§403ὁρμηθεὶς ἐκ τῶν περὶ τῆς Ἐριφύλης λόγων
ὦ πόποι
φησὶν
οἷʼ ἀπατᾶται φροντὶς ἐπαμερίων οὐκ εἰδυῖα· ὁ δʼ ἄνω καὶ κάτω δή που διορίζεται καὶ δείκνυσι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὡς ἀκούσια καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἑκὼν φαῦλος.
Starting from the story about Eriphyle, he says: "Alas! How the mind of ephemerals is deceived, knowing nothing!" On the other hand, he (Plato) surely distinguishes here and there and shows that errors are involuntary and that no one is willingly bad.
μηδʼ ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ τούτων πειθώμεθα, ὡς ἄρʼ ἔχοντές τι βέλτιον παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς, εἶθʼ ἑκόντες τοῦτʼ ἀφέντες τὸ χεῖρον ἀλλάττονται.
Let us not be persuaded by them that they actually possess something better within themselves, and then, willingly letting this go, exchange it for the worse.
οὔκουν χρυσόν γʼ ἂν ἔχοντες ἠλλάττοντο μόλιβδον ἀντʼ αὐτοῦ, οὐδʼ εἰ πάντες ἄνθρωποι κροτήσειν ἔμελλον· οὐδὲ μελίνην ἀντὶ πυρῶν, οὐδʼ ἀντʼ οἴνου τρύγα καὶ ταύτην σαπρὰν, οἶμαι δὲ οὐδὲ ψίαθον ἀντὶ ξυστίδος, οὐδʼ αὖ βύρσης ὄζειν, μύρων ἐξόν.
Indeed, if they had gold, they would not have exchanged lead for it, not even if all mankind were going to applaud; nor millet instead of wheat, nor dregs—and those rotten—instead of wine, and I think neither a rush mat instead of a fine robe, nor again to smell of hide, when perfumes were possible.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπων ὑποκοριζομένων τὴν αὑτῶν φαυλότητα καὶ δυστυχίαν, οἳ τὸ μὲν δίκαιον, οἶμαι, καὶ ἀληθὲς οὐκ ἐθέλουσι λέγειν, ὅτι τὴν ὀρθὴν οὔτʼ ἴσασιν οὔτε δύνανται πορεύεσθαι, φασὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς χαριζόμενοι ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ τῶν ὑποκριτῶν οἱ ἐκπίπτοντες καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι τὸ δρᾶμα περαίνειν κατὰ φύσιν τοῖς θεαταῖς φάσκοιεν χαριζόμενοι ταῦτα ποιεῖν.
Rather, these are the excuses of people who flatter their own worthlessness and misfortune, who are unwilling, I think, to speak what is just and true—namely, that they neither know nor are able to walk the straight path—but say that they do these things to please their audience. This is just as if those of the actors who are hissed off the stage and cannot finish the play according to its nature should claim that they do these things to please the spectators.
καὶ συρίττεσθαί γε καὶ κλώζεσθαι ὑπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν θεατῶν ἀντὶ ταύτης τῆς χάριτος φαίη τις ἄν. οὐκοῦν καὶ ὑμεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκροατῶν.
And indeed, one might say that they are hissed and hooted at by those very spectators in return for this "favor." Therefore, you too are treated likewise by your audience.
ἀλλὰ μή πω ταῦτα.
But let us not speak of these things yet.
ἀλλὰ τί κωλύει καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς τοὺς τὰ ῥάκια ἀμπεχομένους οἴκοι μὲν αὑτοῖς ἕτερʼ εἶναι φάσκειν πάνυ γενναῖα ἱμάτια, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἔξω σχηματίζεσθαι;
But what prevents even the beggars who are clad in rags from claiming that they have other, very noble clothes at home, but that they present themselves thus to those outside?
οὐκοῦν ὅ γʼ αὐτὸς ποιητὴς, οὗ μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθην, ἔφη τὰ καλὰ τρέπειν ἔξω τοὺς ἀγαθούς.
Surely the very poet whom I mentioned a little while ago said that good men turn their beautiful things outward.
ὥστʼ εἰ μὲν ὡς περὶ καλλιόνων τῶν λόγων διαλέγονται, τί δεῖ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐγκαλεῖν, εἰ τούτων ἐρῶσιν;
Therefore, if they discuss their writings as being more beautiful, why must they accuse the multitude if they are in love with them?
εἰ δʼ ὁμολογοῦσιν ἡμαρτῆσθαι, τοὐναντίον ἢ προσῆκε πράττουσι.
But if they admit that they have failed, they act contrary to what is fitting.
πολὺ γὰρ μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτοὺς ὅπως τι βέλτιον ἐροῦσι σκέψασθαι τῶν ἀκουσομένων καὶ συνησομένων ἕνεκα ἢ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ἀγαθὰ ἀφανίζοντας τὰ χείρω δεικνύναι, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐξεπίτηδες ποριζομένους.
For it was far more reasonable for them to consider how they might speak something better for the sake of those who will hear and understand, rather than to display worse things while concealing the good things they have, and that too by procuring them on purpose.
οὔκουν εἴς γε τὰς πομπὰς τὰ χείριστα ἔχοντες βαδίζομεν, ἀλλὰ κἂν §404εἰ μή τῳ εἴη οἴκοθεν, αἰτούμεθα, ἵνʼ ὡς κάλλιστα ἔχοντες φαινοίμεθα θαἰμάτια, τὰ σκεύη, τοὺς ἵππους, πᾶν ὅτουπερ ἂν ἡ πομπὴ δέηται.
Indeed, we do not go to festive processions wearing our worst things, but even if someone does not have them from home, we borrow them, so that we may appear as beautiful as possible in our clothes, vessels, horses, and everything that the procession requires.
ὥσθʼ ὅταν φῶσιν ἐπείσακτα ταῦθʼ ἑαυτοῖς εἶναι καὶ πεπορισμένα καὶ τῆς ἀρχαίας ἰδέας ἑκόντες ἐκβαίνειν, ἐρωτᾶν χρὴ πότερον χείρονος οὔσης ἢ βελτίονος.
Therefore, when they say that these things are foreign to them and procured, and that they willingly depart from their original form, we must ask whether that form was worse or better.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ βελτίονος, πῶς οὐ τετύφωνται, εἰ τὴν οἰκείαν καὶ πλείονος ἀξίαν ἀφέντες τὴν φαυλοτέραν ἅμα καὶ μηδὲν προσήκουσαν διώκουσιν;
For if it was better, how are they not out of their minds, if, abandoning what is their own and of greater value, they pursue what is at once meaner and not at all fitting?
ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ γε χείρονος φήσουσιν, οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ λέγειν ὡς ἄρα ἑκόντες προΐενται τὸ βέλτιον, ὅ γε μήτʼ ἐκτήσαντο μήτε εἶδον πώποτε.
But if they say it was worse, it is not permissible to say that they willingly let go of the better, which they neither acquired nor ever saw.
οὐ γὰρ περὶ ὧν πλημμελοῦσιν ἀπολογία τοῦτό γʼ ἐστὶν, ἀλλʼ ὁμολογία τοῦ κἂν χείρω τούτων εἰπεῖν, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐκωλύθησαν.
For this is not a defense of the errors they commit, but an admission that they would have spoken even worse things than these, had they been prevented from these.
ἡδέως δʼ ἂν πυθοίμην παρʼ αὐτῶν εἰ καὶ πηρωθέντας αὐτοὺς ἤτοι νὴ Δία τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἢ τὰς χεῖρας ἢ καὶ ἄλλʼ ὁτιοῦν τοῦ σώματος, ἡδέως ἂν ἰδόντων τῶν ἀκροατῶν, ἑτοίμως ταῦτα ὑπηρετήσουσιν· ἢ τῶν μὲν τοῦ σώματος οὐδὲν ἂν πρόοιντο εἰς τὴν ἑτέρων ἡδονὴν, τῶν δʼ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τὸ βέλτιστον διαφθείροντες οὐδεμίαν ζημίαν τίθενται.
And I would gladly ask them if, should the audience gladly look upon them being mutilated in either their eyes, by Zeus, or their hands, or any other part of their body, they will readily submit to this; or whether they would surrender nothing of their body for the pleasure of others, yet destroy the best thing in their soul and count it as no loss.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ὅταν τούτων ταῦτʼ ἀκούω λεγόντων, οὐκ ἀπέγνωκα τὸ μὴ καὶ τοὺς χωλοὺς τολμήσειν λέγειν ὡς ἄρα οὐκ ἄκοντες ἐνταῦθʼ ἥκουσι τύχης, ἀλλʼ ἑκόντες τὼ σκέλη προήκαντο, ἵνʼ ὡς ἥδιστοι τοῖς ὁρῶσι φαίνοιντο.
For my part, when I hear them say these things, I do not despair that even the lame would dare to say that they have not come to this state of fortune unwillingly, but willingly surrendered their legs so that they might appear most pleasing to those who see them.
ἀλλʼ ὅστις μὲν οὕτω δύσερως οὐκ οἶδα ἔγωγε, θῶμεν δʼ, εἰ βούλει, καὶ πάντας, ἀλλὰ τίς οὕτω δυστυχὴς ὅστις ἑκὼν αἱρεῖται δυστυχεῖν;
But who is so perversely loving, I for my part do not know; but let us suppose, if you wish, even all of them, yet who is so wretched as to choose willingly to be wretched?
ἢ τίς εἰς τὴν ἑτέρου χάριν αὑτῷ λυμαίνεται;
Or who ruins himself for another's favor?
ὅπου γὰρ καὶ τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν διὰ τοῦτο ὁρῶμεν σπουδαζόμενον, ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀντʼ εὖ πείσεσθαι προσδοκᾶν ἐστιν, ἦ που τό γε ὑπὲρ τοῦ χαρίσασθαί τῳ κακῶς διαθεῖναι τὰ ἑαυτοῦ παντάπασι πᾶς τις ὀκνήσειεν ἄν.
For where we see even doing good pursued for this reason, that from it one can expect also to receive good in return, surely everyone would altogether hesitate to ruin his own possessions for the sake of pleasing someone.
ἢ πολλῆς γʼ ἂν εἴη τῆς ἀλογίας τῶν μὲν φίλων τοὺς οὐκ ἐθέλοντας ἀντευποιεῖν φαύλους ἡγεῖσθαι, αὐτὸν δὲ τοσαύτην ὑπερβολὴν ποιήσασθαι ὥστε πρότερον αὑτῷ τὰ χείριστα χρήσασθαι, πρὶν εὖ τι
Or it would be a matter of great irrationality to consider those of one's friends who are unwilling to return a favor as worthless, yet to commit such an excess oneself as to treat oneself worst first, before doing any good...