Theages

Name: Theages
Author: Plato

Ancient Greek with an independent English translation.

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TheagesTheages · 129d–130b

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English Page · Branch 18 of 24

Theages · 129d–130b

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Ancient Greek

p. 30

καλοῦ ἐγένετό μοι τὸ σημεῖον, οἴχεται δὲ νῦν μετὰ Θρασύλλου στρατευσόμενος εὐθὺ Ἐφέσου καὶ Ἰωνίας. ἐγὼ οὖν οἴομαι ἐκεῖνον ἢ ἀποθανεῖσθαι ἢ ὁμοῦ τι τούτῳ γ’ ἐλᾶν, καὶ περί γε τῆς στρατιᾶς τῆς ἄλλης πάνυ φοβοῦμαι.

129eΤαῦτα δὴ πάντα εἴρηκά σοι, ὅτι ἡ δύναμις αὕτη τοῦ δαιμονίου τούτου καὶ εἰς τὰς συνουσίας τῶν μετ’ ἐμοῦ συνδιατριβόντων τὸ ἅπαν δύναται. πολλοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐναντιοῦται, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι τούτοις ὠφεληθῆναι μετ’ ἐμοῦ διατρίβουσιν, ὥστε οὐχ οἷόν τέ μοι τούτοις συνδιατρίβειν· πολλοῖς δὲ συνεῖναι μὲν οὐ διακωλύει, ὠφελοῦνται δὲ οὐδὲν συνόντες. οἷς δ’ ἂν συλλάβηται τῆς συνουσίας ἡ τοῦ δαιμονίου δύναμις, οὗτοί εἰσιν ὧν καὶ σὺ ᾔσθησαι· ταχὺ γὰρ παραχρῆμα ἐπιδιδόασιν. καὶ τούτων αὖ τῶν ἐπιδι130aδόντων οἱ μὲν καὶ βέβαιον ἔχουσι καὶ παραμόνιμον τὴν ὠφελίαν· πολλοὶ δέ, ὅσον ἂν μετ’ ἐμοῦ χρόνον ὦσιν, θαυμάσιον ἐπιδιδόασιν, ἐπειδὰν δέ μου ἀπόσχωνται, πάλιν οὐδὲν διαφέρουσιν ὁτουοῦν. τοῦτό ποτε ἔπαθεν Ἀριστείδης ὁ Λυσιμάχου ὑὸς τοῦ Ἀριστείδου. διατρίβων γὰρ μετ’ ἐμοῦ πάμπολυ ἐπεδεδώκει ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ· ἔπειτα αὐτῷ στρατεία τις ἐγένετο καὶ ᾤχετο ἐκπλέων, ἥκων δὲ κατελάμβανε μετ’ ἐμοῦ διατρίβοντα Θουκυδίδην τὸν Μελησίου ὑὸν τοῦ Θου130bκυδίδου. ὁ δὲ Θουκυδίδης τῇ προτεραίᾳ μοι δι’ ἀπεχθείας ἐν λόγοις τισὶν ἐγεγόνει· ἰδὼν οὖν με ὁ Ἀριστείδης, ἐπειδὴ ἠσπάσατό τε καὶ τἆλλα διελέχθη, “Θουκυδίδην δέ,” ἔφη, “ἀκούω, ὦ Σώκρατες, σεμνύνεσθαι ἄττα πρός σε καὶ χαλεπαίνειν ὡς τὶ ὄντα.” “Ἔστι γάρ,” ἔφην ἐγώ, “οὕτως.” “Τί δέ, οὐκ οἶδεν,” ἔφη, “πρὶν σοὶ συγγενέσθαι οἷον ἦν τὸ ἀνδράποδον;” “Οὐκ ἔοικέν γε,” ἔφην ἐγώ, “νὴ τοὺς θεούς.” “Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ αὐτός γε,” ἔφη, “καταγελάστως

129d 5.Source editor’s annotationτὸ suprascr. B²: om. B T

129d 5.Source editor’s annotationθρασύλλου B T: θρασύλου W

129d 7.Source editor’s annotationγ’ ἐλᾶν Hermann: γελᾶν B: ἐλᾶν T W

129d 8.Source editor’s annotationστρατιᾶς Cobet: στρατείας B W: πραγματείας T

129e 3.Source editor’s annotationἅπαν] πᾶν Cobet

129e 9.Source editor’s annotationαὖ τῶν] αὐτῶν B T

130a 4.Source editor’s annotationἔπαθεν T W: ἔμαθεν B

130a 5.Source editor’s annotationὑὸς τοῦ] τοῦ Ast

130a 8.Source editor’s annotationμελησίου B: μελισίου T

130a 8.Source editor’s annotationὑὸν τοῦ] τοῦ Ast

130b 7.Source editor’s annotationτὸ secl. Cobet

130b 7.Source editor’s annotationνὴ] μὰ Cobet

Theages

p. 31

the beautiful one,¹ the sign came to me; and he is gone now with Thrasyllus on campaign, straight for Ephesus and Ionia.² So I think that he will either die or at least come to something close to it, and for the rest of the army too I am very much afraid.

129eI have told you all this because this power of this daimonic thing has all power also over being with those who spend time with me. For it opposes many, and these cannot be benefited by spending time with me, so that it is not possible for me to spend time with them; many it does not prevent from being with me, but they are not benefited at all by being with me. But those in whose being with me the power of the daimonic takes a hand, these are the ones you too have perceived; for they make progress quickly, at once. And of these, in turn, who make progress, 130a some have the benefit both firm and lasting; but many, for as long as they stay with me, make wonderful progress, but when they keep away from me, they are once more no different from anyone at all. This once happened to Aristides, son of Lysimachus, son of Aristides. For while spending time with me he had made a great deal of progress in a short time; then some campaign came up for him and he went off sailing, and on his return he found Thucydides, son of Melesias, son of Thucydides, spending time with me.³ 130b Now Thucydides, the day before, had fallen out with me in certain arguments. So Aristides, seeing me, after he had greeted me and talked of other things, said, “But I hear, Socrates, that Thucydides is giving himself airs towards you about something, and is angry, as if he amounted to something.” “It is so,” I said. “What, does he not know,” he said, “what sort of slave he was before he came to be with you?” “It seems not,” I said, “by the gods.” “And yet I myself too,” he said,

About This Reading Edition

Demodocus asks Socrates how his son Theages can become wise. Their conversation turns from political ambition and the sophists to Socrates’ divine sign and the uncertain benefits of keeping his company. This complete edition presents the dialogue, 121a–131a, across seventeen Greek–English page pairs, with an introduction, Key Words of the Dialogue, an outline, glossary, critical apparatus, and thirty-nine 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 III (Oxford, 1903; second impression, corrected, 1909), printed at Oxford by Horace Hart. The supplied edition checks the Perseus Digital Library transcription against the photographed pages and preserves Burnet’s speaker names, verse quotations, editorial signs, and critical apparatus. The companion PDF retains the printed lineation and complete page layout.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared this independent English translation directly from the Greek. Each English dialogue page translates the Greek page opposite it, with Stephanus references in the margin and all thirty-nine translator’s notes attached to 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.