§532ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ἐν κεφαλαίῳ λέγομεν ὡς ὁ αὐτὸς γνώσεται ἀεί, περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν πολλῶν λεγόντων, ὅστις τε εὖ λέγει καὶ ὅστις κακῶς·
Socrates: Well then, to sum it up, do we say that when many are speaking about the same things, the same person will always recognize both who speaks well and who speaks badly?
ἢ εἰ μὴ γνώσεται τὸν κακῶς λέγοντα, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ τὸν εὖ, περί γε τοῦ αὐτοῦ.
Or if he does not recognize the one who speaks badly, is it clear that he will not recognize the one who speaks well either, at least regarding the same subject?
ΙΩΝ. οὕτως.
Ion: That is so.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ὁ αὐτὸς γίγνεται δεινὸς περὶ ἀμφοτέρων;
Socrates: Is it not true, then, that the same person becomes skilled in both?
ΙΩΝ. ναί.
Ion: Yes.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν σὺ φῂς καὶ Ὅμηρον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ποιητάς, ἐν οἷς καὶ Ἡσίοδος καὶ Ἀρχίλοχός ἐστιν, περί γε τῶν αὐτῶν λέγειν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὁμοίως, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν εὖ γε, τοὺς δὲ χεῖρον;
Socrates: And do you not say that Homer and the other poets, among whom are Hesiod and Archilochus, speak about the same things, but not in the same way, but rather he speaks well, while they speak worse?
ΙΩΝ. καὶ ἀληθῆ λέγω.
Ion: Yes, and I speak the truth.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν, εἴπερ τὸν εὖ λέγοντα γιγνώσκεις, καὶ τοὺς χεῖρον λέγοντας γιγνώσκοις ἂν ὅτι χεῖρον λέγουσιν.
Socrates: Then, if you recognize the one who speaks well, you would also recognize those who speak worse, that they speak worse.
ΙΩΝ. ἔοικέν γε.
Ion: It seems so.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν, ὦ βέλτιστε, ὁμοίως τὸν Ἴωνα λέγοντες περὶ Ὁμήρου τε δεινὸν εἶναι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ποιητῶν οὐχ ἁμαρτησόμεθα, ἐπειδή γε αὐτὸς ὁμολογῇ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔσεσθαι κριτὴν ἱκανὸν πάντων ὅσοι ἂν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν λέγωσι, τοὺς δὲ ποιητὰς σχεδὸν ἅπαντας τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖν.
Socrates: Therefore, my excellent friend, we shall not be mistaken in saying that Ion is equally skilled in both Homer and the other poets, since you yourself agree that the same person will be an adequate judge of all who speak about the same things, and that the poets almost all compose on the same subjects.
ΙΩΝ. τί οὖν ποτε τὸ αἴτιον, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὅτι ἐγώ, ὅταν μέν τις περὶ ἄλλου του ποιητοῦ διαλέγηται, οὔτε προσέχω τὸν νοῦν ἀδυνατῶ τε καὶ ὁτιοῦν συμβαλέσθαι λόγου ἄξιον, ἀλλʼ ἀτεχνῶς νυστάζω, ἐπειδὰν δέ τις περὶ Ὁμήρου μνησθῇ, εὐθύς τε ἐγρήγορα καὶ προσέχω τὸν νοῦν καὶ εὐπορῶ ὅτι λέγω;
Ion: What then could be the reason, Socrates, that when anyone discusses another poet, I pay no attention and am unable to contribute anything of value, but simply doze off, but when anyone mentions Homer, I am immediately awake and pay attention and have plenty to say?
ΣΩ. οὐ χαλεπὸν τοῦτό γε εἰκάσαι, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ἀλλὰ παντὶ δῆλον ὅτι τέχνῃ καὶ ἐπιστήμῃ περὶ Ὁμήρου λέγειν ἀδύνατος εἶ·
Socrates: It is not difficult to guess this, my friend.
εἰ γὰρ τέχνῃ οἷός τε ἦσθα, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ποιητῶν ἁπάντων λέγειν οἷός τʼ ἂν ἦσθα·
Rather, it is clear to everyone that you are unable to speak about Homer by art and knowledge; for if you were able to do so by art, you would also be able to speak about all the other poets.
ποιητικὴ γάρ πού ἐστιν τὸ ὅλον.
For the art of poetry, I suppose, is a whole.
ἢ οὔ;
Is it not?
ΙΩΝ. ναί.
Ion: Yes.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὰν λάβῃ τις καὶ ἄλλην τέχνην ἡντινοῦν ὅλην, ὁ αὐτὸς τρόπος τῆς σκέψεως ἔσται περὶ ἁπασῶν τῶν τεχνῶν;
Socrates: Then, when one grasps any other art as a whole, will not the same method of inquiry apply to all arts?
πῶς τοῦτο λέγω, δέῃ τί μου ἀκοῦσαι, ὦ Ἴων;
Do you need to hear from me how I mean this, Ion?
ΙΩΝ. ναὶ μὰ τὸν Δία, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἔγωγε·
Ion: Yes, by Zeus, Socrates, I certainly do; for I enjoy listening to you wise men.
χαίρω γὰρ ἀκούων ὑμῶν τῶν σοφῶν.
Socrates: I wish you were speaking the truth, Ion.
ΣΩ. βουλοίμην ἄν σε ἀληθῆ λέγειν, ὦ Ἴων· ἀλλὰ σοφοὶ μέν πού ἐστε ὑμεῖς οἱ ῥαψῳδοὶ καὶ ὑποκριταὶ καὶ ὧν ὑμεῖς ᾁδετε τὰ ποιήματα, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τἀληθῆ λέγω, οἷον εἰκὸς ἰδιώτην ἄνθρωπον.
But it is you rhapsodes and actors, and those whose poems you sing, who are wise, whereas I speak nothing but the truth, as is fitting for a common man.
ἐπεὶ καὶ περὶ τούτου οὗ νῦν ἠρόμην σε, θέασαι ὡς φαῦλον καὶ ἰδιωτικόν ἐστι καὶ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς γνῶναι ὃ ἔλεγον, τὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι σκέψιν, ἐπειδάν τις ὅλην τέχνην λάβῃ.
For consider even this which I just asked you, how common and simple it is, and for any man to know what I meant—that the inquiry is the same when one grasps an art as a whole.
λάβωμεν γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ· γραφικὴ γάρ τίς ἐστι τέχνη τὸ ὅλον;
Let us take it in our discussion: is painting as a whole a certain art?
ΙΩΝ. ναί.
Ion: Yes.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ γραφῆς πολλοὶ καὶ εἰσὶ καὶ γεγόνασιν ἀγαθοὶ καὶ φαῦλοι;
Socrates: And are there not, and have there not been, many painters, both good and bad?
ΙΩΝ. πάνυ γε.
Ion: Certainly.