Soc. These are the pangs of labour, my dear Theaetetus ; you have something within you which you are bringing to the birth.
Theaet. I do not know, Socrates ; I only say what I feel.
Soc. And have you never heard, simpleton, that I am the son of a midwife, brave and burly, whose name was Phaenarete ?
Theaet. Yes, I have.
Soc. And that I myself practise midwifery ?
Theaet. No, never.
Soc. Let me tell you that I do though, my friend : but you must not reveal the secret, as the world in general have not found me out ; and therefore they only say of me, that I am the strangest of mortals and drive men to their wits’ end. Did you ever hear that too ?
Theaet. Yes.
Soc. Shall I tell you the reason ?
Theaet. By all means.
Soc. Bear in mind the whole business of the mid-wives, and then you will see my meaning better : — No woman, as you are probably aware, who is still able to conceive and bear, attends other women, but only those who are past bearing.
Theaet. Yes ; I know.
Soc. The reason of this is said to be that Artemis — the goddess of childbirth — is not a mother, and she honours those who are like herself ; but she could not allow the barren to be mid-wives, because human nature cannot know the mystery of an art without experience ; and therefore she assigned this office to those who are too old to bear.
Theaet. I dare say.
Soc. And I dare say too, or rather I am absolutely certain, that the mid-wives know better than others who is pregnant and who is not ?
Theaet. Very true.
Soc. And by the use of potions and incantations they are able to arouse the pangs and to soothe them at will ; they can make those bear who have a difficulty in bearing, and if they think fit they can smother the embryo in the womb.
Theaet. They can.
Soc. Did you ever remark that they are also most cunning matchmakers, and have a thorough knowledge of what unions are likely to produce a brave brood ?
Theaet. No, never.
Soc. Then let me tell you that this is their greatest pride, more than cutting the umbilical cord. And if you reflect, you will see that the same art which cultivates and gathers in the fruits of the earth, will be most likely to know in what soils the several plants or seeds should be deposited.
Theaet. Yes, the same art.
Soc. And do you suppose that with women the case is otherwise ?
Theaet. I should think not.
Soc. Certainly not ; but mid-wives are respectable women who have a character to lose, and they avoid this department of their profession, because they are afraid of being called procuresses, which is a name given to those who join together man and woman in an unlawful and unscientific way ; and yet the true midwife is also the true and only matchmaker.
Theaet. Clearly.
Soc. Such are the mid-wives, whose task is a very important one but not so important as mine ; for women do not bring into the world at one time real children, and at another time counterfeits which are with difficulty distinguished from them ; if they did, then the, discernment of the true and false birth would be the crowning achievement of the art of midwifery — you would think so ?
Theaet. Indeed I should.
Soc. Well, my art of midwifery is in most respects like theirs ; but differs, in that I attend men and not women ; and look after their souls when they are in labour, and not after their bodies : and the triumph of my art is in thoroughly examining whether the thought which the mind of the young man brings forth is a false idol or a noble and true birth. And like the mid-wives, I am barren, and the reproach which is often made against me, that I ask questions of others and have not the wit to answer them myself, is very just — the reason is, that the god compels me to be a midwife, but does not allow me to bring forth. And therefore I am not myself at all wise, nor have I anything to show which is the invention or birth of my own soul, but those who converse with me profit. Some of them appear dull enough at first, but afterwards, as our acquaintance ripens, if the god is gracious to them, they all make astonishing progress ; and this in the opinion of others as well as in their own. It is quite dear that they never learned anything from me ; the many fine discoveries to which they cling are of their own making. But to me and the god they owe their delivery. And the proof of my words is, that many of them in their ignorance, either in their self-conceit despising me, or falling under the influence of others, have gone away too soon ; and have not only lost the children of whom I had previously delivered them by an ill bringing up, but have stifled whatever else they had in them by evil communications, being fonder of lies and shams than of the truth ; and they have at last ended by seeing themselves, as others see them, to be great fools. Aristeides, the son of Lysimachus, is one of them, and there are many others. The truants often return to me, and beg that I would consort with them again — they are ready to go to me on their knees and then, if my familiar allows, which is not always the case, I receive them, and they begin to grow again. Dire are the pangs which my art is able to arouse and to allay in those who consort with me, just like the pangs of women in childbirth ; night and day they are full of perplexity and travail which is even worse than that of the women. So much for them. And there are others, Theaetetus, who come to me apparently having nothing in them ; and as I know that they have no need of my art, I coax them into marrying some one, and by the grace of God I can generally tell who is likely to do them good. Many of them I have given away to Prodicus, and many to other inspired sages. I tell you this long story, friend Theaetetus, because I suspect, as indeed you seem to think yourself, that you are in labour — great with some conception. Come then to me, who am a midwife’s son and myself a midwife, and do your best to answer the questions which I will ask you. And if I abstract and expose your first-born, because I discover upon inspection that the conception which you have formed is a vain shadow, do not quarrel with me on that account, as the manner of women is when their first children are taken from them. For I have actually known some who were ready to bite me when I deprived them of a darling folly ; they did not perceive that I acted from good will, not knowing that no god is the enemy of man — that was not within the range of their ideas ; neither am I their enemy in all this, but it would be wrong for me to admit falsehood, or to stifle the truth. Once more, then, Theaetetus, I repeat my old question, “What is knowledge ?” — and do not say that you cannot tell ; but quit yourself like a man, and by the help of God you will be able to tell.