§131ΑΛ. ἔοικεν.
ALCIBIADES: It seems so.
ΣΩ. ὅστις ἄρα τῶν τοῦ σώματός τι γιγνώσκει, τὰ αὑτοῦ ἀλλʼ οὐχ αὑτὸν ἔγνωκεν.
SOCRATES: Therefore, whoever knows any of the things belonging to the body knows the things that are his, but not himself.
ΑΛ. οὕτως.
ALCIBIADES: Quite so.
ΣΩ. οὐδεὶς ἄρα τῶν ἰατρῶν ἑαυτὸν γιγνώσκει, καθʼ ὅσον ἰατρός, οὐδὲ τῶν παιδοτριβῶν, καθʼ ὅσον παιδοτρίβης.
SOCRATES: None of the physicians, then, knows himself insofar as he is a physician, nor any of the trainers insofar as he is a trainer.
ΑΛ. οὐκ ἔοικεν.
ALCIBIADES: It does not seem so.
ΣΩ. πολλοῦ ἄρα δέουσιν οἱ γεωργοὶ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι δημιουργοὶ γιγνώσκειν ἑαυτούς.
SOCRATES: Far indeed, then, are farmers and other craftsmen from knowing themselves.
οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτῶν οὗτοί γε, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἀλλʼ ἔτι πορρωτέρω τῶν ἑαυτῶν κατά γε τὰς τέχνας ἃς ἔχουσιν· τὰ γὰρ τοῦ σώματος γιγνώσκουσιν, οἷς τοῦτο θεραπεύεται.
For these do not even know the things that belong to themselves, but, as it seems, things still further from themselves, at least according to the arts which they possess; for they know the things of the body, by which this is cared for.
ΑΛ. ἀληθῆ λέγεις.
ALCIBIADES: You speak the truth.
ΣΩ. εἰ ἄρα σωφροσύνη ἐστὶ τὸ ἑαυτὸν γιγνώσκειν, οὐδεὶς τούτων σώφρων κατὰ τὴν τέχνην.
SOCRATES: If, then, temperance is knowing oneself, none of these is temperate according to his art.
ΑΛ. οὔ μοι δοκεῖ.
ALCIBIADES: It does not seem so to me.
ΣΩ. διὰ ταῦτα δὴ καὶ βάναυσοι αὗται αἱ τέχναι δοκοῦσιν εἶναι καὶ οὐκ ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ μαθήματα.
SOCRATES: For this very reason indeed, these arts also seem to be vulgar, and not the lessons of a good man.
ΑΛ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
ALCIBIADES: Absolutely so.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν πάλιν ὅστις αὖ σῶμα θεραπεύει, τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἀλλʼ οὐχ αὑτὸν θεραπεύει;
SOCRATES: Then again, does whoever cares for the body care for the things that belong to him, but not for himself?
ΑΛ. κινδυνεύει.
ALCIBIADES: Likely so.
ΣΩ. ὅστις δέ γε τὰ χρήματα, οὔθʼ ἑαυτὸν οὔτε τὰ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλʼ ἔτι πορρωτέρω τῶν ἑαυτοῦ;
SOCRATES: And whoever cares for wealth, cares neither for himself nor for the things belonging to him, but for things still further from what belongs to him?
ΑΛ. ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ.
ALCIBIADES: So it seems to me.
ΣΩ. οὐ τὰ αὑτοῦ ἄρα ἔτι πράττει ὁ χρηματιστής.
SOCRATES: Therefore, the money-maker is no longer doing his own business.
ΑΛ. ὀρθῶς.
ALCIBIADES: Correctly.
ΣΩ. εἰ ἄρα τις γέγονεν ἐραστὴς τοῦ Ἀλκιβιάδου σώματος, οὐκ Ἀλκιβιάδου ἄρα ἠράσθη ἀλλά τινος τῶν Ἀλκιβιάδου.
SOCRATES: If, then, someone has become a lover of Alcibiades' body, he was not in love with Alcibiades, but with something belonging to Alcibiades.
ΑΛ. ἀληθῆ λέγεις.
ALCIBIADES: You speak the truth.
ΣΩ. ὅστις δέ σου τῆς ψυχῆς ἐρᾷ;
SOCRATES: But what of the one who loves your soul?
ΑΛ. ἀνάγκη φαίνεται ἐκ τοῦ λόγου.
ALCIBIADES: It appears necessary from the argument.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν τοῦ σώματός σου ἐρῶν, ἐπειδὴ λήγει ἀνθοῦν, ἀπιὼν οἴχεται;
SOCRATES: Does the one, then, who loves your body, when it ceases to bloom, go away and depart?
ΑΛ. φαίνεται.
ALCIBIADES: So it appears.
ΣΩ. ὁ δέ γε τῆς ψυχῆς ἐρῶν οὐκ ἄπεισιν, ἕως ἂν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἴῃ;
SOCRATES: But the one, at least, who loves the soul does not depart as long as it goes toward the better?
ΑΛ. εἰκός γε.
ALCIBIADES: Likely indeed.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ οὐκ ἀπιὼν ἀλλὰ παραμένων λήγοντος τοῦ σώματος, τῶν ἄλλων ἀπεληλυθότων.
SOCRATES: Am I not, then, the one who does not depart but remains when the body is fading, while the others have gone away?
ΑΛ. εὖ γε ποιῶν, ὦ Σώκρατες· καὶ μηδὲ ἀπέλθοις.
ALCIBIADES: And you do well, Socrates; and may you never depart.
ΣΩ. προθυμοῦ τοίνυν ὅτι κάλλιστος εἶναι.
SOCRATES: Strive, then, to be as beautiful as possible.
ΑΛ. ἀλλὰ προθυμήσομαι.
ALCIBIADES: I will strive indeed.
ΣΩ. ὡς οὕτω γέ σοι ἔχει· οὔτʼ ἐγένεθʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, Ἀλκιβιάδῃ τῷ Κλεινίου ἐραστὴς οὔτʼ ἔστιν ἀλλʼ ἢ εἷς μόνος, καὶ οὗτος ἀγαπητός, Σωκράτης ὁ Σωφρονίσκου καὶ Φαιναρέτης.
SOCRATES: For for you the matter stands thus: there has never been, as it seems, nor is there, any lover for Alcibiades, the son of Cleinias, except one alone, and this one is to be cherished, Socrates, the son of Sophroniscus and Phaenarete.
ΑΛ. ἀληθῆ.
ALCIBIADES: True.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ἔφησθα σμικρὸν φθῆναί με προσελθόντα σοι, ἐπεὶ πρότερος ἄν μοι προσελθεῖν, βουλόμενος πυθέσθαι διʼ ὅτι μόνος οὐκ ἀπέρχομαι;
SOCRATES: Then did you say that I anticipated you by a little in approaching you, since you would have approached me first, wishing to learn why I alone do not depart?
ΑΛ. ἦν γὰρ οὕτω.
ALCIBIADES: For it was so.
§132ΣΩ. τοῦτο τοίνυν αἴτιον, ὅτι μόνος ἐραστὴς ἦν σός, οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι τῶν σῶν· τὰ δὲ σὰ λήγει ὥρας, σὺ δʼ ἄρχῃ ἀνθεῖν.
SOCRATES: This, then, is the cause: that I alone was a lover of you, while the others were of what is yours; and what is yours is ceasing to be in its bloom, but you are beginning to bloom.
καὶ νῦν γε ἂν μὴ διαφθαρῇς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀθηναίων δήμου καὶ αἰσχίων γένῃ, οὐ μή σε ἀπολίπω.
And now indeed, if you are not corrupted by the Athenian people and do not become uglier, I will never abandon you.
τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ μάλιστα ἐγὼ φοβοῦμαι, μὴ δημεραστὴς ἡμῖν γενόμενος διαφθαρῇς· πολλοὶ γὰρ ἤδη καὶ ἀγαθοὶ αὐτὸ πεπόνθασιν Ἀθηναίων.
For this indeed is what I fear most, lest you become a lover of the people and be corrupted; for already many and good men among the Athenians have suffered this.
εὐπρόσωπος γὰρ
"ὁ τοῦ μεγαλήτορος δῆμος Ἐρεχθέως· "
ἀλλʼ ἀποδύντα χρὴ αὐτὸν θεάσασθαι.
For fair of face is 'the people of great-hearted Erechtheus'; but one must view it stripped.
εὐλαβοῦ οὖν τὴν εὐλάβειαν ἣν ἐγὼ λέγω.
Take heed, then, of the caution which I speak.
ΑΛ. τίνα;
ALCIBIADES: What kind?
ΣΩ. γύμνασαι πρῶτον, ὦ μακάριε, καὶ μάθε ἃ δεῖ μαθόντα ἰέναι ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς πόλεως, πρότερον δὲ μή, ἵνʼ ἀλεξιφάρμακα ἔχων ἴῃς καὶ μηδὲν πάθῃς δεινόν.
SOCRATES: Discipline yourself first, my good friend, and learn what one must learn before entering into the affairs of the city, and not before, so that you may go with protective remedies and suffer nothing terrible.
ΑΛ. εὖ μοι δοκεῖς λέγειν, ὦ Σώκρατες· ἀλλὰ πειρῶ ἐξηγεῖσθαι ὅντινʼ ἂν τρόπον ἐπιμεληθεῖμεν ἡμῶν αὐτῶν.
ALCIBIADES: You seem to me to speak well, Socrates; but try to explain in what way we might care for ourselves.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν τοσοῦτον μὲν ἡμῖν εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν πεπέρανται —ὃ γὰρ ἐσμέν, ἐπιεικῶς ὡμολόγηται—ἐφοβούμεθα δὲ μὴ τούτου σφαλέντες λάθωμεν ἑτέρου τινὸς ἐπιμελόμενοι ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἡμῶν.
SOCRATES: Then so much has been accomplished by us for the future—for what we are has been reasonably agreed upon—but we were afraid lest, failing in this, we might unconsciously care for something else and not for ourselves.
ΑΛ. ἔστι ταῦτα.
ALCIBIADES: That is so.
ΣΩ. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο δὴ ὅτι ψυχῆς ἐπιμελητέον καὶ εἰς τοῦτο βλεπτέον.
SOCRATES: And after this, indeed, that we must care for the soul and look to this.
ΑΛ. δῆλον.
ALCIBIADES: Clear.
ΣΩ. σωμάτων δὲ καὶ χρημάτων τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἑτέροις παραδοτέον.
SOCRATES: And the care of bodies and wealth must be handed over to others.
ΑΛ. τί μήν;
ALCIBIADES: Of course.
ΣΩ. τίνʼ οὖν ἂν τρόπον γνοῖμεν αὐτὸ ἐναργέστατα;
SOCRATES: In what way, then, might we know it most clearly?
ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο γνόντες, ὡς ἔοικεν, καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς γνωσόμεθα.
Since, knowing this, as it seems, we shall also know ourselves.
ἆρα πρὸς θεῶν εὖ λέγοντος οὗ νυνδὴ ἐμνήσθημεν τοῦ Δελφικοῦ γράμματος οὐ συνίεμεν;
By the gods, do we not understand the Delphic inscription we just now mentioned, though it speaks well?
ΑΛ. τὸ ποῖόν τι διανοούμενος λέγεις, ὦ Σώκρατες;
ALCIBIADES: What kind of thing do you have in mind when you say this, Socrates?
ΣΩ. ἐγώ σοι φράσω, ὅ γε ὑποπτεύω λέγειν καὶ συμβουλεύειν ἡμῖν τοῦτο τὸ γράμμα.
SOCRATES: I will tell you what I suspect this inscription says and advises us.
κινδυνεύει γὰρ οὐδὲ πολλαχοῦ εἶναι παράδειγμα αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὄψιν μόνον.
For it seems that its example is not to be found in many places, but only in connection with sight.
ΑΛ. πῶς τοῦτο λέγεις;
ALCIBIADES: How do you mean this?
ΣΩ. σκόπει καὶ σύ.
SOCRATES: Consider it yourself too.
εἰ ἡμῶν τῷ ὄμματι ὥσπερ ἀνθρώπῳ συμβουλεῦον εἶπεν
ἰδὲ σαυτόν,
πῶς ἂν ὑπελάβομεν τί παραινεῖν;
If it spoke to our eye, as if advising a human being, and said 'See yourself', how would we understand what it was exhorting?
ἆρα οὐχὶ εἰς τοῦτο βλέπειν, εἰς ὃ βλέπων ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς ἔμελλεν αὑτὸν ἰδεῖν;
Would it not be to look at that, by looking at which the eye was going to see itself?
ΑΛ. δῆλον.
ALCIBIADES: Clear.
ΣΩ. ἐννοῶμεν δὴ εἰς τί βλέποντες τῶν ὄντων ἐκεῖνό τε ὁρῷμεν ἅμα ἂν καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτούς;
SOCRATES: Let us consider, then, by looking at what among existing things we might see both that thing and ourselves at the same time?
ΑΛ. δῆλον δή, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὅτι εἰς κάτοπτρά τε καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα.
ALCIBIADES: Clearly indeed, Socrates, into mirrors and such things.
ΣΩ. ὀρθῶς λέγεις.
SOCRATES: You speak correctly.
οὐκοῦν καὶ τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ ᾧ ὁρῶμεν ἔνεστί τι τῶν τοιούτων;
Then is there also in the eye, with which we see, something of this sort?
ΑΛ. πάνυ γε.
ALCIBIADES: Certainly.