§279ΣΩ.
οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὔκ,
ἔφη ὁ Κλεινίας.
SOCRATES: "There is no one who does not," Clinias said.
—εἶεν, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ· τὸ δὴ μετὰ τοῦτο, ἐπειδὴ βουλόμεθα εὖ πράττειν, πῶς ἂν εὖ πράττοιμεν;
— "Very well," I said; "as for the next thing, since we wish to do well, how might we do well?
ἆρʼ ἂν εἰ ἡμῖν πολλὰ κἀγαθὰ εἴη;
Would it be if we had many good things?
ἢ τοῦτο ἐκείνου ἔτι εὐηθέστερον;
Or is this even sillier than the other question?
δῆλον γάρ που καὶ τοῦτο ὅτι οὕτως ἔχει. —συνέφη. —φέρε δή, ἀγαθὰ δὲ ποῖα ἄρα τῶν ὄντων τυγχάνει ἡμῖν ὄντα;
For I suppose this too is clear, that it is so." — He agreed. — "Come then, what sort of existing things actually happen to be good for us?
ἢ οὐ χαλεπὸν οὐδὲ σεμνοῦ ἀνδρὸς πάνυ τι οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἔοικεν εἶναι εὐπορεῖν;
Or does it seem that to be well-provided with this is also not difficult, nor the mark of a very grand man?
πᾶς γὰρ ἂν ἡμῖν εἴποι ὅτι τὸ πλουτεῖν ἀγαθόν· ἦ γάρ; —
πάνυ γʼ,
ἔφη. —οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸ ὑγιαίνειν καὶ τὸ καλὸν εἶναι καὶ τἆλλα κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἱκανῶς παρεσκευάσθαι; —συνεδόκει. —ἀλλὰ μὴν εὐγένειαί γε καὶ δυνάμεις καὶ τιμαὶ ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δῆλά ἐστιν ἀγαθὰ ὄντα. —ὡμολόγει. —τί οὖν, ἔφην, ἔτι ἡμῖν λείπεται τῶν ἀγαθῶν;
For everyone would tell us that to be rich is a good thing; is that not so?" — "Quite so," he said. — "And also to be healthy and beautiful, and to be sufficiently provided with the other things regarding the body?" — He agreed. — "But surely noble birth, powers, and honors in one's own land are clearly good things." — He agreed. — "Then what is still left for us," I said, "among good things?
τί ἄρα ἐστὶν τὸ σώφρονά τε εἶναι καὶ δίκαιον καὶ ἀνδρεῖον;
What indeed is it to be temperate, just, and brave?
πότερον πρὸς Διός, ὦ Κλεινία, ἡγῇ σύ, ἐὰν ταῦτα τιθῶμεν ὡς ἀγαθά, ὀρθῶς ἡμᾶς θήσειν, ἢ ἐὰν μή;
By Zeus, Clinias, do you think, if we place these as good things, that we shall place them correctly, or if we do not?
ἴσως γὰρ ἄν τις ἡμῖν ἀμφισβητήσειεν· σοὶ δὲ πῶς δοκεῖ; —
ἀγαθά,
ἔφη ὁ Κλεινίας. — εἶεν, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ· τὴν δὲ σοφίαν ποῦ χοροῦ τάξομεν; ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, ἢ πῶς λέγεις;
For perhaps someone might dispute it with us; but how does it seem to you?" — "They are good," Clinias said. — "Very well," I said; "and where in the chorus shall we arrange wisdom?
—
ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς. —ἐνθυμοῦ δὴ μή τι παραλείπωμεν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὅτι καὶ ἄξιον λόγου. —
ἀλλά μοι δοκοῦμεν,
ἔφη,
οὐδέν,
ὁ Κλεινίας. —καὶ ἐγὼ ἀναμνησθεὶς εἶπον ὅτι ναὶ μὰ Δία κινδυνεύομέν γε τὸ μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν παραλιπεῖν. —
τί τοῦτο; ἦ δʼ ὅς. —τὴν εὐτυχίαν, ὦ Κλεινία· ὃ πάντες φασί, καὶ οἱ πάνυ φαῦλοι, μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν εἶναι. —
ἀληθῆ λέγεις,
ἔφη. —καὶ ἐγὼ αὖ πάλιν μετανοήσας εἶπον ὅτι ὀλίγου καταγέλαστοι ἐγενόμεθα ὑπὸ τῶν ξένων ἐγώ τε καὶ σύ, ὦ παῖ Ἀξιόχου. —
τί δή,
ἔφη,
τοῦτο; —ὅτι εὐτυχίαν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν θέμενοι νυνδὴ αὖθις περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐλέγομεν. —
τί οὖν δὴ τοῦτο; —καταγέλαστον δήπου, ὃ πάλαι πρόκειται, τοῦτο πάλιν προτιθέναι καὶ δὶς ταὐτὰ λέγειν. —
πῶς,
ἔφη,
τοῦτο λέγεις; —ἡ σοφία δήπου, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, εὐτυχία ἐστίν· τοῦτο δὲ κἂν παῖς γνοίη. —καὶ ὃς ἐθαύμασεν· οὕτως ἔτι νέος τε καὶ εὐήθης ἐστί. —κἀγὼ γνοὺς αὐτὸν θαυμάζοντα, ἆρα οὐκ οἶσθα, ἔφην, ὦ Κλεινία, ὅτι περὶ αὐλημάτων εὐπραγίαν οἱ αὐληταὶ εὐτυχέστατοί εἰσιν; —συνέφη. —οὐκοῦν, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, καὶ περὶ γραμμάτων γραφῆς τε καὶ ἀναγνώσεως οἱ γραμματισταί; —
πάνυ γε. —τί δέ;
Among the good things, or how do you say?" — "Among the good things." — "Consider then lest we are leaving out any of the good things, and one indeed worth mentioning." — "But we seem to me," Clinias said, "to be leaving out nothing." — And I, remembering, said, "Yes, by Zeus, we are in danger of leaving out the greatest of the good things." — "What is this?" he said. — "Good fortune, Clinias; which everyone, even the very vulgar, says is the greatest of the good things." — "You speak the truth," he said. — And I again, changing my mind, said, "We almost became a laughingstock to the strangers, both you and I, son of Axiochus." — "Why so," he said, "is that?" — "Because having placed good fortune among them in what went before, we were just now speaking again about the same thing." — "What then of that?" — "It is surely ridiculous to put forward again what has long been proposed, and to say the same things twice." — "How," he said, "do you mean this?" — "Wisdom, surely," I said, "is good fortune; even a child would know this." — And he marveled; he is still so young and simple-minded. — And I, perceiving that he was marvelling, said, "Do you not know, Clinias, that regarding the playing of flutes, the flute-players are the most fortunate in doing well?" — He agreed. — "And also," I said, "regarding the writing and reading of letters, the schoolmasters?" — "Quite so." — "What then?
πρὸς τοὺς τῆς θαλάττης κινδύνους μῶν οἴει εὐτυχεστέρους τινὰς εἶναι τῶν σοφῶν κυβερνητῶν, ὡς ἐπὶ πᾶν εἰπεῖν; —
οὐ δῆτα.
Against the dangers of the sea, do you think any are more fortunate than the wise pilots, to speak generally?" — "Certainly not."