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Plato

Theages

Ancient Greek with an independent English translation.

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TheagesTheages · 123a–123d

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Ancient Greek Page · Branch 7 of 24

Theages · 123a–123d

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Ancient Greek

p. 8

ΘΕ. Ἔγωγε.

ΣΩ. Τίς ἐστιν αὕτη; εἰπὲ καὶ ἡμῖν, ἵνα σοι χαρισώμεθα.

ΘΕ. Οἶδεν καὶ οὗτος, ὦ Σώκρατες—ἐπεὶ πολλάκις ἐγὼ αὐτῷ εἴρηκα—ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐξεπίτηδες πρὸς σὲ λέγει, ὡς δὴ οὐκ εἰδὼς οὗ ἐγὼ ἐπιθυμῶ· τοιαῦτα γὰρ ἕτερα καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ μάχεταί τε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλει με οὐδενὶ συστῆσαι.

ΣΩ. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἔμπροσθέν σοι ἦν πρὸς τοῦτον ῥηθέντα 123b ὥσπερ ἄνευ μαρτύρων λεγόμενα· νυνὶ δὲ ἐμὲ ποίησαι μάρτυρα, καὶ ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ κάτειπε τίς ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ σοφία ἧς ἐπιθυμεῖς. φέρε γάρ, εἰ ἐπεθύμεις ταύτης ᾗ οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰ πλοῖα κυβερνῶσιν, καὶ ἐγώ σε ἐτύγχανον ἀνερωτῶν· “Ὦ Θέαγες, τίνος ἐνδεὴς ὢν σοφίας μέμφῃ τῷ πατρὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐθέλει σε συνιστάναι παρ’ ὧν ἂν σὺ σοφὸς γένοιο;” τί ἄν μοι ἀπεκρίνω; τίνα αὐτὴν εἶναι; ἆρα οὐ κυβερνητικήν;

ΘΕ. Ναί.

123cΣΩ. Εἰ δὲ ἐπιθυμῶν ταύτην τὴν σοφίαν εἶναι σοφὸς ᾗ τὰ ἅρματα κυβερνῶσιν εἶτ’ ἐμέμφου τῷ πατρί, ἐμοῦ αὖ ἐρωτῶντος τίς ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ σοφία, τίνα ἂν ἀπεκρίνω αὐτὴν εἶναι; ἆρ’ οὐχὶ ἡνιοχικήν;

ΘΕ. Ναί.

ΣΩ. Ἧς δὲ δὴ νῦν τυγχάνεις ἐπιθυμῶν, πότερον ἀνώνυμός τίς ἐστιν ἢ ἔχει ὄνομα;

ΘΕ. Οἶμαι ἔγωγε ἔχειν.

ΣΩ. Πότερον οὖν αὐτὴν μὲν οἶσθα, οὐ μέντοι τό γε ὄνομα, ἢ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα;

ΘΕ. Καὶ τὸ ὄνομα ἔγωγε.

ΣΩ. Τί οὖν ἔστιν; εἰπέ.

123dΘΕ. Τί δὲ ἄλλο, ὦ Σώκρατες, αὐτῇ ὄνομά τις φαίη ἂν εἶναι ἀλλ’ ἢ σοφίαν;

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Theages

p. 9

Theag. I do.

Soc. What is it? Tell us too, so that we may do you a favor.

Theag. He knows it too, Socrates—for I have often told him—but he says this to you on purpose, as though he did not know what I desire; for he fights with me in other such ways too, and is not willing to introduce me to anyone.

Soc. But the things you said to him before were 123b said as though without witnesses; now make me your witness, and speak out before me what this wisdom is that you desire. For come: if you desired1 the wisdom by which men pilot ships, and I were in fact to ask you, “Theages, lacking what wisdom do you blame your father, because he is not willing to introduce you to those from whom you would become wise?”, what would you answer me? What would you say it is? Would it not be piloting?

Theag. Yes.

Soc. 123c And if, desiring to be wise in that wisdom by which they pilot chariots,2 you then blamed your father, and I in turn asked what this wisdom is, what would you answer that it is? Would it not be charioteering?

Theag. Yes.

Soc. And the wisdom you do in fact now desire: is it nameless, or has it a name?

Theag. I think it has one.

Soc. Do you know it, then, but not its name, or its name too?

Theag. Its name too, I do.

Soc. What is it, then? Tell me.

Theag. 123d What other name, Socrates, would anyone say it has but wisdom?

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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.