Witness

Use in the book

Theages says his father already knows what he wants and presents ignorance deliberately. He describes the refusal of introductions as another way his father fights him (123a). Socrates does not decide the accusation on the strength of either party's prior report. Instead he asks Theages to make him a witness and state the desired wisdom in his presence (123b). The absent record of past conversations is replaced by an answer both can hear now.

The witness motif gives philosophical clarification a concrete interpersonal function. Determining the object of desire may change what counts as adequate care or unreasonable obstruction. Socrates' hypothetical examples retain the son's accusation against an unwilling father, but specify what the father would supposedly have failed to provide. A blameworthy refusal becomes intelligible only when the proposed benefit is identified.

Once tyranny appears to be the desired result, the courtroom coloring becomes comic. Socrates calls the boy a rascal and reproaches Demodocus for being ashamed neither of his knowledge nor of withholding an appropriate instructor (124e–125a). He says the boy has spoken against him before a witness and proposes joint deliberation. The accusation of begrudging education is voiced by Socrates as part of this teasing reversal; it should not be recorded as the dialogue's established diagnosis of the father's motives.

The painter hypothetical later reverses the son's position: how would he respond to a child who demanded competence while rejecting the practitioners (126d–127a2)? This asks him to judge the practical difficulty from the father's side. It does not erase his substantive objection that statesmen may be unable to transmit their wisdom.

At 128d Socrates again promises witnesses, now for the daimonic's action. That second use has a different evidential burden: named people and reported outcomes are offered to support extraordinary claims. The initial witness observes an answer directly; the later witnesses can allegedly confirm past events. The recurrence supports attention to evidence without treating the two contexts as identical proof procedures.

Places to read

1. 123aμάχεταί τε — Theages characterizes his father's conduct as fighting him
2. 123a–b2ἄνευ μαρτύρων; ἐμὲ ποίησαι μάρτυρα — Socrates proposes to witness the boy's present statement
3. 123bμέμφῃ τῷ πατρὶ — Blame of the father is incorporated into the hypothetical
4. 125aφθονεῖς τε αὐτῷ; κατείρηκέ σου — Begrudging and speaking against the father appear in the comic reproach
5. 125aοὐκ αἰσχύνῃ — Socrates asks whether Demodocus is ashamed
6. 128dμάρτυρας παρέξομαι — Socrates promises witnesses to the daimonic sign's action

Translation in this edition

“Speak out” at 123b and “spoken out against you” at 125a track the change in kateipein's object and function. “Begrudge” distinguishes phthonein here from the son's earlier emulation or envy, expressed by zēloun. The lexical difference matters: similar English emotional descriptions belong to different speakers and argumentative situations.

Are ashamed — αἰσχύνεσθαι (aischynesthai)

αἰσχύνεσθαι (aischynesthai)

Are ashamed. Socrates' mock reproach toward the father for withholding the supposed education. Attested: αἰσχύνῃ (125a). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Begrudge — φθονεῖν (phthonein)

φθονεῖν (phthonein)

Begrudge. A motive jokingly charged against Demodocus, not established as the true reason for refusal. Attested: φθονεῖς (125a). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Blame — μέμφεσθαι (memphesthai) · μέμφῃ (123b).

μέμφεσθαι (memphesthai)

Blame. The son's reproach is retained within the hypothetical pilot example. Attested: μέμφῃ (123b). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Fights — μάχεσθαι (machesthai)

μάχεσθαι (machesthai)

Fights. The boy's adversarial description of the father's refusal. Attested: μάχεταί (123a). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

On purpose — ἐξεπίτηδες (exepitēdes)

ἐξεπίτηδες (exepitēdes)

On purpose. The boy attributes deliberate pretended ignorance to the father. Attested: ἐξεπίτηδες (123a). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Speak out — κατειπεῖν (kateipein)

κατειπεῖν (kateipein)

Speak out. Theages is asked to declare clearly which wisdom he desires. Attested: κάτειπε (123b). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Has spoken against — κατειπεῖν (kateipein)

κατειπεῖν (kateipein)

Has spoken against. The boy's statement is treated comically as an accusation made before Socrates. Attested: κατείρηκέ (125a). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Witnesses — μάρτυς (martys)

μάρτυς (martys)

Witnesses. Earlier exchanges between father and son are treated as effectively unwitnessed. Attested: μαρτύρων (123a–b2). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Witness — μάρτυς (martys) · μάρτυρα (123b).

μάρτυς (martys)

Witness. Socrates asks to witness the boy's present specification directly. Attested: μάρτυρα (123b). Witness, accusation, and family conflict.

Before a witness (contextual phrase)

123b: νυνὶ δὲ ἐμὲ ποίησαι μάρτυρα. Socrates invites Theages to make him a witness to a clear statement of the desired wisdom. Earlier exchanges with the father are treated as having occurred without witnesses. This creates a shared present record rather than deciding who was truthful about all past quarrels. Later witnesses concern reports about the sign, a related evidential word in a different setting. See Witness and conflict.

Use in the book

Companions are witnesses of the glory that a solitary creature could not share with anyone but God. Their presence makes recognition and communicated delight possible. This is not merely a desire for applause; it follows the claim that love’s gifts become more abundant through additional enjoyers.

The faithful witness also belongs to scriptural language. Christ bears the title in the account of the divine throne, while enduring universal love is compared to a stable witness in heaven. The uses connect trustworthy manifestation with personal presence, but they should not all be reduced to courtroom evidence or to the emotional need to be watched.

Places to read

1. I.68Other persons are witnesses and spectators of the creature’s glory.
2. IV.69Comprehensive love is compared to a faithful heavenly witness.
3. IV.72Faithful witness appears among Christ’s scriptural titles.

In this edition

Witness in I.68 emphasizes beholding; in IV.72 it is a title of Christ with biblical resonance. Keep the difference rather than assuming a single technical doctrine of testimony.