§81ΜΕΝ. οὐκοῦν καλῶς σοι δοκεῖ λέγεσθαι ὁ λόγος οὗτος, ὦ Σώκρατες;
MEN. Then does this argument seem to you to be well spoken, Socrates?
ΣΩ. οὐκ ἔμοιγε.
SOC. Not to me.
ΜΕΝ. ἔχεις λέγειν ὅπῃ;
MEN. Can you say in what way?
ΣΩ. ἔγωγε· ἀκήκοα γὰρ ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν σοφῶν περὶ τὰ θεῖα πράγματα—
ΜΕΝ. τίνα λόγον λεγόντων;
SOC. I can; for I have heard wise men and women about divine matters— MEN. Speaking what argument?
ΣΩ. ἀληθῆ, ἔμοιγε δοκεῖν, καὶ καλόν.
SOC. A true one, as it seems to me, and a beautiful one.
ΜΕΝ. τίνα τοῦτον, καὶ τίνες οἱ λέγοντες;
MEN. What was this, and who were those who spoke it?
ΣΩ. οἱ μὲν λέγοντές εἰσι τῶν ἱερέων τε καὶ τῶν ἱερειῶν ὅσοις μεμέληκε περὶ ὧν μεταχειρίζονται λόγον οἵοις τʼ εἶναι διδόναι· λέγει δὲ καὶ Πίνδαρος καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν ποιητῶν ὅσοι θεῖοί εἰσιν.
SOC. Those who speak it are of the priests and priestesses who have made it their care to be able to give an account of the things they handle; and Pindar also speaks of it, and many other of the poets as many as are divine.
ἃ δὲ λέγουσιν, ταυτί ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ σκόπει εἴ σοι δοκοῦσιν ἀληθῆ λέγειν.
And what they say is this—but consider whether they seem to you to speak the truth.
φασὶ γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἶναι ἀθάνατον, καὶ τοτὲ μὲν τελευτᾶν—ὃ δὴ ἀποθνῄσκειν καλοῦσι—τοτὲ δὲ πάλιν γίγνεσθαι, ἀπόλλυσθαι δʼ οὐδέποτε· δεῖν δὴ διὰ ταῦτα ὡς ὁσιώτατα διαβιῶναι τὸν βίον· οἷσιν γὰρ ἂν—
"
Φερσεφόνα ποινὰν παλαιοῦ πένθεος
δέξεται, εἰς τὸν ὕπερθεν ἅλιον κείνων ἐνάτῳ ἔτεϊ
ἀνδιδοῖ ψυχὰς πάλιν,
ἐκ τᾶν βασιλῆες ἀγαυοὶ
καὶ σθένει κραιπνοὶ σοφίᾳ τε μέγιστοι
ἄνδρες αὔξοντʼ· ἐς δὲ τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον ἥρωες ἁγνοὶ πρὸς ἀνθρώπων καλεῦνται. "
ἅτε οὖν ἡ ψυχὴ ἀθάνατός τε οὖσα καὶ πολλάκις γεγονυῖα, καὶ ἑωρακυῖα καὶ τὰ ἐνθάδε καὶ τὰ ἐν Ἅιδου καὶ πάντα χρήματα, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτι οὐ μεμάθηκεν·
For they say that the soul of human being is immortal, and at one time it comes to an end—which indeed they call dying—and at another time it is born again, but is never destroyed; and that for this reason one must pass through life as holily as possible; for from whomsoever— "Persephone shall accept recompense for ancient grief, unto the sun above in the ninth year she sends their souls back again, from whom majestic kings and men swift in strength and greatest in wisdom grow up; and for the remaining time they are called holy heroes by men." Since, then, the soul is immortal and has been born many times, and has seen both the things here and the things in Hades and all things, there is nothing it has not learned; so that it is no wonder that it is able to recollect both about virtue and about other things, which indeed it knew before.
ὥστε οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν καὶ περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ περὶ ἄλλων οἷόν τʼ εἶναι αὐτὴν ἀναμνησθῆναι, ἅ γε καὶ πρότερον ἠπίστατο. ἅτε γὰρ τῆς φύσεως ἁπάσης συγγενοῦς οὔσης, καὶ μεμαθηκυίας τῆς ψυχῆς ἅπαντα, οὐδὲν κωλύει ἓν μόνον ἀναμνησθέντα—ὃ δὴ μάθησιν καλοῦσιν ἄνθρωποι—τἆλλα πάντα αὐτὸν ἀνευρεῖν, ἐάν τις ἀνδρεῖος ᾖ καὶ μὴ ἀποκάμνῃ ζητῶν·
For since all nature is akin, and the soul has learned all things, nothing prevents a person, having recollected only one thing—which indeed men call learning—from discovering all the rest, if one is brave and does not weary of searching; for searching and learning is entirely recollection.
τὸ γὰρ ζητεῖν ἄρα καὶ τὸ μανθάνειν ἀνάμνησις ὅλον ἐστίν. οὔκουν δεῖ πείθεσθαι τούτῳ τῷ ἐριστικῷ λόγῳ· οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἡμᾶς ἀργοὺς ποιήσειεν καὶ ἔστιν τοῖς μαλακοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡδὺς ἀκοῦσαι, ὅδε δὲ ἐργατικούς τε καὶ ζητητικοὺς ποιεῖ· ᾧ ἐγὼ πιστεύων ἀληθεῖ εἶναι ἐθέλω μετὰ σοῦ ζητεῖν ἀρετὴ ὅτι ἐστίν.
Therefore we must not believe this disputatious argument; for this would make us idle and is pleasant for the soft among men to hear, but this makes them active and searching; trusting in which to be true, I am willing to search with you for what virtue is.
ΜΕΝ. ναί, ὦ Σώκρατες·
MEN.
ἀλλὰ πῶς λέγεις τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐ μανθάνομεν, ἀλλὰ ἣν καλοῦμεν μάθησιν ἀνάμνησίς ἐστιν;
Yes, Socrates; but how do you say this, that we do not learn, but what we call learning is recollection?
ἔχεις με τοῦτο διδάξαι ὡς οὕτως ἔχει;
Can you teach me that this is so?
§82ΣΩ. καὶ ἄρτι εἶπον, ὦ Μένων, ὅτι πανοῦργος εἶ, καὶ νῦν ἐρωτᾷς εἰ ἔχω σε διδάξαι, ὃς οὔ φημι διδαχὴν εἶναι ἀλλʼ ἀνάμνησιν, ἵνα δὴ εὐθὺς φαίνωμαι αὐτὸς ἐμαυτῷ τἀναντία λέγων.
SOC. I said just now, Meno, that you are a rogue, and now you ask if I can teach you, who say that there is no teaching but recollection, so that I may immediately appear to be contradicting myself.
ΜΕΝ. οὐ μὰ τὸν Δία, ὦ Σώκρατες, οὐ πρὸς τοῦτο βλέψας εἶπον, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἔθους· ἀλλʼ εἴ πώς μοι ἔχεις ἐνδείξασθαι ὅτι ἔχει ὥσπερ λέγεις, ἔνδειξαι.
MEN. No, by Zeus, Socrates, I did not speak looking to that, but from habit; but if you can in any way show me that it is as you say, show me.
ΣΩ. ἀλλʼ ἔστι μὲν οὐ ῥᾴδιον, ὅμως δὲ ἐθέλω προθυμηθῆναι σοῦ ἕνεκα.
SOC. It is indeed not easy, but yet I am willing to do my best for your sake.
ἀλλά μοι προσκάλεσον τῶν πολλῶν ἀκολούθων τουτωνὶ τῶν σαυτοῦ ἕνα, ὅντινα βούλει, ἵνα ἐν τούτῳ σοι ἐπιδείξωμαι.
But call to me one of these many attendants of yours, whichever you wish, so that I may demonstrate to you in him.
ΜΕΝ. πάνυ γε.
MEN. Certainly.
δεῦρο πρόσελθε.
Come here.
ΣΩ. Ἕλλην μέν ἐστι καὶ ἑλληνίζει; ΜΕΝ. πάνυ γε σφόδρα, οἰκογενής γε.
SOC. Is he a Greek and does he speak Greek?
ΣΩ. πρόσεχε δὴ τὸν νοῦν ὁπότερʼ ἄν σοι φαίνηται, ἢ ἀναμιμνῃσκόμενος ἢ μανθάνων παρʼ ἐμοῦ.
MEN.
ΜΕΝ. ἀλλὰ προσέξω.
Yes, very much so, indeed he was born in my house.
ΣΩ. εἰπὲ δή μοι, ὦ παῖ, γιγνώσκεις τετράγωνον χωρίον ὅτι τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν;
SOC. Pay attention now to whichever appears to you, whether he is recollecting or learning from me.
ΠΑΙ. ἔγωγε.
MEN. Indeed I will pay attention.
ΣΩ. ἔστιν οὖν τετράγωνον χωρίον ἴσας ἔχον τὰς γραμμὰς ταύτας πάσας, τέτταρας οὔσας;
SOC. Tell me, boy, do you know that a square area is such a thing?
ΠΑΙ. πάνυ γε.
BOY. I do.
ΣΩ. οὐ καὶ ταυτασὶ τὰς διὰ μέσου ἐστὶν ἴσας ἔχον;
SOC. Is a square area, then, one having all these lines equal, which are four?
ΠΑΙ. ναί.
BOY. Certainly.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν εἴη ἂν τοιοῦτον χωρίον καὶ μεῖζον καὶ ἔλαττον;
SOC. And does it not also have these lines through the middle equal?
ΠΑΙ. πάνυ γε.
BOY. Yes.
ΣΩ. εἰ οὖν εἴη αὕτη ἡ πλευρὰ δυοῖν ποδοῖν καὶ αὕτη δυοῖν, πόσων ἂν εἴη ποδῶν τὸ ὅλον;
SOC. Therefore, could such an area be both larger and smaller?
ὧδε δὲ σκόπει·
BOY. Certainly.
εἰ ἦν ταύτῃ δυοῖν ποδοῖν, ταύτῃ δὲ ἑνὸς ποδὸς μόνον, ἄλλο τι ἅπαξ ἂν ἦν δυοῖν ποδοῖν τὸ χωρίον;
SOC. If, then, this side were of two feet and this of two, how many feet would the whole be?
ΠΑΙ. ναί.
Consider it this way: if it were two feet this way, and only one foot that way, would the area not be once two feet? BOY.
ΣΩ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ δυοῖν ποδοῖν καὶ ταύτῃ, ἄλλο τι ἢ δὶς δυοῖν γίγνεται;
Yes. SOC.
ΠΑΙ. γίγνεται.
But since it is two feet this way too, is it anything else than twice two feet? BOY.
ΣΩ. δυοῖν ἄρα δὶς γίγνεται ποδῶν;
It is. SOC.
ΠΑΙ. ναί.
It is, then, twice two feet? BOY.
ΣΩ. πόσοι οὖν εἰσιν οἱ δύο δὶς πόδες;
Yes. SOC.
λογισάμενος εἰπέ.
How many feet, then, are twice two? Calculate and tell me.
ΠΑΙ. τέτταρες, ὦ Σώκρατες.
BOY. Four, Socrates.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν γένοιτʼ ἂν τούτου τοῦ χωρίου ἕτερον διπλάσιον, τοιοῦτον δέ, ἴσας ἔχον πάσας τὰς γραμμὰς ὥσπερ τοῦτο;
SOC. Therefore, could there be another area double this one, but like it, having all its lines equal just as this one?
ΠΑΙ. ναί.
BOY. Yes.
ΣΩ. πόσων οὖν ἔσται ποδῶν;
SOC. How many feet, then, will it be?
ΠΑΙ. ὀκτώ.
BOY. Eight.
ΣΩ. φέρε δή, πειρῶ μοι εἰπεῖν πηλίκη τις ἔσται ἐκείνου ἡ γραμμὴ ἑκάστη.
SOC. Come now, try to tell me how long each line of that one will be.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ τοῦδε δυοῖν ποδοῖν· τί δὲ ἡ ἐκείνου τοῦ διπλασίου;
For the line of this one is of two feet; but what about the line of that double one?
ΠΑΙ. δῆλον δή, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὅτι διπλασία.
BOY. Clearly, Socrates, it will be double.
ΣΩ. ὁρᾷς, ὦ Μένων, ὡς ἐγὼ τοῦτον οὐδὲν διδάσκω, ἀλλʼ ἐρωτῶ πάντα;
SOC. Do you see, Meno, that I am teaching him nothing, but asking him everything?
καὶ νῦν οὗτος οἴεται εἰδέναι ὁποία ἐστὶν ἀφʼ ἧς τὸ ὀκτώπουν χωρίον γενήσεται· ἢ οὐ δοκεῖ σοι;
And now he thinks he knows what sort of line it is from which the eight-foot area will come; or does it not seem so to you?
ΜΕΝ. ἔμοιγε.
MEN. Yes, to me at least.
ΣΩ. οἶδεν οὖν;
SOC. Does he know, then?
ΜΕΝ. οὐ δῆτα.
MEN. Certainly not.
ΣΩ. οἴεται δέ γε ἀπὸ τῆς διπλασίας;
SOC. But he thinks it is from the double line?
ΜΕΝ. ναί.
MEN. Yes.