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Ancient Greek Page · Branch 32 of 65
Alcibiades I · 119b–119e
Ancient Greek
p. 58ἰέναι ὡς ἐπ’ ἀθλητάς· νῦν δ’ ἐπειδὴ καὶ οὗτοι ἰδιωτικῶς ἔχοντες ἐληλύθασιν ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς πόλεως, τί δεῖ ἀσκεῖν καὶ μανθάνοντα πράγματα ἔχειν; ἐγὼ γὰρ εὖ οἶδ’ ὅτι τούτων 119c τῇ γε φύσει πάνυ πολὺ περιέσομαι.
ΣΩ. Βαβαῖ, οἷον, ὦ ἄριστε, τοῦτ’ εἴρηκας· ὡς ἀνάξιον τῆς ἰδέας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν σοι ὑπαρχόντων.
ΑΛ. Τί μάλιστα καὶ πρὸς τί τοῦτο λέγεις, ὦ Σώκρατες;
ΣΩ. Ἀγανακτῶ ὑπέρ τε σοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐμαυτοῦ ἔρωτος.
ΑΛ. Τί δή;
ΣΩ. Εἰ ἠξίωσας τὸν ἀγῶνά σοι εἶναι πρὸς τοὺς ἐνθάδε ἀνθρώπους.
ΑΛ. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τίνας μήν;
119dΣΩ. Ἄξιον τοῦτό γε καὶ ἐρέσθαι ἄνδρα οἰόμενον μεγαλόφρονα εἶναι.
ΑΛ. Πῶς λέγεις; οὐ πρὸς τούτους μοι ὁ ἀγών;
ΣΩ. Ἀλλὰ κἂν εἰ τριήρη διενοοῦ κυβερνᾶν μέλλουσαν ναυμαχεῖν, ἤρκει ἄν σοι τῶν συνναυτῶν βελτίστῳ εἶναι τὰ κυβερνητικά, ἢ ταῦτα μὲν ᾤου ἂν δεῖν ὑπάρχειν, ἀπέβλεπες δ’ ἂν εἰς τοὺς ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀνταγωνιστάς, ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὡς νῦν εἰς τοὺς συναγωνιστάς; ὧν δήπου περιγενέσθαι σε δεῖ τοσοῦτον 119e ὥστε μὴ ἀξιοῦν ἀνταγωνίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καταφρονηθέντας συναγωνίζεσθαί σοι πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, εἰ δὴ τῷ ὄντι γε καλόν τι ἔργον ἀποδείξασθαι διανοῇ καὶ ἄξιον σαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῆς πόλεως.
ΑΛ. Ἀλλὰ μὲν δὴ διανοοῦμαί γε.
ΣΩ. Πάνυ σοι ἄρα ἄξιον ἀγαπᾶν εἰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν βελτίων εἶ, ἀλλ’ οὐ πρὸς τοὺς τῶν ἀντιπάλων ἡγεμόνας ἀποβλέπειν εἴ ποτε ἐκείνων βελτίων γέγονας, σκοποῦντα καὶ ἀσκοῦντα πρὸς ἐκείνους.
Alcibiades I
p. 59and go against them as against athletes; but as it is, since these men too have come to the city’s affairs as amateurs, why should one train, and take the trouble of learning? For I know very well that I shall be far, far above these men 119c by nature, at least.
Soc. Oh dear, best of men, what a thing you have said! How unworthy of your looks and of the other advantages that are yours!
Alc. Why ever do you say that, Socrates, and with what in view?
Soc. I am indignant on your behalf, and on behalf of my love.
Alc. Why?
Soc. That you should have thought fit to have your contest with the men here.
Alc. Well, with whom, then?
Soc. 119d That is a question worth asking indeed, for a man who thinks himself high-minded.
Alc. What do you mean? Isn’t my contest with these men?
Soc. Well, if you had it in mind to pilot a trireme that was about to fight at sea, would it be enough for you to be the best of your shipmates at piloting? Or would you think that these things must be yours already, and look to your real opponents, and not, as now, to those contending on your side? These, surely, you must surpass so far 119e that they do not think fit to contend against you, but, despised, contend on your side against the enemy, if you really have it in mind to display some fine deed worthy of yourself and of the city.
Alc. Well, I do have it in mind.
Soc. So it is quite worthy of you, then, to be content if you are better than the soldiers, and not to look to the rivals’ leaders, whether you have ever become better than they,1 looking into them and training against them.
Socrates
Reading Alcibiades I · Alcibiades I · 119b–119e
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Socrates and Alcibiades examine political ambition, education, justice, and the care of the soul. Their inquiry turns on what it means to know oneself. This complete revised edition presents the dialogue, 103a–135e, across fifty-eight Greek–English page pairs, with an introduction, Key Words of the Dialogue, an outline, glossary, critical apparatus, and translator’s notes. The dialogue is transmitted among Plato’s works; its authorship remains disputed.
Historical Text and Translation
The Greek follows John Burnet’s Platonis Opera, volume II (Oxford, 1901), in a later Oxford impression printed by John Johnson and published by Humphrey Milford. The words were taken from the Perseus Digital Library transcription and checked against the supplied printed pages. Burnet’s lineation and critical apparatus are retained, including the extended mirror passage at 133c. The supplied PDF preserves the complete printed layout.
About Diotimos Editions
Diotimos Editions prepared and revised this independent English translation directly from the Greek, preserving the argument’s distinctions, consistent key terms, Socrates’ humor, and the quick exchanges with Alcibiades. Each English dialogue page translates the Greek page opposite it. Translator’s notes accompany their passages. The introduction and Key Words of the Dialogue precede the text; the Outline, Editorial Note, Glossary of Key Terms, and Note on this Edition follow it. Introductory and concluding matter reflows for the screen.
Rights
The ancient Greek work and Burnet’s printed edition are in the public domain. The Perseus digital Greek transcription and its modifications are attributed to the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, and reused under CC BY-SA 4.0. The independent English translation and Diotimos editorial matter are © 2026 Diotimos Editions.