰρ φροντίσαντες εἴτʼ ἐπακολουθοῦμεν αὐτοῖς λέγουσιν εἴτε ἀπολειπόμεθα, περαίνουσι τὸ σφέτερον αὐτῶν ἕκαστοι.
STR. That they looked down on us, the multitude, too much and paid us little regard; for caring nothing whether we follow them as they speak or are left behind, they each carry out their own business.
ΘΕΑΙ. πῶς λέγεις;
THEAI. How do you mean?
ΞΕ. ὅταν τις αὐτῶν φθέγξηται λέγων ὡς ἔστιν ἢ γέγονεν ἢ γίγνεται πολλὰ ἢ ἓν ἢ δύο, καὶ θερμὸν αὖ ψυχρῷ συγκεραννύμενον, ἄλλοθί πῃ διακρίσεις καὶ συγκρίσεις ὑποτιθείς, τούτων, ὦ Θεαίτητε, ἑκάστοτε σύ τι πρὸς θεῶν συνίης ὅτι λέγουσιν;
STR. Whenever one of them utters a voice saying that there is or has been or is becoming many or one or two, and again hot being mixed together with cold, assuming separations and combinations in some other way—by the gods, Theaetetus, do you understand what they are saying on each occasion?
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ὅτε μὲν ἦν νεώτερος, τοῦτό τε τὸ νῦν ἀπορούμενον ὁπότε τις εἴποι, τὸ μὴ ὄν, ἀκριβῶς ᾤμην συνιέναι.
For my part, when I was younger, whenever anyone said this very thing that is now causing us difficulty, "that which is not," I thought I understood it precisely.
νῦν δὲ ὁρᾷς ἵνʼ ἐσμὲν αὐτοῦ πέρι τῆς ἀπορίας.
But now you see where we are in our difficulty about it.
ΘΕΑΙ. ὁρῶ.
THEAI. I see.
ΞΕ. τάχα τοίνυν ἴσως οὐχ ἧττον κατὰ τὸ ὂν ταὐτὸν τοῦτο πάθος εἰληφότες ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ περὶ μὲν τοῦτο εὐπορεῖν φαμεν καὶ μανθάνειν ὁπόταν τις αὐτὸ φθέγξηται, περὶ δὲ θάτερον οὔ, πρὸς ἀμφότερα ὁμοίως ἔχοντες.
STR. Perhaps, then, having contracted this very same condition in our soul regarding "that which is," we say we are well off and understand whenever anyone utters it, but not regarding the other, although we are in the same state toward both.
ΘΕΑΙ. ἴσως.
THEAI. Perhaps.
ΞΕ. καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὴ τῶν προειρημένων ἡμῖν ταὐτὸν τοῦτο εἰρήσθω.
STR. And let this same thing be said also about all the other things we mentioned before.
ΘΕΑΙ. πάνυ γε.
THEAI. Certainly.
ΞΕ. τῶν μὲν τοίνυν πολλῶν πέρι καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο σκεψόμεθʼ, ἂν δόξῃ, περὶ δὲ τοῦ μεγίστου τε καὶ ἀρχηγοῦ πρώτου νῦν σκεπτέον.
STR. We shall examine the many, then, after this, if it seems best; but we must now examine the greatest and first leader.
ΘΕΑΙ. τίνος δὴ λέγεις;
THEAI. Which one indeed do you mean?
ἢ δῆλον ὅτι τὸ ὂν φῂς πρῶτον δεῖν διερευνήσασθαι τί ποθʼ οἱ λέγοντες αὐτὸ δηλοῦν ἡγοῦνται;
Or is it clear that you say we must first investigate "that which is," as to what those who say it think they are showing?
ΞΕ. κατὰ πόδα γε, ὦ Θεαίτητε, ὑπέλαβες.
STR. You have taken me up right on my heels, Theaetetus.
λέγω γὰρ δὴ ταύτῃ δεῖν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν μέθοδον ἡμᾶς, οἷον αὐτῶν παρόντων ἀναπυνθανομένους ὧδε· φέρε, ὁπόσοι θερμὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν ἤ τινε δύο τοιούτω τὰ πάντʼ εἶναί φατε, τί ποτε ἄρα τοῦτʼ ἐπʼ ἀμφοῖν φθέγγεσθε, λέγοντες ἄμφω καὶ ἑκάτερον εἶναι;
For indeed I say we must make our method in this way, as if we were questioning them in their presence, thus: "Come, as many of you as say that all things are hot and cold, or some such two, what indeed is this that you utter over both, saying that both and each are?
τί τὸ εἶναι τοῦτο ὑπολάβωμεν ὑμῶν;
What are we to understand this 'being' of yours to be?
πότερον τρίτον παρὰ τὰ δύο ἐκεῖνα, καὶ τρία τὸ πᾶν ἀλλὰ μὴ δύο ἔτι καθʼ ὑμᾶς τιθῶμεν;
Is it a third thing besides those two, and shall we place the all as three and no longer two according to you?
οὐ γάρ που τοῖν γε δυοῖν καλοῦντες θάτερον ὂν ἀμφότερα ὁμοίως εἶναι λέγετε· σχεδὸν γὰρ ἂν ἀμφοτέρως ἕν, ἀλλʼ οὐ δύο εἴτην. ΘΕΑΙ. ἀληθῆ λέγεις.
For surely you do not call one of the two 'being' and say that both are in the same way; for in both ways they would be almost one, but not two." THEAI. You speak the truth.
ΞΕ.
ἀλλʼ ἆρά γε τὰ ἄμφω βούλεσθε καλεῖν ὄν;
STR. "But indeed, do you wish to call both of them 'being'?" THEAI.
ΘΕΑΙ. ἴσως.
Perhaps.