Conversation language and argument

Greek reading vocabulary — Alcibiades I

The following brief entries cover additional substantive words and idioms.

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Alcibiades I

Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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At a Glance

  • Reading vocabularyThe following brief entries cover additional substantive words and idioms.
  • Local sensesThey give local senses and sample attestations; they are not additional five-part articles.
  • Dictionary formsDictionary lemmas are labelled when supplied alongside an inflected text form.
  • A place to readAttested: εὐχέρειαν (euchereian; 122c); εὐκολίαν (eukolian; 122c).

Meaning

The following brief entries cover additional substantive words and idioms.

Use in the book

The alphabetic headwords below are dictionary lemmas, lexical families or phrase labels. Each is followed by attested forms paired with their exact Stephanus references and a local explanation. A dictionary headword need not itself occur in that exact grammatical form. Several records can belong to one fuller article, and a grouped family is not a claim that its members are synonyms.

Places to read

  1. 122cAttested: εὐχέρειαν (euchereian; 122c); εὐκολίαν (eukolian; 122c). At 122c: Spartan readiness or ease in conduct in the comparative catalogue. At 122c: Spartan easy temper, one of the qualities Alcibiades is urged to measure himself against. Lexical identification: family label: εὐχέρεια / εὐκολία.

Translation in this edition

They give local senses and sample attestations; they are not additional five-part articles. A related article offers context without replacing the gloss. Dictionary lemmas are labelled when supplied alongside an inflected text form.

εὐχέρεια / εὐκολία

Attested: εὐχέρειαν (euchereian; 122c); εὐκολίαν (eukolian; 122c). At 122c: Spartan readiness or ease in conduct in the comparative catalogue. At 122c: Spartan easy temper, one of the qualities Alcibiades is urged to measure himself against. Lexical identification: family label: εὐχέρεια / εὐκολία.

ἡδονή

Attested: ἡδονῶν (hēdonōn; 122a). At 122a: Pleasures none of which the prince should be ruled by, according to the temperate tutor’s educational charge. Lexical identification: lemma: ἡδονή.

καρτερία / φιλοπονία

Attested: καρτερίαν (karterian; 122c); φιλοπονίαν (philoponian; 122c). At 122c: Spartan endurance or steadfast capacity to bear difficulty. At 122c: Spartan love of toil, opposed to Alcibiades’ reluctance to prepare. Lexical identification: family label: καρτερία / φιλοπονία.

κοσμιότης / εὐταξία

Attested: κοσμιότητα (kosmiotēta; 122c); εὐταξίαν (eutaxian; 122c). At 122c: Spartan orderliness presented as a quality before which Alcibiades is a child. At 122c: Good discipline in the catalogue of Spartan advantages. Lexical identification: family label: κοσμιότης / εὐταξία.

φιλονικία / φιλοτιμία

Attested: φιλονικίαν (philonikian; 122c); φιλοτιμίας (philotimias; 122c). At 122c: Spartan love of victory in the educational comparison. At 122c: Spartan ambitions for honour, presented as advantages Alcibiades must reckon with. Lexical identification: family label: φιλονικία / φιλοτιμία.

ἀγανακτῶ (aganaktō)

To be indignant or resent an affront; Socrates professes indignation both for Alcibiades and for his own love at the low standard of rivalry proposed. References: 119c. Lemma: ἀγανακτέω.

ἀγαπητός (agapētos)

Welcome or to be valued; Socrates, as the sole lover of Alcibiades himself, is presented as someone whose presence deserves appreciation. References: 131e. Lemma: ἀγαπητός.

ἀγαπῶντα (agapōnta)

To be content with or satisfied by; if Alcibiades were satisfied with his existing advantages, Socrates says he would already have departed. References: 104e. Lemma: ἀγαπάω.

ἀδεᾶ (adea)

Without fear or apprehension; paired with fearless in the courage tutor's educational task. References: 122a. Lemma: ἀδεής.

ἀδύνατον (adynaton)

Impossible or beyond one's capacity; the fulfilment of Alcibiades' plans without Socrates is asserted to be impossible. References: 105d. Lemma: ἀδύνατος.

ἀθλητάς (athlētas)

A trained competitor or athlete; prepared political rivals would demand preparation from anyone who intended to contend with them. References: 119b. Lemma: ἀθλητής.

ἁθρόους (hathroous)

Assembled together or in a group; the public speaker addresses people collectively while Socrates' conversational partner addresses them one at a time. References: 114d. Lemma: ἁθρόος.

αἰτιᾷ (aitiai)

To blame or accuse; Alcibiades blames Socrates for conclusions which his own answers have supplied. References: 113c. Lemma: αἰτιάομαι.

αἴτιον (aition)

A cause or responsible explanation; the reason for Socrates' silence is said to be divine rather than human. References: 103a. Lemma: αἴτιος.

ᾄττεις (aitteis)

To rush or dart; Alcibiades rushes towards politics before receiving the education his ambition requires. References: 118b. Lemma: ᾄττω.

ἀκοῆς (akoēs)

Hearing; a capacity whose presence improves ears, giving a model for naming the good a political craft would produce. References: 126b. Lemma: ἀκοή.

ἀκόλουθα (akoloutha)

Following or consistent with what has been said; the examples of royal nurture are claimed to indicate the rest of its character without an exhaustive account. References: 122b. Lemma: ἀκόλουθος.

ἀλοιφὰς (aloiphas)

An anointing or rubbing with oil; specifically the scented anointings in the Persian luxury comparison. References: 122c. Lemma: ἀλοιφή.

ἀναβήσῃ (anabēsēi)

To go up or ascend; not knowing how to reach heaven supplies an example of ignorance Alcibiades openly acknowledges. References: 117b. Lemma: ἀναβαίνω.

ἀναθεὶς (anatheis)

To dedicate or set up in a sanctuary; the person who dedicated the self-knowledge inscription is tested against the possibility that its demand might be trivial. References: 129a. Lemma: ἀνατίθημι.

ἀναπλάττοντας (anaplattontas)

To mould or shape anew; the attendants shape the child's limbs in Socrates' account of bodily nurture. References: 121d. Lemma: ἀναπλάσσω.

ἀναφέρων (anapherōn)

To refer or trace something back to a source; Alcibiades traces his learning to ordinary people rather than a named specialist. References: 110e. Lemma: ἀναφέρω.

ἀνθρώπειον (anthrōpeion)

Human; the cause of the delay is expressly denied to be human before being called a divine opposition. References: 103a. Lemma: ἀνθρώπειος.

ἀνίστασαι (anistasai)

To rise or stand up; Alcibiades is imagined rising to address a deliberative assembly. References: 106c. Lemma: ἀνίστημι.

ἀντιτάττεσθαι (antitattesthai)

To draw up against or oppose; Alcibiades is imagined arraying himself against the Persian king. References: 123c. Lemma: ἀντιτάσσω.

ἀντιτιθέντες (antitithentes)

To set opposite for comparison; Socrates proposes to put the Athenians' resources beside the royal rivals' advantages. References: 120e. Lemma: ἀντιτίθημι.

ἀξιοπίστου (axiopistou)

Trustworthy or worthy of belief; Socrates identifies the traveller who described the Persian queen's estates as a credible informant. References: 123b. Lemma: ἀξιόπιστος.

ἀπαλλάττομαι (apallattomai)

To withdraw or give up one's pursuit; Socrates alone has not left Alcibiades when his other lovers have stopped. References: 103a. Lemma: ἀπαλλάττομαι.

ἀπεργάζεται (apergazetai)

To bring about or produce a result; the bad description is assigned to an action insofar as it produces something bad. References: 115e. Lemma: ἀπεργάζομαι.

ἀπιστῶν (apistōn)

To distrust or withhold confidence; Socrates expressly denies that his closing fear comes from distrusting Alcibiades' natural character. References: 135e. Lemma: ἀπιστέω.

ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτομάτου (apo tou automatou)

Spontaneously or by itself; Pericles is said not to have become wise without instruction and intellectual company. References: 118c. Lemma: ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτομάτου.

ἀπογιγνομένου (apogignomenou)

To depart or cease to be present; removing disease illustrates the kind of absent bad condition sought in the civic analogy. References: 126a. Lemma: ἀπογίγνομαι.

ἀποκτεινύναι (apokteinynai)

To kill; disputes about justice, unlike ordinary medical classifications, reach the point of reciprocal killing. References: 112a. Lemma: ἀποκτείνω.

ἀπολειφθήσῃ (apoleiphthēsēi)

To fall short of or be left behind; lacking care and craft would also leave Alcibiades short of the renown he seeks. References: 124b. Lemma: ἀπολείπω.

ἀπόλοιντο (apolointo)

To perish or be destroyed; unrestricted control of a ship without navigational knowledge endangers all aboard. References: 135a. Lemma: ἀπόλλυμι.

ἀπορρητέον (aporrēteon)

To give up or abandon the effort; the verbal adjective with negation says they must not give up after admitting their need. References: 124d. Lemma: ἀπαγορεύω.

ἀποφεύξῃ (apopheuxēi)

To escape or get free of; Socrates asks how Alcibiades will escape his present unfree condition. References: 135c. Lemma: ἀποφεύγω.

ἄρρητον (arrēton)

Unspoken or left unsaid; Socrates refuses to leave the wealth comparison unexamined if Alcibiades relies on money. References: 122d. Lemma: ἄρρητος.

ἄφοβον (aphobon)

Fearless; the courageous tutor prepares the heir not to become a slave through fear. References: 122a. Lemma: ἄφοβος.

ἀχρειότατον (achreiotaton)

Useless or unserviceable; the superlative depreciates the aged slave assigned to Alcibiades, sharpening the contrast with royal educators. References: 122b. Lemma: ἀχρεῖος.

βῆμα (bēma)

The speaker's platform; Socrates imagines intercepting Alcibiades as he approaches it to advise the Athenians. References: 106c. Lemma: βῆμα.

βοσκήματα (boskēmata)

A grazing animal or head of livestock; livestock joins land, horses and enslaved labor in the account of Spartan agricultural wealth. References: 122d. Lemma: βόσκημα.

βραχὺ (brachy)

Short or brief; the small service requested of Alcibiades is to answer the questions put to him. References: 106b. Lemma: βραχύς.

γείτονες (geitones)

A neighbour; the comic quotation says that ordinary births barely attract even neighbours' notice, contrasting with a royal heir's public celebration. References: 121d. Lemma: γείτων.

γενεὰς (geneas)

A generation; money is said to have entered Sparta for many generations without leaving again. References: 122e. Lemma: γενεά.

γήρως (gērōs)

Old age; Zopyrus is described as least useful among the household slaves because of age, a harsh judgment placed in Socrates' comparison. References: 122b. Lemma: γῆρας.

δακτύλιον (daktylion)

A ring; it belongs to the finger but improving the ring is not thereby improving the finger. References: 128a. Lemma: δακτύλιος.

δακτύλου (daktylou)

A finger; the ring's owner in the local example makes the relation between bodily part and external equipment explicit. References: 128a. Lemma: δάκτυλος.

δεινοὺς (deinous)

Formidable or fearsome; regarding rivals as formidable would encourage greater care rather than complacency. References: 120d. Lemma: δεινός.

δέξαιό (dexaio)

To accept or choose for oneself; Alcibiades is asked whether he would choose goods or bad things, beginning a test of courage's value. References: 115c. Lemma: δέχομαι.

δῆλον (dēlon)

Manifest or evident; Socrates treats Alcibiades' striking appearance as something anyone can see, in contrast with untested wisdom. References: 104a. Lemma: δῆλος.

δημοσίᾳ (dēmosiai)

Publicly or at the civic level; cities as well as individuals agree in the elementary linguistic cases. References: 111c. Lemma: δημοσίᾳ.

διαβῆναι (diabēnai)

To cross over; passage into Asia marks the further geographical expansion Alcibiades is imagined to demand. References: 105c. Lemma: διαβαίνω.

διατελέσαι (diatelesai)

To persist or carry something through to its end; Socrates wishes that Alcibiades will sustain the care for justice he has just promised to begin. References: 135e. Lemma: διατελέω.

διαφθαρῇς (diaphtharēis)

To corrupt or ruin; Socrates fears the Athenian people's effect on Alcibiades, setting a condition on the beloved's continued improvement. References: 132a. Lemma: διαφθείρω.

διαφορᾶς (diaphoras)

Difference or dispute; the noun names the quarrel over right and wrong around which the epic examples are organized. References: 112b. Lemma: διαφορά.

διέγνωκας (diegnōkas)

To distinguish or make out; Alcibiades ironically grants that Socrates has diagnosed his thoughts so decisively that denial would not persuade him. References: 106a. Lemma: διαγιγνώσκω.

διελθεῖν (dielthein)

To go through or recount; Socrates proposes to enumerate the grounds of Alcibiades' self-confidence. References: 104a. Lemma: διέρχομαι.

διοικεῖν (dioikein)

To administer, order or manage; Alcibiades says good counsel should order the city better and preserve it. References: 126a. Lemma: διοικέω.

ἐᾶν (ean)

To allow or permit; Socrates explains that the god formerly did not allow him to converse with Alcibiades. References: 105d. Lemma: ἐάω.

εἴθισαι (eithisai)

To accustom; Alcibiades is accustomed to hearing long speeches, the format Socrates initially declines. References: 106b. Lemma: ἐθίζω.

ἕλκη (helkē)

A wound or bodily lesion; paired with death as a harmful consequence distinguished from courage in evaluating rescue. References: 115b. Lemma: ἕλκος.

ἐλλόγιμος (ellogimos)

Notable or highly regarded; Zeno's paying pupils are described as both wise and distinguished, a claim about their reputed educational outcome. References: 119a. Lemma: ἐλλόγιμος.

ἕλξεις (helxeis)

A trailing or dragging; the trailing of robes is a visible detail in the catalogue of Persian luxury. References: 122c. Lemma: ἕλξις.

ἐμμελέτησον (emmeletēson)

To practise upon or rehearse with; Socrates offers himself as the audience on whom Alcibiades can practise proving his political claim. References: 114d. Lemma: ἐμμελετάω.

ἐμπλήσεις (emplēseis)

To fill completely; Alcibiades imagines filling virtually all humanity with his name and power. References: 105c. Lemma: ἐμπίμπλημι.

ἐμφαίνεται (emphainetai)

To appear within or be reflected; an observer's face appears in the eye opposite, providing the visible basis of the pupil analogy. References: 133a. Lemma: ἐμφαίνω.

ἐνδεὴς (endeēs)

In need of or lacking; Alcibiades' claim to need no person is the opening expression of his supposed self-sufficiency. References: 104a. Lemma: ἐνδεής.

ἐνδειξάμενος (endeixamenos)

To display or demonstrate; Alcibiades expects a public display of his worth to confer exceptional political power. References: 105b. Lemma: ἐνδείκνυμι.

ἔνδοθεν (endothen)

From inside or from home; leaving the house would have been needed for lessons and, Socrates implies, noticed. References: 106e. Lemma: ἔνδοθεν.

ἐνοχλεῖς (enochleis)

To trouble or bother someone; Alcibiades calls Socrates' constant silent attendance an annoyance, while admitting curiosity about its purpose. References: 104d. Lemma: ἐνοχλέω.

ἐξ ἴσου (ex isou)

On equal terms or at an equal level; cowardice is ranked alongside being dead in Alcibiades' ordering of the worst things. References: 115d. Lemma: ἐξ ἴσου.

ἐξαρκεῖν (exarkein)

To suffice or be enough; Alcibiades' complacent claim is that his present condition already supplies what the contest needs. References: 123e. Lemma: ἐξαρκέω.

ἐξειλεγμένοι (exeilegmenoi)

To select or pick out; the four royal educators have been chosen as the best mature Persians in their respective virtues. References: 121e. Lemma: ἐκλέγω.

ἐξῃρημένους (exēirēmenous)

To set apart or assign specially; desirable lands have been earmarked for the royal wife's adornment. References: 123c. Lemma: ἐξαιρέω.

ἐπαινοῖντʼ (epainointʼ)

To praise or commend; Socrates explicitly allows praise of the many as teachers of Greek, limiting the force of his criticism of them. References: 111a. Lemma: ἐπαινέω.

ἕπεται (hepetai)

To follow as a consequence; doing badly follows offices and powers that fall short of virtue. References: 135b. Lemma: ἕπομαι.

ἐπιδεῖξαι (epideixai)

To exhibit or demonstrate; Alcibiades is challenged to show that justice sometimes fails to confer advantage. References: 114d. Lemma: ἐπιδείκνυμι.

ἐπιθέσθαι (epithesthai)

To set upon or undertake; the middle infinitive describes Alcibiades' projected intervention in the affairs of Asia. References: 105c. Lemma: ἐπιτίθημι.

ἐπιπλήττοι (epiplēttoi)

To rebuke or check someone; the sick tyrant's power forbids correction and so prevents useful medical restraint. References: 135a. Lemma: ἐπιπλήσσω.

ἐπιτάττων (epitattōn)

To enjoin or command; the giver of the self-knowledge injunction is interpreted as commanding knowledge of the soul. References: 130e. Lemma: ἐπιτάσσω.

ἐπιτρέπεις (epitrepeis)

To entrust or leave something to another; acknowledged lack of knowledge allows Alcibiades to defer to the person who knows. References: 117c. Lemma: ἐπιτρέπω.

ἐπιχειρεῖν (epicheirein)

To undertake or attempt; Alcibiades intends to teach without knowing, exposing the gap between ambition and preparation. References: 113c. Lemma: ἐπιχειρέω.

ἐπιχείρημα (epicheirēma)

An undertaking or attempted enterprise; the contemplated entry into political teaching is the reckless project at issue, not a formal logical proof. References: 113c. Lemma: ἐπιχείρημα.

ἐπιχωρίους (epichōrious)

Local or belonging to the place; the local inhabitants use the names of royal adornments for the supporting estates. References: 123b. Lemma: ἐπιχώριος.

ἔσχατα (eschata)

Extreme or ultimate; doing the worst things to themselves describes the lethal endpoint of opponents' dispute over justice. References: 112d. Lemma: ἔσχατος.

ἑταίρῳ (hetairōi)

A companion or comrade; the endangered fellow soldier is someone whom the rescuer is expected to help. References: 115b. Lemma: ἑταῖρος.

εὔελπις (euelpis)

Hopeful or of good hope; Socrates expects that the divine opposition will not return. References: 103b. Lemma: εὔελπις.

εὐλάβειαν (eulabeian)

Caution or a precaution; the lover's warning becomes a demand for protective preparation before entering political life. References: 132a. Lemma: εὐλάβεια.

ἔφθης (ephthēs)

To anticipate or get ahead of another; Socrates has narrowly beaten Alcibiades to the question the young man was planning to ask. References: 104d. Lemma: φθάνω.

ζωὴ (zōē)

Life or being alive; paired with courage in opposition to death and cowardice, while Alcibiades rejects merely living as a coward. References: 115d. Lemma: ζωή.

ἠλιθίω (ēlithiō)

Simple-minded or foolish; Alcibiades disparages Pericles' two sons when they are proposed as evidence of their father's teaching. References: 118e. Lemma: ἠλίθιος.

ἡμερησίαν (hēmerēsian)

Lasting a day or covering a day's travel; the reported stretch of fertile land approaches a full day's journey. References: 123b. Lemma: ἡμερήσιος.

ἡσυχίαν (hēsychian)

Quiet or noninterference; keeping quiet while entrusting steering to the pilot exemplifies restraint grounded in awareness of ignorance. References: 117d. Lemma: ἡσυχία.

θαρρεῖν (tharrein)

To take heart or be confident; Socrates encourages Alcibiades after the admission of his unrecognized shameful condition, because recognizing it while young permits care. References: 127d. Lemma: θαρρέω.

θεραπόντων (therapontōn)

An attendant or servant; the multitude following a Persian magnate makes Alcibiades' own resources look small. References: 122c. Lemma: θεράπων.

ἰδίᾳ (idiai)

Privately or individually; ordinary speakers are consistent with themselves as individuals, while cities likewise agree publicly about ordinary words. References: 111c. Lemma: ἰδίᾳ.

καινὰ (kaina)

New or novel; the demand for fresh arguments is mocked as a desire for new clothes, not accepted as a refutation of old evidence. References: 113e. Lemma: καινός.

καμνόντων (kamnontōn)

To be ill or suffer bodily distress; ruling sick persons is excluded as the political expertise Alcibiades means. References: 125b. Lemma: κάμνω.

κατὰ μόνας (kata monas)

One-to-one or alone; persuading one hearer is compared with persuading a larger audience about the same known subject. References: 114b. Lemma: κατὰ μόνας.

καταβιῶναι (katabiōnai)

To pass or spend one's life; the issue is whether Alcibiades would consent to a life confined to his present advantages. References: 104e. Lemma: καταβιόω.

καταγελῴης (katagelōiēs)

To laugh at or ridicule; Alcibiades is asked how he would judge an adviser whose claim contradicts the conclusion he has just accepted. References: 116d. Lemma: καταγελάω.

κατανενόηκα (katanenoēka)

To observe and come to understand; Socrates claims to have taken in Alcibiades' treatment of his lovers during the silent interval. References: 103b. Lemma: κατανοέω.

καταντικρὺ (katantikry)

Directly opposite; the seeing surface of the person facing one contains the reflected image. References: 133a. Lemma: καταντικρύ.

καταφεύγεις (katapheugeis)

To take refuge in; Alcibiades resorts to the many as his teachers when other accounts of his knowledge fail. References: 110e. Lemma: καταφεύγω.

καταφρονηθέντας (kataphronēthentas)

To look down upon or reckon inferior; Socrates envisages allies so far surpassed that they cooperate instead of competing for leadership. References: 119e. Lemma: καταφρονέω.

κατέλιπε (katelipe)

To leave behind or appoint when departing; Cleinias left Pericles as guardian for his sons. References: 104b. Lemma: καταλείπω.

κατηγορήσω (katēgorēsō)

To bring an accusation or lay something to someone's charge; Socrates playfully indicts Alcibiades before Alcibiades himself for his further ambitions. References: 105a. Lemma: κατηγορέω.

κατιδεῖν (katidein)

To discern or see comprehensively; the revised argument assigns discrimination of self, its own and its possessions to one person and one craft. References: 133e. Lemma: attested expression: κατιδεῖν.

κατορθοῦντας (katorthountas)

To straighten or set right; paired with moulding as part of the royal infant's bodily formation. References: 121d. Lemma: κατορθόω.

κεκράτηκας (kekratēkas)

To prevail over or defeat; Alcibiades has conquered his lovers in the opening contest of pride. References: 104c. Lemma: κρατέω.

κοινὴ βουλή (koinē boulē)

A shared decision or matter for joint counsel; Alcibiades invites Socrates to consider together whether and how he should care for himself. References: 119b. Lemma: κοινὴ βουλή.

κοινῇ (koinēi)

Together or in common; Socrates invites Alcibiades to inspect the difference between acknowledged and unacknowledged ignorance jointly. References: 117c. Lemma: κοινῇ.

κοινωνούντων (koinōnountōn)

To share or participate in something; civic participants share a political community as sailors share a voyage and choristers a song. References: 125d. Lemma: κοινωνέω.

κομιδῇ (komidēi)

Entirely or thoroughly; Alcibiades gives emphatic assent to the soul conclusion before Socrates qualifies its precision. References: 130c. Lemma: κομιδῇ.

κτῆσιν (ktēsin)

Acquisition or possession; happiness is connected with acquiring good things in the argument linking doing finely and doing well. References: 116b. Lemma: κτῆσις.

κτητέον (ktēteon)

To be acquired; the verbal adjective makes Alcibiades' own acquisition of virtue prior to responsible civic care. References: 134c. Lemma: κτητέος.

κωλύει (kōlyei)

To prevent or stand in the way; Alcibiades asks what prevents him from knowing advantage, anticipating the renewed test of how he learned it. References: 113e. Lemma: κωλύω.

κωφότητος (kōphotētos)

Deafness; its removal is paired with the arrival of hearing in the examples of successful care. References: 126b. Lemma: κωφότης.

λείπεται (leipetai)

To remain as an alternative; after body and composite are excluded, soul remains unless the human being is nothing at all. References: 130c. Lemma: λείπω.

λήγει (lēgei)

To cease or come to an end; the body's blooming ends and bodily lovers depart, unlike the lover of an improving soul. References: 131c. Lemma: λήγω.

λήψεις (lēpseis)

A receipt or taking; the kings' especially large receipts help account for their comparative wealth. References: 123a. Lemma: λῆψις.

μαθήματα (mathēmata)

A subject of learning or an accomplishment; the text's disparagement of manual arts denies them the standing of subjects suitable for a good man. References: 131b. Lemma: μάθημα.

μαλθακιστέον (malthakisteon)

To become soft or lose one's nerve; Socrates forbids shrinking from the shared work of becoming better. References: 124d. Lemma: μαλθακίζομαι.

μανικὸν (manikon)

Mad or senseless; the attempt to teach what one has not troubled to learn receives this emphatic practical criticism. References: 113c. Lemma: μανικός.

μάτην (matēn)

In vain or without effect; the earlier delay avoided a conversation that Alcibiades was not yet prepared to hear fruitfully. References: 105e. Lemma: μάτην.

μέλη (melē)

A limb or bodily member; the infant's limbs are the objects of the attendants' physical shaping. References: 121d. Lemma: μέλος.

μεταδιδόναι (metadidonai)

To give a share of or impart; a ruler cannot impart virtue to citizens unless he first possesses it. References: 134c. Lemma: μεταδίδωμι.

μηχανᾶσθαι (mēchanasthai)

To contrive or devise means; the royal attendants must actively devise ways to make the infant as beautiful as possible. References: 121d. Lemma: μηχανάομαι.

μηχανὴ (mēchanē)

A means or possible way; the phrase denies any way for the composite to rule when one component has no share in ruling. References: 130b. Lemma: μηχανή.

μνήμην (mnēmēn)

Memory or recollection; Socrates appeals to his recollection of Alcibiades' actual lessons rather than assuming an unlimited education. References: 106e. Lemma: μνήμη.

μνημονεύεις (mnēmoneueis)

To remember; Socrates recalls the earlier agreement about justice so it can be joined to the newly accepted links. References: 116c. Lemma: μνημονεύω.

μόγις (mogis)

With difficulty; the joke that Socrates may find stopping as hard as starting makes his belated approach potentially inexhaustible. References: 104e. Lemma: μόγις.

μοχθηροί (mochthēroi)

Poor, bad or deficient; disagreement would expose the many as poor teachers of health-related distinctions. References: 111e. Lemma: μοχθηρός.

ναυμαχεῖν (naumachein)

To fight a naval battle; a warship's pilot must measure himself against enemy pilots, not merely against his own crew. References: 119d. Lemma: ναυμαχέω.

νέμεται (nemetai)

To graze or pasture; the middle form describes livestock feeding in Messenian territory. References: 122e. Lemma: νέμω.

νοσώδεις (nosōdeis)

Sickly or subject to disease; contrasted with healthy people in the test of teachers' discriminating knowledge. References: 111e. Lemma: νοσώδης.

νύκτωρ (nyktōr)

By night; Socrates' comic claim to know Alcibiades' movements rules out an unnoticed course of study after dark. References: 106e. Lemma: νύκτωρ.

ὄγκῳ (onkōi)

Weight, grandeur or prestige; the imposing scale of royal descent is contrasted with Alcibiades' locally esteemed ancestry. References: 121b. Lemma: ὄγκος.

οἰκείῳ (oikeiōi)

Someone of one's own circle, such as a relative; the rescue example includes ties of kinship as well as comradeship. References: 115b. Lemma: οἰκεῖος.

ὀκνῶ (oknō)

To hesitate or shrink from doing something; Socrates hesitates to name Alcibiades' condition until their privacy makes bluntness possible. References: 118b. Lemma: ὀκνέω.

ὁρμῶσιν (hormōsin)

To move or direct oneself towards; competent speakers converge on the same objects when asked for stone or wood. References: 111c. Lemma: ὁρμάω.

ὀρρωδῶ (orrōdō)

To dread or fear; Socrates' final apprehension concerns the city's strength rather than distrust of Alcibiades' nature. References: 135e. Lemma: ὀρρωδέω.

οὐρανόν (ouranon)

Heaven or sky; the deliberately remote destination helps separate admitted ignorance from the unstable opinions of presumed knowledge. References: 117b. Lemma: οὐρανός.

ὄχλου (ochlou)

Trouble or nuisance; the lovers made themselves bothersome by addressing Alcibiades, whereas Socrates remained silent. References: 103a. Lemma: ὄχλος.

ὄψου (opsou)

A relish or prepared dish eaten with the staple meal; its preparation is a domestic expertise Alcibiades admits he lacks. References: 117c. Lemma: ὄψον.

πάθημα (pathēma)

Something suffered or a condition one undergoes; Alcibiades' disordered answering becomes a condition whose nature he does not yet understand. References: 116e. Lemma: πάθημα.

παραγιγνομένου (paragignomenou)

To become present or arise; the question asks which condition's presence makes a body or city better managed. References: 126a. Lemma: παραγίγνομαι.

παραδοῦναι (paradounai)

To hand over or impart; neither guardian nor kinsman can transmit the desired power, Socrates claims, as he can with the god's help. References: 105e. Lemma: παραδίδωμι.

παραμένων (paramenōn)

To remain beside someone; Socrates contrasts his constancy with the departure of Alcibiades' bodily admirers. References: 131d. Lemma: παραμένω.

παρήλθομεν (parēlthomen)

To pass by or leave aside; they have deferred the fuller inquiry into the self itself because it requires extensive examination. References: 130d. Lemma: παρέρχομαι.

πέμποιμεν (pempoimen)

To send someone to another for instruction; the many would be an appropriate destination for learning the ordinary matters they know. References: 111d. Lemma: πέμπω.

πεντηκονταετής (pentēkontaetēs)

Fifty years old; this hypothetical age contrasts with Alcibiades' youth to emphasize the timeliness of recognizing his need. References: 127e. Lemma: πεντηκονταετής.

πεπαυμένων (pepaumenōn)

To stop or cease; the perfect participle presents the other lovers' pursuit as already ended. References: 103a. Lemma: παύω.

πεπέρανται (peperantai)

To bring to completion or establish so far; the inquiry has reached a sufficient agreement about what the interlocutors are, allowing the question of care to proceed. References: 132b. Lemma: περαίνω.

περιμενοῦντι (perimenounti)

To wait or stay for something; Alcibiades is asked to remain and hear Socrates out. References: 104d. Lemma: περιμένω.

περιορᾷ (periorai)

To overlook or allow something to remain; Socrates asks why Pericles lets Alcibiades continue in his present uneducated state. References: 118e. Lemma: περιοράω.

πέφευγεν (pepheugen)

To flee or take flight; the defeated lover's withdrawal is described as flight, giving courtship the vocabulary of a contest. References: 103b. Lemma: φεύγω.

πεφοίτηκα (pephoitēka)

To attend or frequent a teacher; Alcibiades acknowledges having attended no instructors beyond the listed subjects. References: 106e. Lemma: φοιτάω.

πήχεος (pēcheos)

A cubit, a forearm-based measure; knowledge of measurement settles its comparison with a span for individuals and cities alike. References: 126d. Lemma: πῆχυς.

πιστεύσῃς (pisteusēis)

To trust or believe someone; Socrates tells Alcibiades not to trust another speaker unless his own answers establish the claim. References: 114e. Lemma: πιστεύω.

ποδῶν (podōn)

A foot; feet and their shoes supply the first concrete distinction between something and what belongs to it. References: 128a. Lemma: πούς.

πόθεν (pothen)

From where or from what source; the question asks Alcibiades to account for the acquisition of his supposed knowledge. References: 110d. Lemma: πόθεν.

ποιήματά (poiēmata)

A poetic composition; the Iliad and Odyssey are invoked as poems concerning conflict over justice and injustice. References: 112b. Lemma: ποίημα.

πορρωτέρω (porrōterō)

Further away or more remote; artisans' objects of knowledge lie farther from the self than even its body in the relational hierarchy. References: 131a. Lemma: πορρωτέρω.

προδρομὰς (prodromas)

A running ahead or anticipation; Alcibiades tries to forestall Socrates' familiar question about the source of his knowledge. References: 114a. Lemma: προδρομή.

προθυμοῦ (prothymou)

To make an eager effort; Socrates urges Alcibiades not to tire of answering but to try to articulate the intended civic concord. References: 126e. Lemma: προθυμέομαι.

προθύμως (prothymōs)

Eagerly or willingly; Socrates expects an attentive hearing because Alcibiades himself wants to know what he has in mind. References: 104d. Lemma: προθύμως.

προσεῖπον (proseipon)

To address or speak to someone; this aorist expresses the personal approach that Socrates says he has withheld for years. References: 103a. Lemma: attested expression: προσεῖπον.

προσέχων γέ σοι τὸν νοῦν (prosechōn ge soi ton noun)

To direct one's attention to someone; Socrates claims continuing close attention as the basis for knowing Alcibiades' ambitions. References: 105a. Lemma: προσέχω τὸν νοῦν.

προσθήσω (prosthēsō)

To add; Socrates appends wealth to the catalogue of Alcibiades' existing advantages. References: 104b. Lemma: προστίθημι.

σιγῶν (sigōn)

To remain silent; Alcibiades recalls Socrates following without speech and now finds his explanation even stranger. References: 106a. Lemma: σιγάω.

σκευασίας (skeuasias)

Preparation or making ready; the preparation of a dish provides a clear case for leaving an unfamiliar task to someone competent. References: 117c. Lemma: σκευασία.

σμίλῃ (smilēi)

A knife or fine cutting tool; a concrete implement in the shoemaker analogy, not a metaphorical name for reason. References: 129c. Lemma: σμίλη.

σπιθαμῆς (spithamēs)

A span measured by the outstretched hand; comparing it with the cubit exemplifies agreement grounded in measurement. References: 126d. Lemma: σπιθαμή.

σπουδαίους (spoudaious)

Serious, competent or worthy; the many are challenged as reliable teachers of justice, rather than merely criticized for lacking solemn manners. References: 110e. Lemma: σπουδαῖος.

στέρεσθαι (steresthai)

To be deprived of or do without; willingness to lose courage is tested by asking what compensation Alcibiades would accept. References: 115d. Lemma: στερέω.

στρατιωτῶν (stratiōtōn)

A soldier; being better than ordinary soldiers is distinguished from being able to rival opposing commanders. References: 119e. Lemma: στρατιώτης.

στρώματα (strōmata)

Bedding or a covering spread out; paired with clothes as equipment belonging to the body in a supplied question printed by Burnet. References: 128a. Lemma: στρῶμα. This attestation belongs to Burnet’s supplied question at 128a; the edition translates it.

συμβαλλόντων (symballontōn)

To have dealings or enter relations with others; civic rule concerns people interacting with one another in a shared city. References: 125c. Lemma: συμβάλλω.

συμπόλλους (sympollous)

Very many together; the larger audience does not, in Socrates' argument, change the competence needed to persuade about something known. References: 114c. Lemma: σύμπολυς.

συνναυτῶν (synnautōn)

A fellow sailor or shipmate; superiority to one's own crew is an inadequate measure of preparation for combat. References: 119d. Lemma: συνναύτης.

συνοικεῖς (synoikeis)

To dwell or live together with; Alcibiades is pictured as cohabiting with extreme unlearnedness, making ignorance a persistent companion. References: 118b. Lemma: συνοικέω.

σφαλέντες (sphalentes)

To slip, go wrong or miss the object; a mistaken account of the self could lead them to care for something else without noticing. References: 132b. Lemma: σφάλλω.

τελέους (teleous)

Complete or fully developed; good birth joined to good upbringing is said to bring persons to maturity in excellence within the royal comparison. References: 120e. Lemma: τέλεος.

τέλος (telos)

Completion or fulfilment; Socrates claims that Alcibiades' designs cannot reach their end without him. References: 105d. Lemma: τέλος.

τέμνει (temnei)

To cut; the shoemaker's cutting distinguishes the agent from the cutting implements and then from the hands and eyes employed. References: 129c. Lemma: τέμνω.

τολμητέον (tolmēteon)

To dare or venture; the verbal adjective says that Socrates must nevertheless venture to reveal his intention. References: 104e. Lemma: τολμάω.

τομεῖ (tomei)

A cutting tool; one of the shoemaker's implements through which the user is distinguished from what he uses. References: 129c. Lemma: τομεύς.

τόπον (topon)

A place or region; the eye's seeing region and the soul's wise region are the relevant locations in the analogy, without a specified anatomical theory of soul. References: 133b. Lemma: τόπος.

τραύματα (traumata)

A wound; injury incurred while rescuing another supplies the respect in which an otherwise courageous action may be called bad. References: 115b. Lemma: τραῦμα.

τροφοῦ (trophou)

A nurse or person who rears a child; Socrates contrasts a nurse of little standing with the selected attendants assigned to a Persian heir. References: 121d. Lemma: τροφός.

τυφλότητος (typhlotētos)

Blindness; its departure and sight's presence make eyes better, illustrating a determinate improvement rather than a vague claim of better care. References: 126b. Lemma: τυφλότης.

ὑγιεινοὶ (hygieinoi)

Healthy or conducive to health according to context; here distinguishing healthy people from unhealthy ones requires relevant expertise. References: 111e. Lemma: ὑγιεινός.

ὑπάρχοντά (hyparchonta)

To be available or belong to someone; the existing advantages on which Alcibiades relies extend from bodily features to personal and social resources. References: 104a. Lemma: ὑπάρχω.

ὑπερβληθεὶς (hyperblētheis)

To surpass or outdo; each proud lover has been exceeded by Alcibiades in pride and has fled. References: 103b. Lemma: ὑπερβάλλω.

ὑπηρέτημα (hypēretēma)

A service or act of assistance; answering is introduced as the limited assistance that makes Socrates' demonstration possible. References: 106b. Lemma: ὑπηρέτημα.

ὑποδεέστεροι (hypodeesteroi)

Inferior or less well endowed; Alcibiades' admirers are represented as beaten because they fall below his own estimate of himself. References: 104c. Lemma: ὑποδεέστερος.

ὑπομένω (hypomenō)

To remain or hold one's ground; Socrates stays in the courtship after others have fled. References: 104c. Lemma: ὑπομένω.

ὑπόπτερον (hypopteron)

Winged; the returning love is pictured as a fledgling able to care for the love that brought it forth. References: 135e. Lemma: ὑπόπτερος.

ὑποψίαν (hypopsian)

Suspicion; Socrates says the Persian king's power leaves no suspicion that a royal heir could have another father. References: 121c. Lemma: ὑποψία.

φαυλότερα (phaulotera)

Inferior, ordinary or less important; the rules of draughts are judged less serious than justice, yet the many cannot competently teach even those rules. References: 110e. Lemma: φαῦλος.

φρουρεῖται (phroureitai)

To guard or keep watch over; the Persian queen is said to be guarded by fear itself rather than by an ordinary watch. References: 121c. Lemma: φρουρέω.

χαλεπὸν (chalepon)

Difficult or troublesome; addressing a beloved who is not inferior to his lovers is represented as a demanding undertaking. References: 104e. Lemma: χαλεπός.

χειρός (cheiros)

A hand; a ring belongs to a finger of the hand, while caring for the hand itself requires a different expertise from caring for its ornament. References: 128a. Lemma: χείρ.

χρὴ (chrē)

It is necessary or one ought; impersonal expression used for what a good teacher must possess: those who teach must first know their subject. References: 111a. Lemma: χρή.

ψεύδῃ (pseudēi)

To speak falsely; Socrates grants that Alcibiades is not lying about his beauty and stature, without granting the adequacy of those advantages for rule. References: 104a. Lemma: ψεύδομαι.