Diotimos Library · Plato Collection · Bilingual Edition
Swipe or use the arrow keys.
English Page · Branch 15 of 19
Hipparchus · 232a–232c
Ancient Greek
p. 24ΣΩ. Μνημονεύεις οὖν ὅθεν ἡμῖν οὗτος ὁ λόγος γέγονεν;
ΕΤ. Οἶμαί γε.
ΣΩ. Εἰ δὲ μή, ἐγώ σε ὑπομνήσω. ἠμφεσβήτησάς μοι τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς μὴ πάντα τὰ κέρδη βούλεσθαι κερδαίνειν, ἀλλὰ τῶν κερδῶν τἀγαθά, τὰ δὲ πονηρὰ μή.
ΕΤ. Ναίχι.
232bΣΩ. Οὐκοῦν νῦν πάντα τὰ κέρδη ὁ λόγος ἡμᾶς ἠνάγκακε καὶ σμικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα ὁμολογεῖν ἀγαθὰ εἶναι;
ΕΤ. Ἠνάγκακε γάρ, ὦ Σώκρατες, μᾶλλον ἐμέ γε ἢ πέπεικεν.
ΣΩ. Ἀλλ’ ἴσως μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ πείσειεν ἄν· νῦν δ’ οὖν, εἴτε πέπεισαι εἴτε ὁπωσδὴ ἔχεις, σύμφῃς γοῦν ἡμῖν πάντα τὰ κέρδη ἀγαθὰ εἶναι, καὶ σμικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα.
ΕΤ. Ὁμολογῶ γὰρ οὖν.
ΣΩ. Τοὺς δὲ χρηστοὺς ἀνθρώπους βούλεσθαι τἀγαθὰ ὁμολογεῖς ἅπαντα ἅπαντας· ἢ οὔ;
ΕΤ. Ὁμολογῶ.
232cΣΩ. Ἀλλὰ μὲν δὴ τούς γε πονηροὺς αὐτὸς εἶπες ὅτι καὶ σμικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα κέρδη φιλοῦσιν.
ΕΤ. Εἶπον.
ΣΩ. Οὐκοῦν κατὰ τὸν σὸν λόγον πάντες ἄνθρωποι φιλοκερδεῖς ἂν εἶεν, καὶ οἱ χρηστοὶ καὶ οἱ πονηροί.
ΕΤ. Φαίνεται.
ΣΩ. Οὐκ ἄρα ὀρθῶς ὀνειδίζει, εἴ τίς τῳ ὀνειδίζει φιλοκερδεῖ εἶναι· τυγχάνει γὰρ καὶ ὁ ταῦτα ὀνειδίζων αὐτὸς τοιοῦτος ὤν.
Hipparchus
p. 25Soc. Do you remember, then, where this argument of ours started from?
Comp. I think I do.
Soc. And if not, I will remind you. You disputed with me, holding that good men do not wish to gain all gains, but of gains the good ones, and not the base.1
Comp. Yes indeed.
Soc. 232b Then hasn’t the argument now compelled us to agree that all gains, both small and great, are good?
Comp. It has compelled, yes, Socrates—me, at any rate—rather than persuaded.
Soc. Well, perhaps after this it might also persuade you; but for now, at any rate, whether you have been persuaded or however you stand, you do at least concur with us that all gains are good, both small and great.
Comp. Yes, I agree.
Soc. And do you agree that decent men, every one, wish for good things, every one? Or not?
Comp. I agree.
Soc. 232c But surely you yourself said that base men, at any rate, love gains both small and great.2
Comp. I did.
Soc. Then by your argument all men would be lovers of gain, both the decent and the base.
Comp. It appears so.
Soc. Then if anyone reproaches someone with being a lover of gain, he does not reproach him rightly; for even the one who casts this reproach is himself, in fact, such a man.
Socrates
Reading Hipparchus · Hipparchus · 232a–232c
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Socrates and an unnamed companion examine the love of gain, the difference between gain and loss, and whether everyone desires what is good. This complete revised edition presents the dialogue, 225a–232c, across twelve 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; second edition, 1910), in a later impression printed by John Johnson. The words were taken from the Perseus Digital Library transcription and checked against the supplied printed pages. Burnet’s lineation, verse quotations, editorial signs, and critical apparatus are retained. 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, and Socrates’ humor. Each English dialogue page translates the Greek page opposite it. All 26 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.