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Plato

Theages

Ancient Greek with an independent English translation.

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TheagesTheages · 124a–124d

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Theages · 124a–124d

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Ancient Greek

p. 12

124aΘΕ. Ἧι τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ.

ΣΩ. Οὐκοῦν ἐν τῇ πόλει εἰσὶν καὶ οἱ κάμνοντες;

ΘΕ. Ναί, ἀλλ’ οὐ τούτων λέγω μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει.

ΣΩ. Ἆρά γε μανθάνω ἣν λέγεις τέχνην; δοκεῖς γάρ μοι λέγειν οὐχ ᾗ τῶν θεριζόντων ἐπιστάμεθα ἄρχειν καὶ τρυγώντων καὶ τῶν φυτευόντων καὶ σπειρόντων καὶ ἁλοώντων· αὕτη μὲν γὰρ γεωργική, ᾗ τούτων ἄρχομεν. ἦ γάρ;

ΘΕ. Ναί.

124bΣΩ. Οὐδέ γε οἶμαι ᾗ τῶν πριζόντων καὶ τρυπώντων καὶ ξεόντων καὶ τορνευόντων συμπάντων ἐπιστάμεθα ἄρχειν, οὐ ταύτην λέγεις· αὕτη μὲν γὰρ οὐ τεκτονική;

ΘΕ. Ναί.

ΣΩ. Ἀλλ’ ἴσως ᾗ τούτων τε πάντων καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν γεωργῶν καὶ τῶν τεκτόνων καὶ τῶν δημιουργῶν ἁπάντων καὶ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ ἀνδρῶν, ταύτην ἴσως λέγεις τὴν σοφίαν.

ΘΕ. Ταύτην πάλαι, ὦ Σώκρατες, βούλομαι λέγειν.

124cΣΩ. Ἔχεις οὖν εἰπεῖν, Αἴγισθος ὁ Ἀγαμέμνονα ἀποκτείνας ἐν Ἄργει ἆρα τούτων ἦρχεν ὧν σὺ λέγεις, τῶν τε δημιουργῶν καὶ ἰδιωτῶν καὶ ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν συμπάντων, ἢ ἄλλων τινῶν;

ΘΕ. Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τούτων.

ΣΩ. Τί δὲ δή; Πηλεὺς ὁ Αἰακοῦ ἐν Φθίᾳ οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων ἦρχεν;

ΘΕ. Ναί.

ΣΩ. Περίανδρον δὲ τὸν Κυψέλου ἄρχοντα ἐν Κορίνθῳ ἤδη ἀκήκοας γενέσθαι;

ΘΕ. Ἔγωγε.

ΣΩ. Οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων ἄρχοντα ἐν τῇ αὑτοῦ πόλει;

124dΘΕ. Ναί.

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Theages

p. 13

Theag. 124a The one by which we rule those in the city, I think.

Soc. Then are not the sick in the city too?

Theag. Yes, but I do not mean these alone; I mean the others in the city as well.

Soc. Do I understand which craft you mean? For you seem to me to mean not the one by which we know how to rule those who reap and gather grapes, and those who plant and sow and thresh: for that is farming, by which we rule these. Isn’t that so?

Theag. Yes.

Soc. 124b Nor, I think, the one by which we know how to rule those who saw and drill and plane and turn, all together; this is not the one you mean: for that is carpentry, is it not?

Theag. Yes.

Soc. But perhaps the one by which we rule all these, and the farmers themselves, and the carpenters, and all the craftsmen, and private persons, and women and men—perhaps it is this wisdom you mean.

Theag. That is the one I have long been meaning, Socrates.

Soc. 124c Can you say, then: Aegisthus, who killed Agamemnon—did he rule in Argos those you mean, the craftsmen and private persons and men and women all together, or some others?1

Theag. No, those.

Soc. Well then? Peleus son of Aeacus in Phthia: did he not rule these same people?2

Theag. Yes.

Soc. And Periander son of Cypselus, who was ruler in Corinth: you have heard of him before now?3

Theag. I have.

Soc. Not ruling these same people in his own city?

Theag. 124d Yes.

13

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.