Σωκράτης
τῶν ἐκείνου ποιημάτων λελυμένον μὲν ἐκτῆσθαι οὐ πολλῆς τινος ἄξιόν ἐστι τιμῆς, ὥσπερ δραπέτην ἄνθρωπον —οὐ γὰρ παραμένει—δεδεμένον δὲ πολλοῦ ἄξιον: πάνυ γὰρ καλὰ τὰ ἔργα ἐστίν.
πρὸς τί οὖν δὴ λέγω ταῦτα; πρὸς τὰς δόξας τὰς ἀληθεῖς.
καὶ γὰρ αἱ δόξαι αἱ ἀληθεῖς, ὅσον μὲν ἂν χρόνον παραμένωσιν, καλὸν τὸ χρῆμα καὶ πάντ᾽ (98a) ἀγαθὰ ἐργάζονται: πολὺν δὲ χρόνον οὐκ ἐθέλουσι παραμένειν, ἀλλὰ δραπετεύουσιν ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὥστε οὐ πολλοῦ ἄξιαί εἰσιν, ἕως ἄν τις αὐτὰς δήσῃ αἰτίας λογισμῷ.
τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐστίν, ὦ Μένων ἑταῖρε, ἀνάμνησις, ὡς ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν ἡμῖν ὡμολόγηται.
ἐπειδὰν δὲ δεθῶσιν, πρῶτον μὲν ἐπιστῆμαι γίγνονται, ἔπειτα μόνιμοι: καὶ διὰ ταῦτα δὴ τιμιώτερον ἐπιστήμη ὀρθῆς δόξης ἐστίν, καὶ διαφέρει δεσμῷ ἐπιστήμη ὀρθῆς δόξης.
SOCRATES. Eius formationum solutum possidere non multi alicuius dignum est pretia, quemadmodum transfugam hominem - haud enim permanebit - vinttum sane multo dignum. Prorsus quippe bona opera sunt.
Ad quid igitur dico ista? Ad opiniones veras.
Etenim opiniones vere, quanta vero tempore permanserunt, bona res et cuncta bona operantur; multo tempore nolentes permanere, at affugiunt ex anima hominis. Quare non multo digne sunt, donee quis eas vinxerit cause cogitatione.
Hoc autem est, Menon dilecte, monumentum, velut in prioribus nobis concessum est.
Cum vero colligentur, primum equidem scientie fiunt, deinceps manentes. Et propter hoc pretiosius scientia recta opinione.
SO. Ex eius operibus quod solutum est, haud magni fit, instar fugitivi hominis. neque enim permanet. ligatum vero admiratione dignum. pulcherrima enim opera sunt.
Cuius hæc gratia dico? Verarum opinionum gratia;
hæ quippe quosque stabiles perseverant, pulchra quædam opera sunt, omniaque bona perficiunt. Attamen diu consistere nolunt, sed ex hominis animo confestim aufugiunt, quapropter non multi precii sunt donec quis illas ratiotinatione a causis ducta liget.
Hæc vero amice Meno reminiscentia est, ut supra inter nos convenit.
Postque vero ligatæ sunt, primo quidem scientiæ fiunt, deinde perseverantes. proptereaque scientia recta opinione præstantior est, ab eaque vinculo quodam discrepat.
SOCRATES: I mean to say that they are not very valuable possessions if they are at liberty, for they will walk off like runaway slaves; but when fastened, they are of great value, for they are really beautiful works of art.
Now this is an illustration of the nature of true opinions:
while they abide with us they are beautiful and fruitful, but they run away out of the human soul, and do not remain long, and therefore they are not of much value until they are fastened by the tie of the cause;
and this fastening of them, friend Meno, is recollection, as you and I have agreed to call it.
But when they are bound, in the first place, they have the nature of knowledge; and, in the second place, they are abiding. And this is why knowledge is more honourable and excellent than true opinion, because fastened by a chain.