Practical expertise horses javelins and cities

Use in the book

Having clarified that he wants reputable civic leadership, Theages accepts that a would-be horseman should go to accomplished horsemen. Socrates emphasizes their repeated use of many horses, their own and others'. The javelin comparison repeats possession and practiced use (126b–c2). The ensuing political case describes statesmen as themselves skilled and accustomed to dealing with their own city and many others, Greek and non-Greek.

The examples give expertise a practical test. A name or general reputation is supported by familiarity with the activity across more than one case. Yet they leave the decisive educational inference open: does practical ability reliably make its possessor able to improve a particular pupil? Theages' objection about the statesmen's sons targets that very inference. This is why an account of the examples must include the response rather than stopping with an apparently successful analogy.

The possessive contrast also changes its stakes. Horses and javelins are instruments or objects used by an expert. Cities are communities of people with which a statesman deals. The language creates an analogy without erasing that difference. The passage does not license treating political subjects as owned objects, and Theages has just required their willingness.

Places to read

1. 126bοἷς εἰσίν τε ἵπποι — The printed reading identifies men who have horses
2. 126bκαὶ οἰκείοις καὶ ἀλλοτρίοις πολλοῖς — Practice includes many of their own and others'
3. 126b–c2πολλοῖς καὶ ἀλλοτρίοις καὶ οἰκείοις … ἀκοντίοις — The javelin example repeats the pattern
4. 126cκαὶ Ἑλληνίσιν προσομιλοῦντας πόλεσιν καὶ βαρβάροις — The statesmen's dealings extend across Greek and non-Greek cities

Translation in this edition

At 126b Burnet adopts the variant “who have horses”, while the source reports that B, T and W read “who are skilled in horsemanship”. The translation follows the adopted variant. That choice supports the possession-and-use parallel but should not be represented as unanimous manuscript wording. “Barbarian” renders the Greek/non-Greek contrast here, without a further claim about the populations' capacities.

Greek — Ἑλληνίς (Hellēnis)

Ἑλληνίς (Hellēnis)

Greek. Qualifies cities with which statesmen deal; part of the range of their experience. Attested: Ἑλληνίσιν (126c). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Have dealings with — προσομιλεῖν (prosomilein)

προσομιλεῖν (prosomilein)

Have dealings with. The statesmen's practical dealings with Greek and non-Greek cities. Attested: προσομιλοῦντας (126c). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Horseman — ἱππεύς (hippeus)

ἱππεύς (hippeus)

Horseman. The skilled rider Theages would want to become in the hypothetical example. Attested: ἱππεύς (126b). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Horses — ἵππος (hippos) · ἵπποι (126b).

ἵππος (hippos)

Horses. The animals possessed and repeatedly used in the adopted reading that grounds the practical-experience comparison. Attested: ἵπποι (126b). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Javelin throwing — ἀκοντιστικός (akontistikos)

ἀκοντιστικός (akontistikos)

Javelin throwing. The neuter plural names the skill one would acquire from experienced javelin-throwers. Attested: ἀκοντιστικὰ (126b). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Javelins — ἀκόντιον (akontion)

ἀκόντιον (akontion)

Javelins. The instruments held and used in many cases, one's own and others', by the experts. Attested: ἀκόντια (126b). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Non Greek or barbarian — βάρβαρος (barbaros)

βάρβαρος (barbaros)

Non Greek or barbarian. Qualifies the other cities in the Greek/non-Greek contrast, without an argument about their inherent abilities. Attested: βαρβάροις (126c). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Others own — ἀλλότριος (allotrios)

ἀλλότριος (allotrios)

Others own. Contrasts resources belonging to others with one's own in the breadth-of-experience comparison. Attested: ἀλλοτρίοις (126b). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Skilled in horsemanship — ἱππικός (hippikos)

ἱππικός (hippikos)

Skilled in horsemanship. The people a prospective horseman would naturally approach for the corresponding competence. Attested: ἱππικούς (126b). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Use — χρῆσθαι (chrēsthai) · χρῶνται (126b).

χρῆσθαι (chrēsthai)

Use. Practical use of horses in repeated experience; the verb later extends to dealing with cities. Attested: χρῶνται (126b). Practical expertise horses javelins and cities.

Own and others resources (contextual phrase)

126b: καὶ οἰκείοις καὶ ἀλλοτρίοις πολλοῖς. The coordinated adjectives refer to horses in the first example, with many cases of one's own and others' animals. Javelins and then cities extend the pattern. The repeated contrast supports experienced competence across cases; it does not automatically establish teaching ability or imply that cities are owned as horses are. See Practical expertise.