51.1 Εἰς ποῖον ἔτι χρόνον ἀναβάλλῃ τὸ τῶν βελτίστων ἀξιοῦν σεαυτὸν καὶ ἐν μηδενὶ παραβαίνειν τὸν αἱροῦντα λόγον; παρείληφας τὰ θεωρήματα· οἷς ἔδει συμβάλλειν συμβέβληκας. ποῖον ἔτι διδάσκαλον προσδοκᾷς, ἵνα εἰς ἐκεῖνον ὑπερθῇ τὴν ἐπανόρθωσιν ποιῆσαι τὴν σεαυτοῦ; οὐκέτι εἶ μειράκιον, ἀλλὰ ἀνὴρ ἤδη τέλειος. ἂν νῦν ἀμελήσῃς καὶ ῥᾳθυμήσῃς καὶ ἀεὶ ὑπερθέσεις ἐκ ὑπερθέσεων ποιῇ καὶ ἡμέρας ἄλλας ἐπ' ἄλλαις ὁρίζῃς μεθ' ἃς προσέξεις σεαυτῷ, λήσεις σεαυτὸν οὐ προκόψας, ἀλλ' ἰδιώτης διατελέσεις καὶ ζῶν καὶ ἀποθνῄσκων. 51.2 ἤδη οὖν ἀξίωσον σεαυτὸν βιοῦν ὡς τέλειον, ὡς προκόπτοντα· καὶ πᾶν τὸ βέλτιστον φαινόμενον ἔστω σοι νόμος ἀπαράβατος. κἂν ἐπίπονόν τι ἢ ἡδὺ ἢ ἔνδοξον ἢ ἄδοξον προσάγηται, μέμνησο ὅτι νῦν ὁ ἀγὼν, καὶ ὅτι ἤδη πάρεστι τὰ Ὀλύμπια καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀναβαλέσθαι οὐκέτι, καὶ ὅτι παρὰ μίαν ἧτταν καὶ ἔνδοσιν καὶ ἀπόλλυται προκοπὴ καὶ σῴζεται. 51.3 Σωκράτης οὕτως ἀπετελέσθη, ἐπὶ πάντων προάγων ἑαυτὸν μηδενὶ ἄλλῳ προσέχειν ἢ τῷ λόγῳ· σὺ δὲ εἰ καὶ μήπω εἶ Σωκράτης, ὡς Σωκράτης γε εἶναι βουλόμενος ὀφείλεις βιοῦν.
notes
The Contest Is Now
The “Olympic games” are here (cf. Diss. 3.15.2 ff.), and a single defeat will jeopardize your philosophical progress. Socrates followed only reason; if you cannot be a Socrates, at least emulate him.
Εἰς ποῖον … χρόνον: “for how long?”
ἀναβάλλῃ: 2 sg. pres. mid. ind. with future sense (S. 1879) and present-progressive aspect, “how long are you going to keep putting off?”
τὸν αἱροῦντα λόγον: “the persuading reason” = “correct thinking” (Smith 2014). See also the note on αἱρεῖ ὁ λόγος in 32.3, and LSJ αἱρέω A.II.5.
παρείληφας: > παραλαμβάνω, 2 sg. perf. act. ind.
οἷς: antecedent omitted (G. 614; S. 2509), “(with those) with whom,” dative after συμβέβληκας (λόγους), “you have had discussions with” (LSJ συμβάλλω A.I.10), 2 sg. perf. act. ind.
ὑπερθῇ: 2 sg. aor. mid. subj. in a result clause after ἵνα (= ὅπως, a Koine Greek feature)
ποιῇ: 2nd sg. pres. mid. subj.
ἡμέρας ἄλλας ἐπ' ἄλλαις: “one day after another”
λήσεις: 2 sg. fut. act. ind. of λανθάνω + a supplementary participle. “You will escape your notice not progressing,” “without realizing it you will make no progress” (G. 585; S. 2096).
51.2
πᾶν τὸ βέλτιστον φαινόμενον: “everything that seems best to you,” subject of ἔστω, 3 sg. pres. act. imper.
οὐκ ἔστιν ... οὐκέτι: “it is no longer possible”
51.3
οὕτως ἀπετελέσθη: 3 sg. aor. pass. ind., “became whο he was”
προάγων ἑαυτὸν: present participle expressing means (S. 2063), “by persuading himself to,” “by resolving to” + infin. (LSJ προάγω I.A.4)
εἰ καὶ: “even if” (S. 2375)
vocabulary
ἀναβάλλω, ἀναβαλῶ, ἀνέβαλον, to put off
βέλτιστος, -η, -ον, best, most excellent
παραβαίνω, παραβήσομαι, παρέβην, to transgress
παραλαμβάνω, παραλήψομαι, παρέλαβον, to receive, invite
θεώρημα, -ατος, τό, philosophical principle
συμβάλλω, συμβαλῶ, συνέβαλον, to join together, to discuss
διδάσκαλος, -ου, ὁ and ἡ, a teacher
προσδοκάω, προσδοκήσω, -εδόκησα, to expect, wait for
ὑπερτίθημι, ὑπερθήσω, ὑπερέθηκα, to defer, put off
ἐπανόρθωσις,-εως, ἡ, a correcting, improvement
μειράκιον,-ου, τό, a boy
τέλειος,-α,-ον, full-grown, adult
ἀμελέω, αμελήσω, ἠμέλησα, to be neglectful
ῥᾳθυμέω, ῥᾳθυμήσω, εῥᾳθύμησα, to leave off work, to be remiss
ὑπέρθεσις, -εως, ἡ, delay
ὁρίζω, ὁριῶ, ὥρισα, to fix, set
προσέχω, προσέξω, προσχήσω, to hold to, turn to; pay attention to, be intent on + dat.; beware + μή + subj.
προκόπτω, προκόψω, προέκοψα, to advance; in Stoic terminology: to progress morally and philosophically
ἰδιώτης, -ου, ὁ, a private person, layman, common man; a non-philosopher
διατελέω, διατελέσω, ἐδιατέλεσα, to continue being or doing
51.2
ἀξιόω, ἀξιόσομαι, ἠξίωσα, to think (oneself) worthy or fit
βιόω, βιώσομαι, ἐβίωσα, to live
ἀπαράβατος,-ον, unalterable, unbreakable
ἐπίπονος,-η,-ον, painful
ἔνδοξος,-η,-ον, held in honor
ἄδοξος, -ον, without glory, inglorious
προσάγω, to approach
Ὀλύμπια,-ας, ἡ, Olympic games
ἀναβάλλω,-βάλῶ -έβαλον, to put off
ἧττα,-ης, ἡ defeat
ἔνδοσις,-εως, ἡ, yielding, giving way
προκοπή,- ῆς, ἡ, progress
51.3
ἀποτελέω, ἀποτελέσω, ἀπετέλεσα, to accomplish; (pass.) to become, turn out to be
προάγω,-άξω,-ήγαγον, to bring to, induce, persuade
μήπω, (adv.) not yet
ὀφείλω, ὀφειλήσω, ὠφείλησα, to owe, to be bound to, ought to