Alcibiades II

Glossary of Key Terms

The English words on which the argument depends, in alphabetical order, with the Greek they render and the places where they matter, by Stephanus page. Where a word has a longer entry in the Key Words of the Dialogue, the Glossary says so.

accept, δέχεσθαι, ἀποδέχεσθαι (dechesthai, apodechesthai). What the god gives, 141c; the gods do not accept the processions and sacrifices of the other Greeks, 149c, and might accept nothing of Alcibiades’ sacrifice, 150c; Socrates accepts the wreath, 151b.

advise, adviser, advice, συμβουλεύειν, σύμβουλος, συμβουλή (symbouleuein, symboulos, symboulē). The orators, and “a sufficient adviser both to the city and to himself”: 144e–145c; Socrates has “advised me well”, 151a.

agree, ὁμολογεῖν (homologein). The partners’ assent, with its tenses kept: 138d, 139b, 140a, 140d.

auspicious: the most auspicious names, εὐφημότατα ὀνόματα (euphēmotata onomata), 140c; speak auspiciously, εὐφημεῖν (euphēmein), 143d; auspicious speech, εὐφημία (euphēmia), 149b. See ill-omened words and Key Words, Auspicious speech, ill-omened words.

bad, bad things, κακός, τὰ κακά (kakos, ta kaka). Never “evil”: 138b–c, 141a, 141c (badly), 142d, 143a–144c, 147b–d (badly, bad), 148b, 148e–149a, 149c, 149e, 150c, 150e. See good and Key Words, Good and bad.

be disposed, διακεῖσθαι (diakeisthai). 144c (“those so disposed”), 149a (“neglectfully disposed”), 150d (“how one must be disposed toward gods and toward men”).

be ignorant (of), ignorance, ἀγνοεῖν, ἄγνοια (agnoein, agnoia). 143a–144c, 147c; of a person, 144b–c. See Key Words, Ignorance, be ignorant.

benefit, beneficial, the beneficially, ὠφελεῖν, ὠφέλεια, ὠφέλιμος, ὠφελίμως (ōphelein, ōpheleia, ōphelimos, ōphelimōs); harm, βλάπτειν, βλαβερῶς (blaptein, blaberōs). 141c–d, 142b, 142d, 144d, 145c, 146b, 146d–e. See profit and Key Words, Benefit and harm, profit.

best, the best, τὸ βέλτιστον (to beltiston); better, βέλτιον, ἄμεινον (beltion, ameinon); the knowledge of the best, ἡ τοῦ βελτίστου ἐπιστήμη (hē tou beltistou epistēmē). 142e, 143b–144a, 144c–d, 145b–146a, 146c, 146e, 150c, 150e. Best also renders κράτιστον (kratiston), 148e, 151a, and ἄριστα (arista) in “fare best”, 142a; strongest is κράτιστος in the verse at 146a. See Key Words, The best, and the knowledge of the best.

caution, φυλακή (phylakē), 148b, 149c; forethought, προμήθεια (promētheia), 138b.

commonwealth, πολιτεία (politeia). The city of experts: 145e–146b. See Key Words, Commonwealth, craft.

craft, τέχνη (technē); craftsman, δημιουργός, τεχνίτης (dēmiourgos, technitēs); craftsmanship, δημιουργία (dēmiourgia). 140b–d, 145d–146a, 151b. Much craft is πολυτεχνία (polytechnia), 147a. See Key Words, Commonwealth, craft.

curse, κατάρα (katara), 143b; call down, καταρᾶσθαι (katarasthai), 138c, with the note. See Key Words, Pray, prayer.

dreadful, δεινός (deinos). 138c, 143d, 149e. See wretched.

fortunate, unfortunate, εὐτυχής, εὐτυχεῖν, δυστυχεῖν (eutychēs, eutychein, dystychein); ill fortune, δυστυχία (dystychia); fortune, τύχη (tychē). 142c, 147a, 148c–d. Kept apart from misfortune, συμφορά (symphora), 142b–c.

gift, δῶρον (dōron); takers of gifts, δωροδόκοι (dōrodokoi); present (the gods with), δωρεῖσθαι (dōreisthai). 148e, 149c, 149e–150a. See Key Words, Sacrifices, offerings, gifts.

give, διδόναι (didonai). What the gods give: 138b, 141c, 142c, 143a, 148a, 148c–e; what Alcibiades will give the gods, and Socrates would accept from him, 151b.

good, good things, ἀγαθός, τἀγαθά (agathos, tagatha). 138b, 141a–b, 141d, 143c, 144c, 148b–c, 149c, 150c; the fine things on top of the good, 148c. At 143a “the good things” renders the poet’s ἐσθλά (esthla), and at 150e “good” Homer’s ἐσθλόν (esthlon). See bad and Key Words, Good and bad.

great-souled, μεγαλόψυχος (megalopsychos), 140c; greatness of soul, μεγαλοψυχία (megalopsychia), 150c. See Key Words, Madness, and the names of unintelligence.

healthy, ὑγιαίνειν (hygiainein); ill, disease, νοσεῖν, νόσος (nosein, nosos); sick, ἀσθενεῖν (asthenein); condition, πάθος, πάσχειν (pathos, paschein). 138c–140d, 141a, 146e; ὑγιαίνων is also “of sound mind”, 138c, with the note.

ill-omened words, speak, βλασφημεῖν (blasphēmein). 149c, 150c. See auspicious and Key Words, Auspicious speech, ill-omened words.

in fact: τυγχάνειν (tynchanein) with a participle, wherever it occurs (138b, 139c, 141a, 142d, 143b, 143d, 146a, 147d, 148a, 148d, 150a, 150e); never “happens to”.

intelligent, unintelligent, φρόνιμος, ἄφρων (phronimos, aphrōn); intelligence, being intelligent, φρόνησις, φρονεῖν (phronēsis, phronein); unintelligence, ἀφροσύνη (aphrosynē). 138c–140e, 142d–e, 143d, 145a–146c, 150b–c. See Key Words, Intelligent, unintelligent; intelligence, unintelligence.

knowledge, kinds of knowledge, ἐπιστήμη, ἐπιστῆμαι (epistēmē, epistēmai); one who has knowledge, ἐπιστήμων (epistēmōn). 144d–147a. Much learning is πολυμαθία (polymathia), 147a. See best and Key Words, The best.

look into, σκοπεῖν, ἐπισκοπεῖν, σκέπτεσθαι, σκέψις (skopein, episkopein, skeptesthai, skepsis). 138d, 140a, 140d, 143e, 144d, 148c, 149c. Look at is ἀθρεῖν (athrein), 139d.

mad, be mad, madness, madman, μαίνεσθαι, μανία (mainesthai, mania). 138c–140c. The other names of unintelligence at 140c–d are idiots, ἠλίθιοι (ēlithioi), thunderstruck, ἐμβρόντητοι (embrontētoi), innocent, ἄκακοι (akakoi), inexperienced, ἄπειροι (apeiroi), and tongue-tied, ἐνεοί (eneoi); see great-souled and simple. See Key Words, Madness, and the names of unintelligence.

madcap, μάργος (margos). 148a, with the note; compare Margites, 147b–d.

miss, διαμαρτάνειν (diamartanein), 146a, 146c; mistake, make mistakes, ἁμάρτημα, ἁμαρτάνειν (hamartēma, hamartanein), 147a, 150a. See Key Words, The best, and the knowledge of the best.

opinion, δόξα (doxa). 144a, 144c, 146a, 146c, 151b. See Key Words, Sense, opinion.

perplexity, ἀπορία (aporia), 147e, 150b; be at a loss, ἀπορεῖν, ἀπορεῖσθαι (aporein, aporeisthai), 139e, 142d, 148d. See Key Words, Perplexity.

poet, ποιητής (poiētēs); poetry, ποιητική (poiētikē). 142e–143a, 147b–c, 148b–c. See speak in riddles and Key Words, Poet, riddle.

pray, prayer, εὔχεσθαι, εὐχή (euchesthai, euchē); pray to, προσεύχεσθαι (proseuchesthai); unpray, ἀνεύχεσθαι (aneuchesthai); when we pray not, ἄνευκτος (aneuktos); sing a palinode, παλινῳδεῖν (palinōidein). 138a–c, 141a–c, 142a–143b, 148a–d, 149b–c, 150c; the palinode at 142d and 148b. See Key Words, Pray, prayer.

profit, λυσιτελεῖν (lysitelein); in a profitable state, λυσιτελούντως ἔχειν (lysitelountōs echein). 146b, 146d. See benefit and Key Words, Benefit and harm, profit.

sacrifice, θυσία, θύειν (thysia, thyein); offerings, ἀναθήματα (anathēmata); processions, πομπαί (pompai); temples, rites, ἱερά (hiera); pay, τελεῖν (telein). 148e–150a, 150c, 151a. See Key Words, Sacrifices, offerings, gifts.

sense, νοῦς (nous); senseless, ἀνόητος (anoētos). 142e, 146a, 146c, 150a–b. See Key Words, Sense, opinion.

simple, εὐήθης (euēthēs). 140c, 149e, with the note. See Key Words, Madness, and the names of unintelligence.

sorry, φαῦλος (phaulos), of a commonwealth, 146a, and of a person, 147d; trivial, of a thing, 141a.

soul, ψυχή (psychē). 141c, with the note, 146e, 149e, 150e.

speak in riddles, αἰνίττεσθαι (ainittesthai); riddling, αἰνιγματώδης (ainigmatōdēs). 147b–d. See Key Words, Poet, riddle.

think (one knows), οἴεσθαι (oiesthai); seem (to know), δοκεῖν (dokein). Kept apart in “think we know, or really know” and “what he knows or seems to know”: 144d–146d.

tyrant, tyranny, τύραννος, τυραννίς (tyrannos, tyrannis). 141a–e, 142c.

wisdom, wise, σοφία, σοφός (sophia, sophos). 143b, 147c. Kept apart from intelligence.

wish, βούλεσθαι (boulesthai). 140c, 141b–c, 142c, 144a–b, 144d, 147c, 148d, 150e. In set phrases it is “what he means” (147d), “would rather” (149b) and “I should like” (150b, 151c). Be willing is ἐθέλειν (ethelein), 143c–144a, 149d, 150c, 151b.

without noticing it, λανθάνειν (lanthanein) with a participle. 138b, 140e, 143a, 148b, 150c.

wretched, the wretched things, δειλά (deila). The poet’s prayer, 143a, 148b, with the notes. See dreadful and Key Words, Good and bad.