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Plato · Definitions §1#3

Definitions of Concepts from Language to Politics and Education

Passage 3 of 3 · Greek

Summary

This section provides concise definitions of various terms, beginning with logical and linguistic foundations like speech and syllable, followed by virtues and political concepts such as the good, justice, and constitution, and concluding with emotions of the soul, vices, and education.

§1#3Διάλεκτος φωνὴ ἀνθρώπου ἐγγράμματος· καὶ σημεῖόν τι κοινὸν ἑρμηνευτικὸν ἄνευ μέλους.
Speech: articulate human voice; and a certain common, interpretive sign without melody.
Συλλαβὴ ἀνθρωπίνης φωνῆς ἄρθρον ἐγγράμματον.
Syllable: an articulate joint of human voice.
Ὅρος λόγος ἐκ διαφορᾶς καὶ γένους συγκείμενος.
Definition: speech composed of difference and genus.
Τεκμήριον ἀπόδειξις ἀφανοῦς.
Sure sign: proof of the unapparent.
Ἀπόδειξις λόγος συλλογιστικὸς ἀληθής· λόγος ἐμφανιστικὸς διὰ προγιγνωσκομένων.
Proof: a true syllogistic argument; an argument making clear through things previously known.
Στοιχεῖον φωνῆς φωνὴ ἀσύνθετος, αἰτία ταῖς ἄλλαις φωναῖς τοῦ φωνὰς εἶναι.
Element of voice: uncombined voice, which is the cause for the other voices of their being voices.
Ὠφέλιμον τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ εὖ πάσχειν· τὸ αἴτιον ἀγαθοῦ.
Beneficial: the cause of faring well; the cause of good.
Συμφέρον τὸ εἰς ἀγαθὸν φέρον. [Καλὸν τὸ ἀγαθόν. ] Ἀγαθὸν τὸ αἴτιον σωτηρίας τοῖς οὖσιν· τὸ αἴτιον παντὸς τοῦ πρὸς αὑτό, ἀφʼ οὗ συμβαίνει ἃ χρὴ αἱρεῖσθαι.
Advantageous: that which leads to good. [The noble is the good.] Good: the cause of preservation for existing things; the cause of everything directed toward itself, from which arises what ought to be chosen.
Σῶφρον τὸ κόσμιον τῆς ψυχῆς.
Temperate: the orderly of the soul.
Δίκαιον νόμου τάγμα ποιητικὸν δικαιοσύνης.
Just: an ordinance of law productive of justice.
Ἑκούσιον τὸ αὐτοῦ προσαγωγόν· τὸ καθʼ αὑτὸ αἱρετὸν κατὰ διάνοιαν ἀποτελούμενον.
Voluntary: that which is self-impelled; that which is chosen for its own sake and accomplished in accordance with thought.
Ἐλεύθερον τὸ ἄρχον αὑτοῦ.
Free: that which rules itself.
Μέτριον τὸ μέσον ὑπερβολῆς καὶ ἐλλείψεως καὶ κατὰ τέχνην ἀρκοῦν.
Moderate: the mean between excess and deficiency and sufficient according to art.
Μέτρον τὸ μέσον ὑπερβολῆς καὶ ἐλλείψεως.
Measure: the mean between excess and deficiency.
Ἆθλον ἀρετῆς γέρας τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἕνεκα αἱρετόν.
Prize: the reward of virtue, chosen for its own sake.
Ἀθανασία οὐσία ἔμψυχος καὶ ἀίδιος μονή.
Immortality: an ensouled substance and everlasting duration.
Ὅσιον θεράπευμα θεοῦ ἀρεστὸν θεῷ.
Holy: service of God pleasing to God.
Ἑορτὴ χρόνος ἱερὸς κατὰ νόμους.
Festival: sacred time according to the laws.
Ἄνθρωπος ζῷον ἄπτερον, δίπουν, πλατυώνυχον· ὃ μόνον τῶν ὄντων ἐπιστήμης τῆς κατὰ λόγους δεκτικόν ἐστιν.
Human: a wingless, bipedal, flat-nailed animal; the only one of existing things capable of receiving knowledge based on reason.
Θυσία θεῷ δόμα θύματος.
Sacrifice: a gift of an offering to God.
Εὐχὴ αἴτησις ἀνθρώποις ἀγαθῶν ἢ δοκούντων παρὰ θεῶν.
Prayer: a petition by humans for good things, or things seeming so, from gods.
Βασιλεὺς ἄρχων κατὰ νόμους ἀνυπεύθυνος· πολιτικῆς κατασκευῆς ἄρχων.
King: a ruler according to the laws, not subject to audit; ruler of a political constitution.
Ἀρχὴ ἐπιμέλεια τοῦ παντός.
Rule: care of the whole.
Ἐξουσία ἐπιτροπὴ νόμου.
Authority: entrustment of law.
Νομοθέτης ποιητὴς νόμων καθʼ οὓς δεῖ πολιτεύεσθαι.
Lawgiver: a maker of laws in accordance with which one must conduct citizenship.
Νόμος δόγμα πλήθους πολιτικὸν οὐκ εἴς τινα χρόνον ἀφωρισμένον.
Law: a political decree of a multitude, not limited to a certain time.
Ὑπόθεσις ἀρχὴ ἀναπόδεικτος· συγκεφαλαίωσις λόγου.
Hypothesis: an unproven principle; summary of an argument.
Ψήφισμα δόγμα πολιτικὸν εἴς τινα χρόνον ἀφωρισμένον.
Decree: a political decree limited to a certain time.
Πολιτικὸς ἐπιστήμων πόλεως κατασκευῆς.
Statesman: one who is knowledgeable about the constitution of a city.
Πόλις οἴκησις πλήθους ἀνθρώπων κοινοῖς δόγμασιν χρωμένων· πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων ὑπὸ νόμον τὸν αὐτὸν ὄντων.
City: a dwelling of a multitude of humans who use common decrees; a multitude of humans being under the same law.
Πόλεως ἀρετὴ κατάστασις ὀρθῆς πολιτείας.
Virtue of a city: establishment of a right constitution.
Πολεμικὴ ἐμπειρία πολέμου.
Art of war: experience of war.
Συμμαχία κοινωνία πολέμου.
Alliance: community of war.
Σωτηρία περιποίησις ἀβλαβής.
Preservation: harmless acquisition.
Τύραννος ἄρχων πόλεως κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διάνοιαν.
Tyrant: a ruler of a city according to his own thought.
Σοφιστὴς νέων πλουσίων ἐνδόξων ἔμμισθος θηρευτής.
Sophist: a paid hunter of rich and distinguished young men.
Πλοῦτος κτῆσις σύμμετρος πρὸς εὐδαιμονίαν· περιουσία χρημάτων εἰς εὐδαιμονίαν συντεινόντων.
Wealth: acquisition measured for happiness; abundance of money contributing to happiness.
Παρακαταθήκη δόμα μετὰ πίστεως.
Deposit: a gift with trust.
Κάθαρσις ἀπόκρισις χειρόνων ἀπὸ βελτιόνων.
Purification: separation of worse things from better things.
Νικᾶν κρατεῖν διαφερόμενον.
To conquer: to prevail over what is in dispute.
Ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ὁ τοιοῦτος οἷος ἀνθρώπῳ τἀγαθὰ ἐπιτελεῖν.
Good human: one of such a kind as to accomplish good things for a human.
Σώφρων ὁ μετρίας ἐπιθυμίας ἔχων.
Temperate: one who has moderate desires.
Ἐγκρατὴς ὁ κρατῶν ἀντιτεινόντων τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς μορίων τῷ ὀρθῷ λογισμῷ.
Continent: one who controls the parts of the soul when they strive against right reason.
Σπουδαῖος ὁ τελείως ἀγαθός· ὁ ἔχων τὴν αὑτοῦ ἀρετήν.
Excellent: one who is perfectly good; one who possesses his own virtue.
Σύννοια διάνοια μετὰ λύπης ἄνευ λόγου.
Pensive thought: thought with pain without reason.
Δυσμαθία βραδυτὴς ἐν μαθήσει.
Slowness of learning: slowness in learning.
Δεσποτεία ἀρχὴ ἀνυπεύθυνος δικαία.
Despotism: a just rule not subject to audit.
Ἀφιλοσοφία ἕξις καθʼ ἣν ὁ ἔχων μισολόγος ἐστίν.
Lack of philosophy: a state by which the possessor is a hater of argument.
Φόβος ἔκπληξις ψυχῆς ἐπὶ κακοῦ προσδοκίᾳ.
Fear: shock of the soul at the expectation of evil.
Θυμὸς ὁρμὴ βίαιος ἄνευ λογισμοῦ †νοῦς τάξεως† ψυχῆς ἀλογίστου.
Anger: violent impulse without reasoning †of the order of the mind† of the irrational soul.
Ἔκπληξις φόβος ἐπὶ προσδοκίᾳ κακοῦ.
Shock: fear at the expectation of evil.
Κολακεία ὁμιλία ἡ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἄνευ τοῦ βελτίστου· ἕξις ὁμιλητικὴ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ὑπερβάλλουσα τὸ μέτριον.
Flattery: social intercourse directed toward pleasure without what is best; a state of social intercourse toward pleasure exceeding the moderate.
Ὀργὴ παράκλησις τοῦ θυμικοῦ εἰς τὸ τιμωρεῖσθαι.
Wrath: incitement of the spirited part toward taking vengeance.
Ὕβρις ἀδικία πρὸς ἀτιμίαν φέρουσα.
Insolence: injustice leading to dishonor.
Ἀκρασία ἕξις βιαστικὴ παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λογισμὸν πρὸς τὰ δοκοῦντα ἡδέα εἶναι.
Incontinence: a state forcing one, contrary to right reason, toward things seeming to be pleasant.
Ὄκνος φυγὴ πόνων· δειλία ἀντιληπτικὴ ὁρμῆς.
Hesitation: flight from labors; cowardice that restrains impulse.
Ἀρχὴ πρώτη τοῦ εἶναι αἰτία.
Beginning: the first cause of being.
Διαβολὴ διάστασις φίλων λόγῳ.
Slander: separation of friends by speech.
Καιρὸς ἐν ᾧ ἕκαστον ἐπιτήδειον παθεῖν ἢ ποιῆσαι.
Season: that in which it is suitable for each thing to suffer or to do.
Ἀδικία ἕξις ὑπεροπτικὴ νόμων.
Injustice: a state contemptuous of laws.
Ἔνδεια ἐλάττωσις τῶν ἀγαθῶν.
Lack: diminution of good things.
Αἰσχύνη φόβος ἐπὶ προσδοκίᾳ ἀδοξίας.
Shame: fear at the expectation of bad reputation.
Ἀλαζονεία ἕξις προσποιητικὴ ἀγαθοῦ ἢ ἀγαθῶν τῶν μὴ ὑπαρχόντων.
Boastfulness: a state pretending to the existence of a good or of goods that do not exist.
Ἁμαρτία πρᾶξις παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λογισμόν.
Error: action contrary to right reason.
Φθόνος λύπη ἐπὶ φίλων ἀγαθοῖς ἢ οὖσιν ἢ γεγενημένοις.
Envy: pain at the good things of friends, either existing or having existed.
Ἀναισχυντία ἕξις ψυχῆς ὑπομενητικὴ ἀδοξίας ἕνεκα κέρδους.
Shamelessness: a state of the soul enduring bad reputation for the sake of gain.
Θρασύτης ὑπερβολὴ θράσους πρὸς φόβους οὓς μὴ δεῖ.
Rashness: excess of boldness toward fears that one ought not to have.
Φιλοτιμία ἕξις ψυχῆς προετικὴ πάσης δαπάνης ἄνευ λογισμοῦ.
Love of honor: a state of the soul prodigal of every expense without reasoning.
Κακοφυΐα κακία ἐν φύσει καὶ ἁμαρτία τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν· νόσος τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν.
Bad nature: vice in nature and error of what is according to nature; disease of what is according to nature.
Ἐλπὶς προσδοκία ἀγαθοῦ.
Hope: expectation of good.
Μανία ἕξις φθαρτικὴ ἀληθοῦς ὑπολήψεως.
Madness: a state destructive of true estimation.
Λαλιὰ ἀκρασία λόγου ἄλογος.
Chatter: irrational incontinence of speech.
Ἐναντιότης τῶν ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ γένος κατά τινα διαφορὰν πιπτόντων ἡ πλείστη διάστασις.
Contrariety: the greatest distance between things falling under the same genus according to some difference.
Ἀκούσιον τὸ παρὰ διάνοιαν ἀποτελούμενον.
Involuntary: that which is accomplished contrary to thought.
Παιδεία δύναμις θεραπευτικὴ ψυχῆς.
Education: power therapeutic of the soul.
Παίδευσις παιδείας παράδοσις.
Instruction: transmission of education.
Νομοθετικὴ ἐπιστήμη ποιητικὴ πόλεως ἀγαθῆς.
Science of lawmaking: knowledge productive of a good city.
Νουθέτησις λόγος ἐπιτιμητικὸς ἀπὸ γνώμης· λόγος ὁμαρτίας ἀποτροπῆς ἔνεκεν.
Admonition: a speech of censure from judgment; speech for the sake of averting error.
Βοήθεια κακοῦ κώλυσις ὄντος ἢ γινομένου.
Help: prevention of an evil that exists or is coming to be.
Κόλασις ψυχῆς θεραπεία ἐπὶ ἁμαρτήματι γενομένῳ.
Punishment: treatment of the soul for an error committed.
Δύναμις ὑπεροχὴ ἐν πράξει ἢ ἐν λόγῳ· ἕξις καθʼ ἣν τὸ ἔχον δυνατόν ἐστιν· ἰσχὺς κατὰ φύσιν.
Power: superiority in action or in speech; a state by which the possessor is capable; strength according to nature.
Σῴζειν τὸ περιποιεῖν ἀβλαβῆ.
To save: to preserve harmless.

Notes

  1. ¦5¦τοῦ φωνὰς εἶναι — The articular infinitive `τοῦ ... εἶναι` functions as a genitive complement of the noun `αἰτία` (cause). The accusative `φωνάς` acts as the subject of the infinitive `εἶναι` ("for the other voices to be voices").
  2. ¦10¦τοῦ πρὸς αὑτό — The neuter genitive article `τοῦ` nominalizes the prepositional phrase `πρὸς αὑτό` (directed toward itself), which limits and details `παντός` (of everything).
  3. ¦10¦ἀντιτεινόντων τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς μορίων — The present participle `ἀντιτεινόντων` and its subject `τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς μορίων` form a genitive absolute construction, expressing a temporal or circumstantial condition for the main participle `ὁ κρατῶν` ("when the parts of the soul strive against right reason").

Cite this passage

Plato, Definitions §1#3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0059.tlg037.humanitext-grc1:1%233

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