Building and shipbuilding · Lexicon

From the book

Alcibiades I

Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Orientation

At a Glance

The wordΟἰκοδομία is building and οἰκοδόμος a builder.
In Alcibiades IAt 107a Socrates rules out building as the topic of Alcibiades' intended address: a builder would advise the Athenians better.
In this editionThe distinction between “building ships” and “piloting” is lexical as well as practical.
A place to readA builder gives better advice about building.

Meaning

Οἰκοδομία is building and οἰκοδόμος a builder. Ναυπηγία is shipbuilding; ναυπηγεῖσθαι here concerns having ships built. Constructing a ship is distinct from piloting it, just as deciding civic policy is distinct from either craft.

Use in the book

At 107a Socrates rules out building as the topic of Alcibiades' intended address: a builder would advise the Athenians better. When Alcibiades later says he will speak about their own affairs, Socrates tests whether that means what ships to have built (107c). The young man admits shipbuilding is excluded because he does not know it.

The two examples establish an important restriction. A matter's belonging to the city does not make it the proper subject of every aspiring politician. Collective ownership or public consequences do not abolish differences of knowledge. Alcibiades must state which kind of civic business he understands rather than claiming authority over the whole category.

The dialogue later criticizes walls, warships, and dockyards without virtue as insufficient for civic happiness (134b). That does not reverse the builder's expertise. It places the city's use and valuation of material resources under an additional ethical requirement.

Places to read

107aA builder gives better advice about building
107cAlcibiades admits that lack of shipbuilding knowledge excludes this civic subject
134bBuilt defenses and naval resources cannot secure happiness without virtue

Translation in this edition

The distinction between “building ships” and “piloting” is lexical as well as practical. The infinitive ναυπηγεῖσθαι concerns what vessels the Athenians should have constructed; it should not be translated as knowing how to sail them.

ναυπηγία / ναυπηγέω

Attested: ναυπηγίας (naupēgias; 107c). At 107c: The construction of the city’s ships, excluded because Alcibiades lacks the skill. Lexical identification: family label: ναυπηγία / ναυπηγέω. See Building and shipbuilding.

οἰκοδομία / οἰκοδόμος

Attested: οἰκοδομίας (oikodomias; 107a); Οἰκοδόμος (oikodomos; 107a). At 107a: Building as a civic topic requiring the builder’s advice. At 107a: The builder, competent to advise better than Alcibiades in this domain. Lexical identification: family label: οἰκοδομία / οἰκοδόμος. See Building and shipbuilding.