§7.796ΑΘ. καὶ δὴ τά γε κατὰ πάλην ἃ μὲν Ἀνταῖος ἢ Κερκύων ἐν τέχναις ἑαυτῶν συνεστήσαντο φιλονικίας ἀχρήστου χάριν, ἢ πυγμῆς Ἐπειὸς ἢ Ἄμυκος, οὐδὲν χρήσιμα ἐπὶ πολέμου κοινωνίαν ὄντα, οὐκ ἄξια λόγῳ κοσμεῖν· τὰ δὲ ἀπʼ ὀρθῆς πάλης, ἀπʼ αὐχένων καὶ χειρῶν καὶ πλευρῶν ἐξειλήσεως, μετὰ φιλονικίας τε καὶ καταστάσεως διαπονούμενα μετʼ εὐσχήμονος ῥώμης τε καὶ ὑγιείας ἕνεκα, ταῦτʼ εἰς πάντα ὄντα χρήσιμα οὐ παρετέον, ἀλλὰ προστακτέον μαθηταῖς τε ἅμα καὶ τοῖς διδάξουσιν, ὅταν ἐνταῦθʼ ὦμεν τῶν νόμων, τοῖς μὲν πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα εὐμενῶς δωρεῖσθαι, τοῖς δὲ παραλαμβάνειν ἐν χάρισιν.
ATH.: And indeed, as for the matters of wrestling, those which Antaeus or Cercyon established in their own arts for the sake of useless rivalry, or as for boxing, those which Epeius or Amycus established, being of no use for partnership in war, they are not worthy to be adorned with speech; but the things of upright wrestling, arising from the disengagement of necks, hands, and sides, practiced with rivalry and stable posture for the sake of graceful strength and health—since these are useful for all purposes, they must not be omitted, but must be enjoined upon both the learners and those who will teach them, whenever we are at this point of the laws, for the latter to bestow all such things graciously, and for the former to receive them with gratitude.
οὐδʼ ὅσα ἐν τοῖς χοροῖς ἐστιν αὖ μιμήματα προσήκοντα μιμεῖσθαι παρετέον, κατὰ μὲν τὸν τόπον τόνδε Κουρήτων ἐνόπλια παίγνια, κατὰ δὲ Λακεδαίμονα Διοσκόρων.
Nor, again, must we omit all such imitations in dances as are fitting to imitate: in this region, the armed sports of the Curetes, and in Lacedaemon, those of the Dioscuri.
ἡ δὲ αὖ που παρʼ ἡμῖν κόρη καὶ δέσποινα, εὐφρανθεῖσα τῇ τῆς χορείας παιδιᾷ, κεναῖς χερσὶν οὐκ ᾠήθη δεῖν ἀθύρειν, πανοπλίᾳ δὲ παντελεῖ κοσμηθεῖσα, οὕτω τὴν ὄρχησιν διαπεραίνειν· ἃ δὴ πάντως μιμεῖσθαι πρέπον ἂν εἴη κόρους τε ἅμα καὶ κόρας, τὴν τῆς θεοῦ χάριν τιμῶντας, πολέμου τʼ ἐν χρείᾳ καὶ ἑορτῶν ἕνεκα.
And moreover, the Maiden and Mistress among us, having delighted in the sport of dance, did not think she ought to play with empty hands, but adorned with complete armor, thus to go through her dance; which things indeed it would be altogether fitting for boys and girls alike to imitate, honoring the grace of the goddess, both for the need of war and for the sake of festivals.
τοῖς δέ που παισὶν εὐθύς τε καὶ ὅσον ἂν χρόνον μήπω εἰς πόλεμον ἴωσιν, πᾶσι θεοῖς προσόδους τε καὶ πομπὰς ποιουμένους μεθʼ ὅπλων τε καὶ ἵππων ἀεὶ κοσμεῖσθαι δέον ἂν εἴη, θάττους τε καὶ βραδυτέρας ἐν ὀρχήσεσι καὶ ἐν πορείᾳ τὰς ἱκετείας ποιουμένους πρὸς θεούς τε καὶ θεῶν παῖδας.
And indeed, for the children, immediately and for as long a time as they do not yet go to war, when they make processions and marches to all the gods, it would be necessary that they always be adorned with arms and horses, making their supplications, both faster and slower in dances and in marches, to the gods and children of gods.
καὶ ἀγῶνας δὴ καὶ προαγῶνας, εἴ τινων, οὐκ ἄλλων ἢ τούτων ἕνεκα προαγωνιστέον· οὗτοι γὰρ καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ κατὰ πόλεμον χρήσιμοι εἴς τε πολιτείαν καὶ ἰδίους οἴκους, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι πόνοι τε καὶ παιδιαὶ καὶ σπουδαὶ κατὰ σώματα οὐκ ἐλευθέρων, ὦ Μέγιλλέ τε καὶ Κλεινία.
And indeed, contests and preliminary contests, if any, must be contested for the sake of no other things than these; for these are useful both in peace and in war, for the state and for private households, whereas the other labors and sports and serious pursuits concerning bodies are not worthy of free men, O Megillus and Clinias.
ἣν εἶπον γυμναστικὴν ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις λόγοις ὅτι δέοι διεξελθεῖν, σχεδὸν δὴ διελήλυθα τὰ νῦν, καὶ ἔσθʼ αὕτη παντελής· εἰ δέ τινα ταύτης ὑμεῖς ἔχετε βελτίω, θέντες εἰς κοινὸν λέγετε.
The gymnastics which I said in our first discussions that we must go through, I have now pretty much gone through, and this is complete; but if you have any better than this, put it in common and speak.
ΚΛ. οὐ ῥᾴδιον, ὦ ξένε, παρέντας ταῦτα ἄλλα ἔχειν βελτίω τούτων περὶ γυμναστικῆς ἅμα καὶ ἀγωνίας εἰπεῖν.
CL.: It is not easy, O stranger, to pass these by and be able to speak of other things better than these concerning gymnastics and contests.
ΑΘ. τὸ τοίνυν τούτοις ἑξῆς περὶ τὰ τῶν Μουσῶν τε καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος δῶρα, τότε μέν, ὡς ἅπαντα εἰρηκότες, ᾠόμεθα καταλείπειν μόνα τὰ περὶ γυμναστικῆς· νῦν δʼ ἔστιν δῆλα ἅ τʼ ἐστὶν καὶ ὅτι πρῶτα πᾶσιν ῥητέα.
ATH.: Therefore, that which is next to these, concerning the gifts of the Muses and Apollo: back then, as though we had spoken of everything, we thought we left behind only the matters of gymnastics; but now it is clear what they are and that they must be spoken of first of all.
λέγωμεν τοίνυν ἑξῆς αὐτά.
Let us therefore speak of them next.
ΚΛ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν λεκτέον.
CL.: By all means, they must be spoken of.