Σωκράτης
ἐκ μὲν τοίνυν τούτου τοῦ λογισμοῦ, ὦ Μένων, θείᾳ μοίρᾳ ἡμῖν φαίνεται παραγιγνομένη ἡ ἀρετὴ οἷς ἂν παραγίγνηται:
τὸ δὲ σαφὲς περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰσόμεθα τότε, ὅταν πρὶν ᾧτινι τρόπῳ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παραγίγνεται ἀρετή, πρότερον ἐπιχειρήσωμεν αὐτὸ καθ᾽ αὑτὸ ζητεῖν τί ποτ᾽ ἔστιν ἀρετή.
νῦν δ᾽ ἐμοὶ μὲν ὥρα ποι ἰέναι, σὺ δὲ ταὐτὰ ταῦτα ἅπερ αὐτὸς πέπεισαι πεῖθε καὶ τὸν ξένον τόνδε Ἄνυτον, ἵνα (100c1) πρᾳότερος ᾖ:
ὡς ἐὰν πείσῃς τοῦτον, ἔστιν ὅτι καὶ Ἀθηναίους ὀνήσεις.
SOCRATES. Igitur ex hac ratione, o Menon, divina sorte nobis apparet inens virtus quibus inest.
Certum sane de ipso sciemus tunc, quando, antequam quo pacto hominibus adest virtus, prius investigaverimus ipsum secundum se ipsum querere, quid est virtus.
Nunc autem michi utique hora aliquo ire, tu autem hec que ipse persuasus es, persuade etiam peregrinum istum Anitum, uti mitior fiat;
quia si persuaseris huic, est quoniam et Atheniensibus proderis.
SO. Ex hac itaque ratione o Meno divina forte virtus adesse cuiqunque adsit apparet.
Veritatem tamen de hoc perspicuam tum denique comprehendemus, cum antequam quo pacto virtus adsit quæratur, quid ipsa secundum seipsam sit, investigare tentemus.
Nunc autem hora ima est, ut hinc alio abeam Ipse vero quod tibi persuasum est, Anyto huic hospiti tuo vicissim persuade quo mitior sit.
Nam si ei hoc persuaseris, Athenienses quoque iuvabis.
SOCRATES: Then, Meno, the conclusion is that virtue comes to the virtuous by the gift of God.
But we shall never know the certain truth until, before asking how virtue is given, we enquire into the actual nature of virtue.
I fear that I must go away, but do you, now that you are persuaded yourself, persuade our friend Anytus. And do not let him be so exasperated;
if you can conciliate him, you will have done good service to the Athenian people.
