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Plato

The Lovers

Name: The Lovers
Author: Plato

Ancient Greek with an independent English translation.

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The LoversThe Lovers · 134c–135a

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The Lovers · 134c–135a

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Ancient Greek

p. 10

παρὰ δόξαν φιλονικεῖν, ἀλλ’ ὁμολογῶ μὴ τὰ πολλὰ ἀλλὰ τὰ μέτρια γυμνάσια τὴν εὐεξίαν ἐμποιεῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.

Τί δὲ τὰ σιτία; τὰ μέτρια ἢ τὰ πολλά; ἔφην ἐγώ.

Καὶ τὰ σιτία ὡμολόγει.

134dἜτι δὲ κἀγὼ προσηνάγκαζον αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖν καὶ τἆλλα πάντα τὰ περὶ τὸ σῶμα ὠφελιμώτατα εἶναι τὰ μέτρια ἀλλὰ μὴ τὰ πολλὰ μηδὲ τὰ ὀλίγα· καί μοι ὡμολόγει τὰ μέτρια.

Τί δ’, ἔφην, τὰ περὶ τὴν ψυχήν; τὰ μέτρια ὠφελεῖ ἢ τὰ ἄμετρα τῶν προσφερομένων;

Τὰ μέτρια, ἔφη.

Οὐκοῦν ἓν τῶν προσφερομένων ψυχῇ ἐστι καὶ τὰ μαθήματα;

Ὡμολόγει.

Καὶ τούτων ἄρα τὰ μέτρια ὠφελεῖ ἀλλ’ οὐ τὰ πολλά;

Συνέφη.

134eΤίνα οὖν ἐρόμενοι ἂν δικαίως ἐροίμεθα ὁποῖοι μέτριοι πόνοι καὶ σιτία πρὸς τὸ σῶμά ἐστιν;

Ὡμολογοῦμεν μὲν τρεῖς ὄντες, ὅτι ἰατρὸν ἢ παιδοτρίβην.

Τίνα δ’ ἂν περὶ σπερμάτων σπορᾶς ὁπόσον μέτριον;

Καὶ τούτου τὸν γεωργὸν ὡμολογοῦμεν.

Τίνα δὲ περὶ μαθημάτων εἰς ψυχὴν φυτεύσεώς τε καὶ σπορᾶς ἐρωτῶντες δικαίως ἂν ἐροίμεθα ὁπόσα καὶ ὁποῖα μέτρια;

135aΤοὐντεῦθεν ἤδη ἀπορίας μεστοὶ ἦμεν ἅπαντες· κἀγὼ προσπαίζων αὐτοὺς ἠρόμην, Βούλεσθε, ἔφην, ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς ἐν ἀπορίᾳ ἐσμέν, ἐρώμεθα ταυτὶ τὰ μειράκια; ἢ ἴσως αἰσχυνόμεθα, ὥσπερ ἔφη τοὺς μνηστῆρας Ὅμηρος, μὴ ἀξιούντων εἶναί τινα ἄλλον ὅστις ἐντενεῖ τὸ τόξον;

134d 2.Source editor’s annotationὠφελιμώτατα εἶναι τὰ μέτρια Schanz: ὠφελιμώτατα εἶναι μέτρια B: τὰ μέτρια μάλιστα ὠφελεῖν T

134d 4.Source editor’s annotationὠφελεῖ Stephanus: ὠφελεῖν BT

134e 1.Source editor’s annotationμέτριοι πόνοι B: πόνοι μέτριοι T

134e 3.Source editor’s annotationὡμολογοῦμεν B: ὁμολογοῦμεν T

134e 3.Source editor’s annotationμὲν BT: om. al.

134e 3.Source editor’s annotationὅτι B: ἢ TW (sed ὅτι s. v.)

134e 4.Source editor’s annotationσπερμάτων B: σπέρματος T

134e 5.Source editor’s annotationκαὶ τούτου BT: κἂν τούτῳ ci. Schanz

134e 5.Source editor’s annotationὁμολογοῦμεν pr. BT

134e 6.Source editor’s annotationπερὶ B: om. TW

135a 5.Source editor’s annotationἀξιούντων BT: ἀξιοῦντας b: ἀξιοῦντες Cobet

The Lovers

p. 11

strive for victory against my own opinion; rather, I agree that it is not the many but the moderate exercises that produce good condition in men.”

“And what about food: moderate or much?” said I.

He agreed about food too.

134dAnd further I went on to compel him to agree that in all the other things to do with the body as well, what is moderate is most beneficial, not what is much or little; and he agreed with me: what is moderate.

“And what,” I said, “of what concerns the soul? Does what is moderate benefit it, or what is immoderate, of the things given to it?”

“What is moderate,” he said.

“Then are not the subjects of learning, too, one of the things given to the soul?”

He agreed.

“Then of these too what is moderate benefits, and not what is much?”

He concurred.

134e“Whom, then, would we justly ask what kind of labors and food are moderate for the body?”

We agreed, the three of us, that it is the doctor or the trainer.

“And whom about the sowing of seeds, how much is moderate?”

For this too we agreed on the farmer.

“And about the planting and sowing of subjects of learning in the soul, whom would we justly ask, how many and what kind are moderate?”

135aFrom there on we were all of us now full of perplexity; and I, teasing them, asked, “Since we are in perplexity,” I said, “shall we ask these lads here? Or are we perhaps ashamed, as Homer said of the suitors, who did not think it fit that there be anyone else who would string the bow?”¹

About This Reading Edition

Socrates recalls a debate between two rival lovers about what philosophy is: much learning, a knowledge of many crafts, or the knowledge by which we know ourselves and judge rightly. This complete edition presents the dialogue, 132a–139a, across thirteen Greek–English page pairs, with an introduction, Key Words of the Dialogue, an outline, glossary, critical apparatus, and thirty translator’s notes. The dialogue is transmitted among Plato’s works; its authorship remains disputed.

Discussion Questions

Historical Text and Translation

The Greek follows John Burnet’s Platonis Opera, volume II (Oxford, 1901; second edition, 1910), in a later Oxford impression printed by John Johnson. The supplied edition checks the Perseus Digital Library transcription against the printed pages and retains Burnet’s paragraphing, verse, editorial signs, and critical apparatus. The supplied PDF preserves the complete printed layout.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared this independent English translation directly from the Greek. Socrates’ narration, the rival lovers’ exchanges, and the distinctions between learning, craft, usefulness, justice, and temperance remain aligned with the Greek. All thirty 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.

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.