§10.902ΑΘ. οὐκοῦν τὸ λοιπόν, εἴπερ ἀμελοῦσι τῶν σμικρῶν καὶ ὀλίγων τῶν περὶ τὸ πᾶν, ἢ γιγνώσκοντες ὡς τὸ παράπαν οὐδενὸς τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δεῖ, δρῷεν ἂν τοῦτο, ἢ τί τὸ λοιπὸν πλὴν τῷ γιγνώσκειν τοὐναντίον; ΚΛ. οὐδέν. ΑΘ. πότερον οὖν, ὦ ἄριστε καὶ βέλτιστε, θῶμέν σε λέγοντα ὡς ἀγνοοῦντάς τε καὶ δέον ἐπιμελεῖσθαι διʼ ἄγνοιαν ἀμελοῦντας, ἢ γιγνώσκοντας ὅτι δεῖ, καθάπερ οἱ φαυλότατοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων λέγονται ποιεῖν, εἰδότες ἄλλα εἶναι βελτίω πράττειν ὧν δὴ πράττουσιν, διά τινας ἥττας ἡδονῶν ἢ λυπῶν οὐ ποιεῖν; ΚΛ. πῶς γὰρ ἄν; ΑΘ. οὐκοῦν δὴ τά γε ἀνθρώπινα πράγματα τῆς τε ἐμψύχου μετέχει φύσεως ἅμα, καὶ θεοσεβέστατον αὐτό ἐστι πάντων ζῴων ἄνθρωπος; ΚΛ. ἔοικε γοῦν. ΑΘ. θεῶν γε μὴν κτήματά φαμεν εἶναι πάντα ὁπόσα θνητὰ ζῷα, ὧνπερ καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ὅλον. ΚΛ. πῶς γὰρ οὔ; ΑΘ. ἤδη τοίνυν σμικρὰ ἢ μεγάλα τις φάτω ταῦτα εἶναι τοῖς θεοῖς·
**ATH.**: "Therefore, as for what remains, if indeed they neglect the small and few things concerning the whole, they would do this either knowing that they ought not to care for any of such things at all, or what else remains except knowing the opposite?" **CL.**: "Nothing." **ATH.**: "Whether then, my excellent and best friend, shall we set you down as saying that they are ignorant and neglect through ignorance what they ought to care for, or that they know they ought to, just as the most worthless of human beings are said to do—knowing that there are other better things to do than what they actually do, yet not doing them because they are overcome by pleasures or pains?" **CL.**: "For how could they?" **ATH.**: "Is it not then true that human affairs partake of a living nature at the same time, and that human being is the most god-fearing of all animals?" **CL.**: "So it seems, at least." **ATH.**: "And indeed we say that all mortal animals are possessions of the gods, to whom also belongs the whole heaven." **CL.**: "For how not?" **ATH.**: "Now then, let someone say that these things are either small or great to the gods; for in neither case would it be fitting for those who possess us to neglect us, being most attentive and best.
οὐδετέρως γὰρ τοῖς κεκτημένοις ἡμᾶς ἀμελεῖν ἂν εἴη προσῆκον, ἐπιμελεστάτοις γε οὖσι καὶ ἀρίστοις. σκοπῶμεν γὰρ δὴ καὶ τόδε ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις. ΚΛ. τὸ ποῖον; ΑΘ. τὸ περί τε αἰσθήσεως καὶ δυνάμεως, ἆρʼ οὐκ ἐναντίως ἀλλήλοιν πρὸς ῥᾳστώνην καὶ χαλεπότητά ἐστον πεφυκότε; ΚΛ. πῶς λέγεις; ΑΘ. ὁρᾶν μέν που καὶ ἀκούειν τὰ σμικρὰ χαλεπώτερον ἢ τὰ μεγάλα, φέρειν δὲ αὖ καὶ κρατεῖν καὶ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῶν σμικρῶν καὶ ὀλίγων παντὶ ῥᾷον ἢ τῶν ἐναντίων. ΚΛ. καὶ πολύ γε. ΑΘ. ἰατρῷ δὲ προστεταγμένον ὅλον τι θεραπεύειν, βουλομένῳ καὶ δυναμένῳ τῶν μὲν μεγάλων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, τῶν μορίων δὲ καὶ σμικρῶν ἀμελοῦντι, ἕξει ποτὲ καλῶς αὐτῷ τὸ πᾶν; ΚΛ. οὐδαμῶς. ΑΘ. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ κυβερνήταις οὐδὲ στρατηγοῖς οὐδʼ οἰκονόμοις, οὐδʼ αὖ τισὶν πολιτικοῖς οὐδʼ ἄλλῳ τῶν τοιούτων οὐδενί, χωρὶς τῶν ὀλίγων καὶ σμικρῶν πολλὰ ἢ μεγάλα· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνευ σμικρῶν τοὺς μεγάλους φασὶν λιθολόγοι λίθους εὖ κεῖσθαι. ΚΛ. πῶς γὰρ ἄν; §10.903ΑΘ. μὴ τοίνυν τόν γε θεὸν ἀξιώσωμέν ποτε θνητῶν δημιουργῶν φαυλότερον, οἳ τὰ προσήκοντα αὑτοῖς ἔργα, ὅσῳπερ ἂν ἀμείνους ὦσιν, τόσῳ ἀκριβέστερα καὶ τελεώτερα μιᾷ τέχνῃ σμικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα ἀπεργάζονται· τὸν δὲ θεὸν ὄντα τε σοφώτατον βουλόμενόν τʼ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι καὶ δυνάμενον, ὧν μὲν ῥᾷον ἦν ἐπιμεληθῆναι σμικρῶν ὄντων, μηδαμῇ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι καθάπερ ἀργὸν ἢ δειλόν τινα διὰ πόνους ῥᾳθυμοῦντα, τῶν δὲ μεγάλων. ΚΛ. μηδαμῶς δόξαν τοιαύτην περὶ θεῶν, ὦ ξένε, ἀποδεχώμεθα· οὐδαμῇ γὰρ οὔτε ὅσιον οὔτʼ ἀληθὲς τὸ διανόημα διανοοίμεθʼ ἄν. ΑΘ. δοκοῦμεν δέ μοι νῦν ἤδη μάλιστα μετρίως διειλέχθαι τῷ φιλαιτίῳ τῆς ἀμελείας πέρι θεῶν. ΚΛ. ναί. ΑΘ. τῷ γε βιάζεσθαι τοῖς λόγοις ὁμολογεῖν αὐτὸν μὴ λέγειν ὀρθῶς· ἐπῳδῶν γε μὴν προσδεῖσθαί μοι δοκεῖ μύθων ἔτι τινῶν. ΚΛ. ποίων, ὠγαθέ; ΑΘ. πείθωμεν τὸν νεανίαν τοῖς λόγοις ὡς τῷ τοῦ παντὸς ἐπιμελουμένῳ πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν καὶ ἀρετὴν τοῦ ὅλου πάντʼ ἐστὶ συντεταγμένα, ὧν καὶ τὸ μέρος εἰς δύναμιν ἕκαστον τὸ προσῆκον πάσχει καὶ ποιεῖ.
For let us consider this further in addition to these things." **CL.**: "What sort of thing?" **ATH.**: "Concerning sensation and power, have they not been naturally born opposite to each other with respect to ease and difficulty?" **CL.**: "How do you mean?" **ATH.**: "That to see and hear small things is more difficult than large ones, but on the other hand, to carry, control, and care for small and few things is easier for everyone than their opposites." **CL.**: "And much more so." **ATH.**: "If a doctor has been ordered to cure a certain whole, and being willing and able to care for the great things, yet neglects the parts and small things, will the whole ever be in a good state for him?" **CL.**: "In no way." **ATH.**: "Indeed, nor will it be so for pilots, nor for generals, nor for household managers, nor again for any statesmen, nor for any other of such people—many or great things without the few and small ones; for stone-masons say that the large stones do not lie well without the small ones." **CL.**: "For how could they?" **ATH.**: "Let us not then ever deem the god to be more worthless than mortal craftsmen, who, the better they are, the more precisely and perfectly they accomplish their own works, both small and great, by a single art; and let us not think that the god, being most wise and both willing and able to care, neglects entirely, as if he were some idle or cowardly person slacking through labors, the small things of which it was easier to care, but cares only for the great things." **CL.**: "By no means, O stranger, let us accept such an opinion about the gods; for in no way would we be entertaining a thought that is either pious or true." **ATH.**: "And we seem to me now already to have disputed very moderately with the one who loves to find fault concerning the neglect of the gods." **CL.**: "Yes." **ATH.**: "At least in forcing him by arguments to agree that he does not speak correctly; yet he seems to me to stand in need of some further myths as incantations." **CL.**: "What kind, my good man?" **ATH.**: "Let us persuade the youth by arguments that all things have been arranged for the preservation and virtue of the whole by the one who cares for the universe, of which each part also, according to its power, suffers and does what is fitting.
τούτοις δʼ εἰσὶν ἄρχοντες προστεταγμένοι ἑκάστοις ἐπὶ τὸ σμικρότατον ἀεὶ πάθης καὶ πράξεως, εἰς μερισμὸν τὸν ἔσχατον τέλος ἀπειργασμένοι· ὧν ἓν καὶ τὸ σόν, ὦ σχέτλιε, μόριον εἰς τὸ πᾶν συντείνει βλέπον ἀεί, καίπερ πάνσμικρον ὄν, σὲ δὲ λέληθεν περὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ὡς γένεσις ἕνεκα ἐκείνου γίγνεται πᾶσα, ὅπως ᾖ τῷ τοῦ παντὸς βίῳ ὑπάρχουσα εὐδαίμων οὐσία, οὐχ ἕνεκα σοῦ γιγνομένη, σὺ δʼ ἕνεκα ἐκείνου.
And to each of these parts, rulers have been appointed over ever the smallest affection and action, who have accomplished the end to the ultimate division; of which one part is also yours, O miserable one, which always stretches and looks toward the whole, although being altogether small, but it has escaped you concerning this very thing that all generation comes to be for the sake of that, so that there may be a happy existence belonging to the life of the whole, not coming to be for your sake, but you for its sake.
πᾶς γὰρ ἰατρὸς καὶ πᾶς ἔντεχνος δημιουργὸς παντὸς μὲν ἕνεκα πάντα ἐργάζεται, πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συντεῖνον βέλτιστον μέρος μὴν ἕνεκα ὅλου καὶ οὐχ ὅλον μέρους ἕνεκα ἀπεργάζεται· σὺ δὲ ἀγανακτεῖς, ἀγνοῶν ὅπῃ τὸ περὶ σὲ ἄριστον τῷ παντὶ συμβαίνει καὶ σοὶ κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν τῆς κοινῆς γενέσεως.
For every doctor and every skilled craftsman works all things for the sake of the whole, looking toward what is best contributing to the common good, and accomplishes the part for the sake of the whole, and not the whole for the sake of the part; but you are vexed, being ignorant of how that which is best concerning you turns out for the whole and for you according to the power of the common generation.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀεὶ ψυχὴ συντεταγμένη σώματι τοτὲ μὲν ἄλλῳ, τοτὲ δὲ ἄλλῳ, μεταβάλλει παντοίας μεταβολὰς διʼ ἑαυτὴν ἢ διʼ ἑτέραν ψυχήν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἔργον τῷ πεττευτῇ λείπεται πλὴν μετατιθέναι τὸ μὲν ἄμεινον γιγνόμενον ἦθος εἰς βελτίω τόπον, χεῖρον δὲ εἰς τὸν χείρονα, κατὰ τὸ πρέπον αὐτῶν ἕκαστον, ἵνα τῆς προσηκούσης μοίρας λαγχάνῃ. ΚΛ. πῇ λέγεις;
And since a soul, always arranged with a body, now with one and now with another, undergoes all kinds of changes through itself or through another soul, no other work is left for the player of draughts except to transfer the character that becomes better to a better place, and the worse to a worse place, each of them according to what is fitting, so that it may obtain its proper portion." **CL.**: "In what way do you mean?"