What is especially illuminating now, from the point of view of the Theaetetus, is the care with which, throughout these various discussions, Plato seems to have chosen the kinds of words he uses to express this notion of being appropriate (chrestos), being fitting (epitedeios), matching (sunago), fitting together (harmotto), interweaving (symploke), sharing (koinoneo;), and communion (koinonia). For each of these words, while bearing the general meaning used in the translation above, also carries specifically sexual connotations. Thus: chrestos. "useful, serviceable, good for some
purpose" is also used of a man, to mean strong in body, or able for sexual intercourse (e.g., Hippocrates, Genit., peri gones 2; Liddell and Scott) epitedeios. "made for some end or purpose, fit, adapted for"is also used of a person fit to live with (e.g., Euripides, Andromache, 206). 270/1128 synago. "bring together, match up"is also used of the contracting of marriages (e.g., Xenophon, Symposium, 4. 64; cf. Theaet. 150a2) harmotto (Attic for harmozo). "fit together, join, tune musical instruments"is also used in the middle voice to mean taking to wife, betrothing oneself (e.g., Herodotus, 5. 32, 47), and in the passive to mean have someone betrothed or married to one (e.g., Herodotus, 3. 137) sympoke. "interweaving, embrace"is also used of sexual intercourse (e.g., Symp. 191c4) koinoneo. "to share in, form a community"is also used of sexual intercourse (e.g., Laws 784e3) koinonia. "partnership, community"is also used of sexual intercourse (e.g., Euripides, Bacchae, 1276) 271/1128 Recognizing, then, the overtonal ambiguity of
these terms, it should perhaps come as no surprise that, in the Theaetetus, these same dimensions of the productive operationon the one hand, determining the fitness of the interacting or mating partners, and, on the other, judging the success or failure of the interaction in terms of actual generation
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