Dialogue

 1  Meno|      Socrates, A Slave of Meno (Boy), Anytus.~MENO: Can you
 2  Meno|          Not only that, my dear boy, but you may say further
 3  Meno|         Certainly. Come hither, boy.~SOCRATES: He is Greek,
 4  Meno|        will.~SOCRATES: Tell me, boy, do you know that a figure
 5  Meno|   figure like this is a square?~BOY: I do.~SOCRATES: And you
 6  Meno|         these four lines equal?~BOY: Certainly.~SOCRATES: And
 7  Meno|      the square are also equal?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: A square
 8  Meno|      square may be of any size?~BOY: Certainly.~SOCRATES: And
 9  Meno|         of two feet taken once?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: But since
10  Meno|       there are twice two feet?~BOY: There are.~SOCRATES: Then
11  Meno|    square is of twice two feet?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And how
12  Meno|        feet? count and tell me.~BOY: Four, Socrates.~SOCRATES:
13  Meno|      like this the lines equal?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And of how
14  Meno|         many feet will that be?~BOY: Of eight feet.~SOCRATES:
15  Meno|         feet—what will that be?~BOY: Clearly, Socrates, it will
16  Meno|      that I am not teaching the boy anything, but only asking
17  Meno|       in regular order. (To the Boy:) Tell me, boy, do you assert
18  Meno|           To the Boy:) Tell me, boy, do you assert that a double
19  Meno|         comes from double line?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: But does
20  Meno|         another such line here?~BOY: Certainly.~SOCRATES: And
21  Meno|    space containing eight feet?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: Let us describe
22  Meno|       the figure of eight feet?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And are
23  Meno|        the figure of four feet?~BOY: True.~SOCRATES: And is
24  Meno|       not that four times four?~BOY: Certainly.~SOCRATES: And
25  Meno|       four times is not double?~BOY: No, indeed.~SOCRATES: But
26  Meno|         SOCRATES: But how much?~BOY: Four times as much.~SOCRATES:
27  Meno|      Therefore the double line, boy, has given a space, not
28  Meno|         but four times as much.~BOY: True.~SOCRATES: Four times
29  Meno|       are sixteen—are they not?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: What line
30  Meno|       sixteen feet;—do you see?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And the
31  Meno|       made from this half line?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: Good; and
32  Meno|     half the size of the other?~BOY: Certainly.~SOCRATES: Such
33  Meno|         and less than that one?~BOY: Yes; I think so.~SOCRATES:
34  Meno|      two feet and that of four?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: Then the
35  Meno|         the other of four feet?~BOY: It ought.~SOCRATES: Try
36  Meno|         me how much it will be.~BOY: Three feet.~SOCRATES: Then
37  Meno|      figure of which you speak?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: But if there
38  Meno|         three times three feet?~BOY: That is evident.~SOCRATES:
39  Meno|         three times three feet?~BOY: Nine.~SOCRATES: And how
40  Meno|     much is the double of four?~BOY: Eight.~SOCRATES: Then the
41  Meno|         out of a line of three?~BOY: No.~SOCRATES: But from
42  Meno|       try and show me the line.~BOY: Indeed, Socrates, I do
43  Meno| eliciting his opinion. Tell me, boy, is not this a square of
44  Meno|        feet which I have drawn?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And now
45  Meno|        equal to the former one?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And a third,
46  Meno|        equal to either of them?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: Suppose
47  Meno|      fill up the vacant corner?~BOY: Very good.~SOCRATES: Here,
48  Meno|    there are four equal spaces?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And how
49  Meno|     this space than this other?~BOY: Four times.~SOCRATES: But
50  Meno|     only, as you will remember.~BOY: True.~SOCRATES: And does
51  Meno|    bisect each of these spaces?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And are
52  Meno|       which contain this space?~BOY: There are.~SOCRATES: Look
53  Meno|         how much this space is.~BOY: I do not understand.~SOCRATES:
54  Meno|        half of the four spaces?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And how
55  Meno|      are there in this section?~BOY: Four.~SOCRATES: And how
56  Meno| SOCRATES: And how many in this?~BOY: Two.~SOCRATES: And four
57  Meno|     four is how many times two?~BOY: Twice.~SOCRATES: And this
58  Meno|      space is of how many feet?~BOY: Of eight feet.~SOCRATES:
59  Meno|         do you get this figure?~BOY: From this.~SOCRATES: That
60  Meno|        the figure of four feet?~BOY: Yes.~SOCRATES: And that
61  Meno|         square of the diagonal?~BOY: Certainly, Socrates.~SOCRATES: