Plato · Complete work
Stephanus 25b
Stephanus 25b of 125. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Ancient Greek
βελτίους ποιοῦντες αὐτοὺς πάντες ἄνθρωποι εἶναι, εἷς δέ τις ὁ διαφθείρων; ἢ τοὐναντίον τούτου πᾶν εἷς μέν τις ὁ βελτίους οἷός τʼ ὢν ποιεῖν ἢ πάνυ ὀλίγοι, οἱ ἱππικοί, οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ ἐάνπερ συνῶσι καὶ χρῶνται ἵπποις, διαφθείρουσιν; οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει, ὦ Μέλητε, καὶ περὶ ἵππων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ζῴων; πάντως δήπου, ἐάντε σὺ καὶ Ἄνυτος οὐ φῆτε ἐάντε φῆτε· πολλὴ γὰρ ἄν τις εὐδαιμονία εἴη περὶ τοὺς νέους εἰ εἷς μὲν μόνος αὐτοὺς διαφθείρει, οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the complete Ancient Greek text across all 125 Stephanus sections for fidelity, philosophical precision, Socratic voice, legal clarity, and structure.
with all mankind making them better and only one person corrupting them? Or is the very opposite true: that one person, or a very few—the horse trainers—are able to improve them, while most people, if they associate with horses and make use of them, corrupt them? Is that not how matters stand, Meletus, with horses and with every other kind of animal? Surely it is, whether you and Anytus deny it or admit it. For the young would indeed enjoy extraordinary good fortune if only one person corrupted them, while all the others
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 125 Ancient Greek Stephanus sections.
Does everyone make them better, while only one person corrupts them? Or is the exact opposite true: only one person, or a very few—the horse trainers—are capable of improving horses, while most people, if they associate with horses and make use of them, corrupt them? Isn’t that how it is, Meletus, both with horses and with every other animal? Of course it is, whether you and Anytus deny it or admit it. Young people would certainly be extraordinarily fortunate if only one person corrupted them while everyone else benefited them.