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Plato Bilingual Anthology : PAIDEIA - OUT OF THE CAVE

from Politeia, * 514a-518d, translated by B. Jowett
* Parts translated by Elpenor in <angle brackets>

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ELPENOR EDITIONS IN PRINT
Page 4

True, he <said,> now, <I replied>, suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he 's forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated? When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities. Not all in a moment, he said. He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven; and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day? Certainly. Last of he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as he is. Certainly. He will then proceed to argue that this is he who gives the season and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world, and in a certain way the cause of all things which he and his fellows have been accustomed to behold? Οὕτως͵ ἔφη. Εἰ δέ͵ ἦν δ΄ ἐγώ͵ ἐντεῦθεν ἕλκοι τις αὐτὸν βίᾳ διὰ τραχείας τῆς ἀναβάσεως καὶ ἀνάντους͵ καὶ μὴ ἀνείη πρὶν ἐξελκύσειεν εἰς τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου φῶς͵ ἆρα οὐχὶ ὀδυνᾶσθαί τε ἂν καὶ ἀγανακτεῖν ἑλκόμενον͵ καὶ ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἔλθοι͵ αὐγῆς ἂν ἔχοντα τὰ ὄμματα μεστὰ ὁρᾶν οὐδ΄ ἂν ἓν δύνασθαι τῶν νῦν λεγομένων ἀληθῶν; Οὐ γὰρ ἄν͵ ἔφη͵ ἐξαίφνης γε. Συνηθείας δὴ οἶμαι δέοιτ΄ ἄν͵ εἰ μέλλοι τὰ ἄνω ὄψεσθαι. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὰς σκιὰς ἂν ῥᾷστα καθορῷ͵ καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι τά τε τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων εἴδωλα͵ ὕστερον δὲ αὐτά· ἐκ δὲ τούτων τὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν νύκτωρ ἂν ῥᾷον θεάσαιτο͵ προσβλέπων τὸ τῶν ἄστρων τε καὶ σελήνης φῶς͵ ἢ μεθ΄ ἡμέραν τὸν ἥλιόν τε καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου. Πῶς δ΄ οὔ; Τελευταῖον δὴ οἶμαι τὸν ἥλιον͵ οὐκ ἐν ὕδασιν οὐδ΄ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ ἕδρᾳ φαντάσματα αὐτοῦ͵ ἀλλ΄ αὐτὸν καθ΄ αὑτὸν ἐν τῇ αὑτοῦ χώρᾳ δύναιτ΄ ἂν κατιδεῖν καὶ θεάσασθαι οἷός ἐστιν. Ἀναγκαῖον͵ ἔφη. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτ΄ ἂν ἤδη συλλογίζοιτο περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι οὗτος ὁ τάς τε ὥρας παρέχων καὶ ἐνιαυτοὺς καὶ πάντα ἐπιτροπεύων τὰ ἐν τῷ ὁρωμένῳ τόπῳ͵ καὶ ἐκείνων ὧν σφεῖς ἑώρων τρόπον τινὰ πάντων αἴτιος.
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Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-Greece/plato-paideia-cave.asp?pg=4