{ "schema": "prokopton42-public-passage-v1", "id": "plato.cratylus", "canonical_url": "https://prokopton42.com/en/works/plato/cratylus/reference-421/", "language": "en", "title": "Cratylus", "author": "Plato", "date": "c. 390-360 BCE", "summary": "Hermogenes, Cratylus, and Socrates debate the correctness of names: does it arise from convention or natural fit with things? Proliferating etymologies eventually move inquiry from language toward knowledge of reality.", "learning": "Compare conventionalism with naturalism, assess the function of etymology, and understand why language cannot be the sole criterion of reality.", "long_summary": "Socrates criticizes the idea that anyone can name arbitrarily, then explores with sometimes comic virtuosity resemblances among sounds, letters, and essences. The method first seems to support Cratylus’ naturalism before revealing contradictions.\n\nThe dialogue offers no simple linguistic theory. Names can guide or deceive and depend on a fallible name-giver. Knowledge of things must therefore provide an independent criterion, even though access to reality is precisely what remains disputed.", "historical_context": "The corpus manifests do not yet establish the precise place and circumstances of composition. The images below document the author’s world or the text’s transmission. They do not claim to show the exact scene of writing.", "material_world_label": "Classical Greek world, 5th century BCE", "material_world": { "technology": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water.", "science": "Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments.", "medicine": "Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common.", "transport": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies.", "agriculture": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war.", "communication": "Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media.", "clothing": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes." }, "material_world_scenes": [ { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-01.webp", "title": "Technology, science, and care", "description": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water. Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments. Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common." }, { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-02.webp", "title": "Travel and communication", "description": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies. Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media." }, { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-03.webp", "title": "Farming and food", "description": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war." }, { "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-04.webp", "title": "Clothing, women and men", "description": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes." } ], "intellectual_tradition": { "id": "platonism", "label": "Socratic and Platonic thought" }, "period": { "id": "ancient", "label": "Antiquity" }, "languages": [ "grc", "en", "fr" ], "manifestations": [ { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/cratylus/representations/grc.ndjson", "language": "grc", "records": 58, "role": "original", "sha256": "2842854660ce3b3ad61fe05821c5daa0b2659b0149cb0eb618ea79156f99a2da", "source_id": "perseus-plato-cratylus-grc" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/cratylus/representations/en.ndjson", "language": "en", "records": 58, "role": "historical_translation", "sha256": "5d3dc07c6546bd0e46cb06bce7e4206530d866c3dbdd3c107d09cb00350699bb", "source_id": "perseus-plato-cratylus-en" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/cratylus/representations/ai-generated/fr-gpt-5-6-sol-corpus-passage-translation-v1.ndjson", "generated_on": "2026-09-11", "language": "fr", "model": "gpt-5.6-sol", "official_status": "non_official", "prompt_version": "corpus-passage-translation-v1", "provider": "codex_subscription", "records": 58, "role": "ai_generated_translation_non_official", "sha256": "a90bfe8294506bf4119830cb6a659a6b8a8d9fb2de7a887cbbefe2c7787dc16a", "source_id": "prokopton42-codex-translation:gpt-5.6-sol:corpus-passage-translation-v1", "translation_type": "ai_generated_translation" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/cratylus_fr_carrier/representations/fr.ndjson", "language": "fr", "records": 1, "role": "historical_translation", "sha256": "cdc0ce6d2db8f2256809a59e895b854ba39d5f7953c98a0101246eca8db8c343", "source_id": "wikisource-cousin-cratylus-fr-01" }, { "coverage": "complete", "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/cratylus_fr_carrier/representations/ai-generated/en-gpt-5-6-sol-corpus-passage-translation-v1.ndjson", "generated_on": "2026-09-11", "language": "en", "model": "gpt-5.6-sol", "official_status": "non_official", "prompt_version": "corpus-passage-translation-v1", "provider": "codex_subscription", "records": 1, "role": "ai_generated_translation_non_official", "sha256": "a47e06a9011ba02a654f7c64e362f5f0d8a1150a1821a0b94d72852ed44079a4", "source_id": "prokopton42-codex-translation:gpt-5.6-sol:corpus-passage-translation-v1", "translation_type": "ai_generated_translation" } ], "concepts": [ { "id": "care_of_soul", "label": "Care of the soul" }, { "id": "dialectic", "label": "Dialectic" }, { "id": "family", "label": "Family" }, { "id": "justice", "label": "Justice" }, { "id": "logos_nature", "label": "Logos of nature" }, { "id": "mode", "label": "Mode" }, { "id": "philosophical_eros", "label": "Philosophical eros" }, { "id": "probable_judgment", "label": "Probable judgment" }, { "id": "reason", "label": "Reason" }, { "id": "sin", "label": "Sin" }, { "id": "time", "label": "Time" }, { "id": "tranquillity", "label": "Tranquillity" }, { "id": "truth", "label": "Truth" } ], "source_work_ids": [ "plato.cratylus", "plato.cratylus_fr_carrier" ], "passages": 58, "word_count": 24169, "word_counts_by_language": { "en": 24169, "fr": 24685, "grc": 19056 }, "editorial_status": "gpt_5_6_semantic_draft_v1", "structure": { "citation_scheme": "plato-stephanus-page-v1", "kind": "native", "levels": [ { "key": "stephanus_page", "label_fr": "Page Stephanus", "label_en": "Stephanus page" } ], "leaf_fr": "Passage", "leaf_en": "Passage" }, "canonical_passage_id": "passage:plato.cratylus:421", "canonical_ref": "421", "canonical_parent_ref": null, "canonical_parent_id": null, "representations": [ { "language": "grc", "text": "ΕΡΜ. ἐρωτῶ δὴ τὰ μέγιστα καὶ τὰ κάλλιστα, τήν τε ἀλήθειαν καὶ τὸ ψεῦδος καὶ τὸ ὂν καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο περὶ ὧν νῦν ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν ἐστιν, ὄνομα, διʼ ὅτι τὸ ὄνομα ἔχει. ΣΩ. μαίεσθαι οὖν καλεῖς τι; ΕΡΜ. ἔγωγε, τό γε ζητεῖν. ΣΩ. ἔοικε τοίνυν ἐκ λόγου ὀνόματι συγκεκροτημένῳ, λέγοντος ὅτι τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ὄν , οὗ τυγχάνει ζήτημα ὄν , τὸ ὄνομα. μᾶλλον δὲ ἂν αὐτὸ γνοίης ἐν ᾧ λέγομεν τὸ ὀνομαστόν · ἐνταῦθα γὰρ σαφῶς λέγει τοῦτο εἶναι ὂν οὗ μάσμα ἐστίν . ἡ δʼ ἀλήθεια, καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἄλλοις ἔοικε συγκεκροτῆσθαι · ἡ γὰρ θεία τοῦ ὄντος φορὰ ἔοικε προσειρῆσθαι τούτῳ τῷ ῥήματι, τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ὡς θεία οὖσα ἄλη . τὸ δὲ ψεῦδος τοὐναντίον τῇ φορᾷ· πάλιν γὰρ αὖ λοιδορούμενον ἥκει τὸ ἰσχόμενον καὶ τὸ ἀναγκαζόμενον ἡσυχάζειν, ἀπείκασται δὲ τοῖς καθ εύδουσι · τὸ ψεῖ δὲ προσγενόμενον ἐπικρύπτει τὴν βούλησιν τοῦ ὀνόματος. τὸ δὲ ὂν καὶ ἡ οὐσία ὁμολογεῖ τῷ ἀληθεῖ, τὸ ἰῶτα ἀπολαβόν· ἰὸν γὰρ σημαίνει, καὶ τὸ οὐκ ὂν αὖ, ὥς τινες καὶ ὀνομάζουσιν αὐτό, οὐκ ἰόν. ΕΡΜ. ταῦτα μέν μοι δοκεῖς, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἀνδρείως πάνυ διακεκροτηκέναι· εἰ δέ τίς σε ἔροιτο τοῦτο τὸ ἰὸν καὶ τὸ ῥέον καὶ τὸ δοῦν, τίνα ἔχει ὀρθότητα ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα— ΣΩ. τί ἂν αὐτῷ ἀποκριναίμεθα; λέγεις; ἦ γάρ; ΕΡΜ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν. ΣΩ. ἓν μὲν τοίνυν ἄρτι που ἐπορισάμεθα ὥστε δοκεῖν τὶ λέγειν ἀποκρινόμενοι. ΕΡΜ. τὸ ποῖον τοῦτο; ΣΩ. φάναι, ὃ ἂν μὴ γιγνώσκωμεν, βαρβαρικόν τι τοῦτʼ εἶναι. εἴη μὲν οὖν ἴσως ἄν τι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τοιοῦτον αὐτῶν, εἴη δὲ κἂν ὑπὸ παλαιότητος τὰ πρῶτα τῶν ὀνομάτων ἀνεύρετα εἶναι· διὰ γὰρ τὸ πανταχῇ στρέφεσθαι τὰ ὀνόματα, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἂν εἰ ἡ παλαιὰ φωνὴ πρὸς τὴν νυνὶ βαρβαρικῆς μηδὲν διαφέρει. ΕΡΜ. καὶ οὐδέν γε ἀπὸ τρόπου λέγεις. ΣΩ. λέγω γὰρ οὖν εἰκότα. οὐ μέντοι μοι δοκεῖ προφάσεις ἀγὼν δέχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ προθυμητέον ταῦτα διασκέψασθαι. ἐνθυμηθῶμεν δέ, εἴ τις ἀεί, διʼ ὧν ἂν λέγηται τὸ ὄνομα, ἐκεῖνα ἀνερήσεται τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ αὖθις αὖ διʼ ὧν ἂν τὰ ῥήματα λεχθῇ, ἐκεῖνα πεύσεται, καὶ τοῦτο μὴ παύσεται ποιῶν, ἆρʼ οὐκ ἀνάγκη τελευτῶντα ἀπειπεῖν τὸν ἀποκρινόμενον;", "edition": "perseus-plato-cratylus-grc", "source_id": "perseus-plato-cratylus-grc", "translation_type": "original" }, { "language": "en", "text": "Hermogenes. I ask, then, about the greatest and noblest words, truth ( ἀλήθεια ), falsehood ( ψεῦδος ), being ( τὸ ὄν ), and why name, the subject of our whole discourse, has the name ὄνομα . Socrates. Does the word μαίσθαι (search) mean anything to you? Hermogenes. Yes, it means seek. Socrates. The word ὄνομα seems to be a word composed from a sentence signifying this is a being about which our search is. You can recognize that more readily in the adjective ὀνομαστόν , for that says clearly that this is ὄν οὗ μάσμα ἐστίν (being of which the search is). And ἀλήθεια (truth) is like the others; for the divine motion of the universe is, I think, called by this name, ἀλήθεια , because it is a divine wandering θεία ἄλη . But ψεῦδος (falsehood) is the opposite of motion; for once more that which is held back and forced to be quiet is found fault with, and it is compared to slumberers ( εὕουσι ); but the addition of the psi conceals the meaning of the word. The words τὸ ὄν (being) and οὐσία (existence) agree with ἀληθής with the loss of iota, for they mean going ( ἰόν ). And οὐκ ὄν (not being) means οὐκ ἰόν (not going), and indeed some people pronounce it so. Hermogenes. I think you have knocked these words to pieces manfully, Socrates; but if anyone should ask you what propriety or correctness there was in these words that you have employed— ἰόν and ρἕον and δοῦν — Socrates. What answer should I make? Is that your meaning? Hermogenes. Yes, exactly. Socrates. We acquired just now one way of making an answer with a semblance of sense in it. Hermogenes. What way was that? Socrates. Saying, if there is a word we do not know about, that it is of foreign origin. Now this may be true of some of them, and also on account of the lapse of time it may be impossible to find out about the earliest words; for since words get twisted in all sorts of ways, it would not be in the least wonderful if the ancient Greek word should be identical with the modern foreign one. Hermogenes. That is not unlikely. Socrates. It is indeed quite probable. However, we must play the game and investigate these questions vigorously. But let us bear in mind that if a person asks about the words by means of which names are formed, and again about those by means of which those words were formed, and keeps on doing this indefinitely, he who answers his questions will at last give up; will he not? Hermogenes. Yes, I think so.", "translator": "Benjamin Jowett", "edition": "perseus-plato-cratylus-en", "source_id": "perseus-plato-cratylus-en", "translation_type": "historical_human_translation" }, { "language": "fr", "text": "Hermogène. Je t’interroge donc sur les mots les plus grands et les plus nobles : vérité (ἀλήθεια), fausseté (ψεῦδος), être (τὸ ὄν), et je te demande pourquoi le nom, qui est le sujet de tout notre entretien, porte le nom ὄνομα.\n\nSocrate. Le mot μαίσθαι, chercher, signifie-t-il quelque chose pour toi ?\n\nHermogène. Oui, il signifie rechercher.\n\nSocrate. Le mot ὄνομα paraît composé à partir d’une phrase signifiant : « ceci est un être qui fait l’objet de notre recherche ». Tu peux le reconnaître plus aisément dans l’adjectif ὀνομαστόν, car celui-ci dit clairement que « ceci est l’être dont il y a recherche » (ὄν οὗ μάσμα ἐστίν). Et ἀλήθεια, la vérité, ressemble aux autres mots. Le mouvement divin de l’univers est, je pense, appelé ἀλήθεια parce qu’il est une errance divine, θεία ἄλη. Mais ψεῦδος, la fausseté, est le contraire du mouvement. Une fois encore, ce qui est retenu et contraint au repos est blâmé, et comparé à ceux qui dorment (εὕουσι). Mais l’ajout du psi dissimule le sens du mot. Les expressions τὸ ὄν, l’être, et οὐσία, l’existence, s’accordent avec ἀληθής, vrai, une fois l’iota retranché, car elles signifient « allant » (ἰόν). Et οὐκ ὄν, le non-être, signifie οὐκ ἰόν, ce qui ne va pas. Certains le prononcent d’ailleurs ainsi.\n\nHermogène. Je pense que tu as vaillamment mis ces mots en pièces, Socrate. Mais si quelqu’un te demandait quelle propriété ou quelle justesse se trouve dans ces mots que tu as employés, ἰόν, ρἕον et δοῦν...\n\nSocrate. Quelle réponse devrais-je faire ? Est-ce bien ce que tu veux dire ?\n\nHermogène. Oui, exactement.\n\nSocrate. Nous avons découvert tout à l’heure une manière de donner une réponse qui ait quelque apparence de sens.\n\nHermogène. Laquelle ?\n\nSocrate. Dire, lorsqu’il existe un mot que nous ne connaissons pas, qu’il est d’origine étrangère. Cela peut être vrai pour certains de ces mots et, en raison aussi du temps écoulé, il peut être impossible de rien découvrir au sujet des mots les plus anciens. Comme les mots se déforment de toutes les manières, il ne serait nullement étonnant qu’un ancien mot grec soit identique à un mot étranger moderne.\n\nHermogène. Cela n’est pas invraisemblable.\n\nSocrate. C’est même tout à fait probable. Toutefois, nous devons jouer le jeu et examiner vigoureusement ces questions. Mais souvenons-nous que si quelqu’un interroge sur les mots au moyen desquels les noms sont formés, puis sur ceux au moyen desquels ces mots eux-mêmes ont été formés, et poursuit ainsi indéfiniment, celui qui lui répond finira par renoncer, n’est-ce pas ?\n\nHermogène. Oui, je le pense.", "translator": "Codex gpt-5.6-sol", "edition": "Prokopton42 non-official AI translation, 2026-09-11", "source_id": "prokopton42-codex-translation:gpt-5.6-sol:corpus-passage-translation-v1", "translation_type": "ai_generated_translation", "official_status": "non_official", "generation_model": "gpt-5.6-sol" } ], "content_checksum": "0aa43fb430eb1854bb0f4164b96a71dace0596ed9f4c8a43753cd889a57eba21" }