§222ὄνους γὰρ κανθηλίους λέγει καὶ χαλκέας τινὰς καὶ σκυτοτόμους καὶ βυρσοδέψας, καὶ ἀεὶ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν τὰ αὐτὰ φαίνεται λέγειν, ὥστε ἄπειρος καὶ ἀνόητος ἄνθρωπος πᾶς ἂν τῶν λόγων καταγελάσειεν.
"For he speaks of pack-asses and blacksmiths and shoemakers and tanners, and always seems to say the same things through the same words, so that any inexperienced and foolish human being would laugh at his discourses.
διοιγομένους δὲ ἰδὼν ἄν τις καὶ ἐντὸς αὐτῶν γιγνόμενος πρῶτον μὲν νοῦν ἔχοντας ἔνδον μόνους εὑρήσει τῶν λόγων, ἔπειτα θειοτάτους καὶ πλεῖστα ἀγάλματʼ ἀρετῆς ἐν αὑτοῖς ἔχοντας καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τείνοντας, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπὶ πᾶν ὅσον προσήκει σκοπεῖν τῷ μέλλοντι καλῷ κἀγαθῷ ἔσεσθαι.
But if someone should see them when they are opened up, and get inside them, he will first find that these are the only discourses that have intelligence within them, and next that they are most divine and contain the greatest number of statues of virtue in themselves, and extend over the widest range, or rather, over everything that it is proper for one who intends to be a gentleman to consider.
ταῦτʼ ἐστίν, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἃ ἐγὼ Σωκράτη ἐπαινῶ· καὶ αὖ ἃ μέμφομαι συμμείξας ὑμῖν εἶπον ἅ με ὕβρισεν.
These things, gentlemen, are what I praise in Socrates; and on the other hand, what I blame him for, I have told you, mixing in how he insulted me.
καὶ μέντοι οὐκ ἐμὲ μόνον ταῦτα πεποίηκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Χαρμίδην τὸν Γλαύκωνος καὶ Εὐθύδημον τὸν Διοκλέους καὶ ἄλλους πάνυ πολλούς, οὓς οὗτος ἐξαπατῶν ὡς ἐραστὴς παιδικὰ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς καθίσταται ἀντʼ ἐραστοῦ.
And indeed, he has done these things not to me alone, but also to Charmides the son of Glaucon, and Euthydemus the son of Diocles, and very many others, whom this man, deceiving them as a lover, instead places himself as the beloved rather than the lover.
ἃ δὴ καὶ σοὶ λέγω, ὦ Ἀγάθων, μὴ ἐξαπατᾶσθαι ὑπὸ τούτου, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων παθημάτων γνόντα εὐλαβηθῆναι, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν ὥσπερ νήπιον παθόντα γνῶναι. εἰπόντος δὴ ταῦτα τοῦ Ἀλκιβιάδου γέλωτα γενέσθαι ἐπὶ τῇ παρρησίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐδόκει ἔτι ἐρωτικῶς ἔχειν τοῦ Σωκράτους.
Which things indeed I also say to you, Agathon, not to be deceived by this man, but to be on your guard, learning from our sufferings, and not, according to the proverb, to learn like a child after having suffered." When Alcibiades had said these things, there was laughter at his frankness, because he seemed still to be in love with Socrates.
τὸν οὖν Σωκράτη, Νήφειν μοι δοκεῖς, φάναι, ὦ Ἀλκιβιάδη.
Then Socrates said, "You seem to me to be sober, Alcibiades.
οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε οὕτω κομψῶς κύκλῳ περιβαλλόμενος ἀφανίσαι ἐνεχείρεις οὗ ἕνεκα ταῦτα πάντα εἴρηκας, καὶ ὡς ἐν παρέργῳ δὴ λέγων ἐπὶ τελευτῆς αὐτὸ ἔθηκας, ὡς οὐ πάντα τούτου ἕνεκα εἰρηκώς, τοῦ ἐμὲ καὶ Ἀγάθωνα διαβάλλειν, οἰόμενος δεῖν ἐμὲ μὲν σοῦ ἐρᾶν καὶ μηδενὸς ἄλλου, Ἀγάθωνα δὲ ὑπὸ σοῦ ἐρᾶσθαι καὶ μηδʼ ὑφʼ ἑνὸς ἄλλου.
For otherwise you would never have attempted, wrapping yourself around so cleverly in a circle, to conceal that for the sake of which you have said all these things, and as if speaking of it in passing, you placed it at the end, as if you had not said everything for the sake of this, namely to slander me and Agathon, thinking that I must love you and no one else, and Agathon must be loved by you and by no one else.
ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔλαθες, ἀλλὰ τὸ σατυρικόν σου δρᾶμα τοῦτο καὶ σιληνικὸν κατάδηλον ἐγένετο.
But you did not escape notice, but this satyr-play and silenus-play of yours has become manifest.
ἀλλʼ, ὦ φίλε Ἀγάθων, μηδὲν πλέον αὐτῷ γένηται, ἀλλὰ παρασκευάζου ὅπως ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ μηδεὶς διαβαλεῖ. τὸν οὖν Ἀγάθωνα εἰπεῖν, καὶ μήν, ὦ Σώκρατες, κινδυνεύεις ἀληθῆ λέγειν.
But, dear Agathon, let nothing more come of it for him, but prepare yourself so that no one will slander me and you." Then Agathon said, "Indeed, Socrates, you are likely to be speaking the truth.
τεκμαίρομαι δὲ καὶ ὡς κατεκλίνη ἐν μέσῳ ἐμοῦ τε καὶ σοῦ, ἵνα χωρὶς ἡμᾶς διαλάβῃ.
And I infer this also from how he lay down in the middle of me and you, so that he might hold us apart.
οὐδὲν οὖν πλέον αὐτῷ ἔσται, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ παρὰ σὲ ἐλθὼν κατακλινήσομαι. πάνυ γε, φάναι τὸν Σωκράτη, δεῦρο ὑποκάτω ἐμοῦ κατακλίνου. ὦ Ζεῦ, εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην, οἷα αὖ πάσχω ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
Nothing more, therefore, shall come of it for him, but I will come and lie down next to you." "By all means," said Socrates, "come here and lie down below me." "O Zeus!" said Alcibiades, "what things I suffer again from the man.
οἴεταί μου δεῖν πανταχῇ περιεῖναι.
He thinks he must get the better of me in every way.
ἀλλʼ εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, ὦ θαυμάσιε, ἐν μέσῳ ἡμῶν ἔα Ἀγάθωνα κατακεῖσθαι. ἀλλʼ ἀδύνατον, φάναι τὸν Σωκράτη.
But if nothing else, wonderful man, let Agathon lie down in the middle of us." "But that is impossible," said Socrates.
σὺ μὲν γὰρ ἐμὲ ἐπῄνεσας, δεῖ δὲ ἐμὲ αὖ τὸν ἐπὶ δεξίʼ ἐπαινεῖν.
"For you have praised me, and I must in turn praise the one on my right.
§223ἐὰν οὖν ὑπὸ σοὶ κατακλινῇ Ἀγάθων, οὐ δήπου ἐμὲ πάλιν ἐπαινέσεται, πρὶν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ μᾶλλον ἐπαινεθῆναι;
If, then, Agathon lies down below you, he will surely not praise me again, before he is rather praised by me?
ἀλλʼ ἔασον, ὦ δαιμόνιε, καὶ μὴ φθονήσῃς τῷ μειρακίῳ ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ ἐπαινεθῆναι· καὶ γὰρ πάνυ ἐπιθυμῶ αὐτὸν ἐγκωμιάσαι.
But let it be, wonderful friend, and do not grudge the youth being praised by me; for indeed I desire very much to eulogize him." "Ah!
ἰοῦ ἰοῦ, φάναι τὸν Ἀγάθωνα, Ἀλκιβιάδη, οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ἂν ἐνθάδε μείναιμι, ἀλλὰ παντὸς μᾶλλον μεταναστήσομαι, ἵνα ὑπὸ Σωκράτους ἐπαινεθῶ. ταῦτα ἐκεῖνα, φάναι τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην, τὰ εἰωθότα· Σωκράτους παρόντος τῶν καλῶν μεταλαβεῖν ἀδύνατον ἄλλῳ.
Ah!" said Agathon, "Alcibiades, there is no way I would stay here, but I will by all means move, so that I may be praised by Socrates." "There it is," said Alcibiades, "the usual thing; when Socrates is present, it is impossible for anyone else to share in the beautiful.
καὶ νῦν ὡς εὐπόρως καὶ πιθανὸν λόγον ηὗρεν, ὥστε παρʼ ἑαυτῷ τουτονὶ κατακεῖσθαι. τὸν μὲν οὖν Ἀγάθωνα ὡς κατακεισόμενον παρὰ τῷ Σωκράτει ἀνίστασθαι·
And now how easily and persuasively he found a reason, so that this youth should lie down next to him!" Now Agathon stood up to lie down next to Socrates.
ἐξαίφνης δὲ κωμαστὰς ἥκειν παμπόλλους ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας, καὶ ἐπιτυχόντας ἀνεῳγμέναις ἐξιόντος τινὸς εἰς τὸ ἄντικρυς πορεύεσθαι παρὰ σφᾶς καὶ κατακλίνεσθαι, καὶ θορύβου μεστὰ πάντα εἶναι, καὶ οὐκέτι ἐν κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ ἀναγκάζεσθαι πίνειν πάμπολυν οἶνον.
But suddenly very many revelers came to the doors, and finding them open because someone was going out, they marched straight in to them and lay down, and everything was full of noise, and no longer in any order, everyone was compelled to drink a great deal of wine.
τὸν μὲν οὖν Ἐρυξίμαχον καὶ τὸν Φαῖδρον καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς ἔφη ὁ Ἀριστόδημος οἴχεσθαι ἀπιόντας, ἓ δὲ ὕπνον λαβεῖν, καὶ καταδαρθεῖν πάνυ πολύ, ἅτε μακρῶν τῶν νυκτῶν οὐσῶν, ἐξεγρέσθαι δὲ πρὸς ἡμέραν ἤδη ἀλεκτρυόνων ᾀδόντων, ἐξεγρόμενος δὲ ἰδεῖν τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους καθεύδοντας καὶ οἰχομένους, Ἀγάθωνα δὲ καὶ Ἀριστοφάνη καὶ Σωκράτη ἔτι μόνους ἐγρηγορέναι καὶ πίνειν ἐκ φιάλης μεγάλης ἐπὶ δεξιά.
Now Aristodemus said that Eryximachus and Phaedrus and some others went away and departed, but sleep took him, and he slept for a very long time, since the nights were long, and awoke towards daybreak when the cocks were already crowing. And having awakened, he saw that the others were sleeping and had gone, but Agathon, Aristophanes, and Socrates were still alone awake and drinking from a large bowl from left to right.
τὸν οὖν Σωκράτη αὐτοῖς διαλέγεσθαι· καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ὁ Ἀριστόδημος οὐκ ἔφη μεμνῆσθαι τῶν λόγων—οὔτε γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς παραγενέσθαι ὑπονυστάζειν τε—τὸ μέντοι κεφάλαιον, ἔφη, προσαναγκάζειν τὸν Σωκράτη ὁμολογεῖν αὐτοὺς τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀνδρὸς εἶναι κωμῳδίαν καὶ τραγῳδίαν ἐπίστασθαι ποιεῖν, καὶ τὸν τέχνῃ τραγῳδοποιὸν ὄντα καὶ κωμῳδοποιὸν εἶναι.
Now Socrates was talking with them; and as for the rest of the talk, Aristodemus said he did not remember it—for he had not been present from the beginning and was nodding off—but the main point, he said, was that Socrates was compelling them to agree that it belongs to the same man to know how to write comedy and tragedy, and that he who is a tragedy writer by art is also a comedy writer.
ταῦτα δὴ ἀναγκαζομένους αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐ σφόδρα ἑπομένους νυστάζειν, καὶ πρότερον μὲν καταδαρθεῖν τὸν Ἀριστοφάνη, ἤδη δὲ ἡμέρας γιγνομένης τὸν Ἀγάθωνα.
Being compelled to agree to these things and not following very well, they were nodding, and first Aristophanes fell asleep, and then, as day was already dawning, Agathon.
τὸν οὖν Σωκράτη, κατακοιμίσαντʼ ἐκείνους, ἀναστάντα ἀπιέναι, καὶ ἓ ὥσπερ εἰώθει ἕπεσθαι, καὶ ἐλθόντα εἰς Λύκειον, ἀπονιψάμενον, ὥσπερ ἄλλοτε τὴν ἄλλην ἡμέραν διατρίβειν, καὶ οὕτω διατρίψαντα εἰς ἑσπέραν οἴκοι ἀναπαύεσθαι.
Socrates, then, having put them to sleep, stood up and went away, and he followed him as he was accustomed to do, and having come to the Lyceum, and having washed, he spent the rest of the day just as at other times, and having so spent it until evening, he went home to rest.