From the book
The Lovers
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
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At a Glance
- The wordTa deutereia is the neuter plural expression for the second prizes or second honors.
- In The LoversAt 136a “holding the second prizes” makes qualified excellence attractive.
- In this edition“Second prizes” preserves the concrete competitive idiom.
- A place to readτὰ δευτερεῖα δ’ ἔχοντας τῶν ἄλλων περιεῖναι — Second honors coexist with superiority to the remaining people.
Meaning
Ta deutereia is the neuter plural expression for the second prizes or second honors. Deuteros means second; prōtos means first. The article ta belongs to the prize phrase, not to a separate technical term. The passage moves freely between the image of honors and the ranking those honors express: the pentathlete is second to specialists but first among the other athletes.
Use in the book
At 136a “holding the second prizes” makes qualified excellence attractive. The generalist is not merely failing to attain the summit; he possesses an acknowledged distinction. The cultivated lover can accept second place relative to experts because it still guarantees superiority in the ordinary audience. Socrates’ image translates social accomplishment into an intelligible hierarchy.
The final question repeats the prize expression twice (138e). Is the philosopher to hold the second prizes in the newly identified governing craft, or must he refuse second rank in ordering his household? The repetition makes the change of standard unmistakable. What counted as an attractive compromise among technical subjects becomes inadequate when the person himself bears the responsibility to judge rightly.
The following phrase “second or third” widens the reproach from one precise runner-up position to failure to lead in an entrusted task. It is not a theory of athletic scoring or an assertion that the philosopher must win every intellectual competition. Its scope is the household, arbitrations entrusted by friends and decisions assigned by the city. The vocabulary of rank remains, but it is redirected toward responsible performance rather than the pursuit of a reputation for breadth.
Places to read
- 136aτὰ δευτερεῖα δ’ ἔχοντας τῶν ἄλλων περιεῖναι — Second honors coexist with superiority to the remaining people.
- 138eοὐδὲ τὰ δευτερεῖα ἐν τούτῳ ἑκτέον — The philosopher must not accept second prizes in his own household responsibility.
- 139aδεύτερον φαίνεσθαι ἢ τρίτον — The final shame concerns failing to lead in entrusted judgment.
Translation in this edition
“Second prizes” preserves the concrete competitive idiom. It should not be read as evidence for the exact awards or scoring procedure of the ancient pentathlon; the text uses the sporting image to arrange relative competence. The argumentative point survives without reconstructing those historical details.