On beauty

 

‘Let this be our concession to memory (Tau=ta me\n ou]n mnh/mh| kexari/sqw), which has made me speak now at some length out of longing for what was before (di’ h4n po/qw| tw~n to/te nu=n makro/tera ei1rhtai); but on the subject of beauty (peri\ de\ ka/llouj) – as we said (w#sper ei1pomen), it shone out in company with those other things (met’ e0kei/nwn te e1lampen o1n), and now that we have come to the earth (deu=ro/ t’ e0lqo/ntej) we have found it gleaming most clearly through the clearest of our senses (kateilh/famen au0to\ dia\ th=j e0nargesta/thj ai0sqh/sewj tw~n h9mete/rwn sti/lbon e0narge/stata). For of all the sensations coming to us through the body, sight is the keenest (o1yij ga\r h9mi=n o0cuta/th tw~n dia\ tou= sw&matoj e1rxetai ai0sqh/sewn): wisdom we do not see (h[| fro/nhsij ou0x o9ra=tai) – the feelings of love it would cause in us would be terrible (deinou\j ga\r a2n parei=xen e1rwtaj), if it allowed some such clear image of itself to reach our sight (ei1 ti toiou=ton e9auth=j e0narge\j ei1dwlon parei=xeto ei0j o1yin i0o/n), and so too with the other objects of love (kai\ t’a]lla o3sa e0rasta/); as it is (nu=n de/), beauty alone has acquired this privilege (ka/lloj mo/non tau/thn e1sxe moi=ran), of being most evident (w#st’ e0kfane/staton ei]nai) and most loved (kai\ e0rasmiw&taton). Thus the man whose initiation was not recent (o9 me\n ou]n mh\ neotelh/j), or who has been corrupted (h2 diefqarme/noj), does not move keenly from here there (ou0k o0ce/wj e0nqe/nde e0kei=se fe/retai), to beauty itself (pro\j au0to\ to\ ka/lloj), when he sees its namesake here (qew&menoj au0tou= th\n th=|de e0pwnumi/an), so that he does not revere it (w#st’ ou0 se/betai) when he looks at it (prosorw~n), but surrendering himself to pleasure (a0ll’ h9donh=| paradou/j) does his best to go on four feet like an animal (tetra/podoj no/mon bai/nein e0pixeirei=) and father offspring (kai\ paidosporei=n), and keeping close company with excess (kai\ u3brei prosomilw~n) has no fear (ou0 de/doiken) or shame (ou0d’ ai0sxu/netai) in pursuing pleasure contrary to nature (para\ fu/sin h9donh\n diw&kwn); while the newly initiated (o9 de\ a0rtitelh/j), the man who observed much of what was visible to him before (o9 tw~n to/te poluqea/mwn), on seeing a godlike face (o3tan qeoeide\j pro/swpon i1dh|) or some form of body which imitates beauty well (ka/lloj eu] memimhme/non h2 tina sw&matoj i0de/an), first shudders (prw~ton me\n e1frice) and experiences something of the fears he had before (kai/ ti tw~n to/te au0to\n u9ph=lqe deima/twn), and then reveres it like a god as he looks at it (ei=ta prosorw~n w(j qeo\n se/betai), and if he were not afraid of appearing thoroughly mad (kai\ ei0 mh\ e0dedi/ei th\n th=j sfo/dra mani/aj do/can) would sacrifice to his beloved as if to a statue of a god (qu/oi a2n w(j a0ga/lmati kai\ qew~| toi=j paidikoi=j). After he has seen him (i0do/nta d’ au0to/n), the expected change comes over him following the shuddering – sweating and a high fever (oi[on e0k th=j fri/khj metabolh/ te kai\ i9drw_j kai\ qermo/thj a0h/qhj lamba/nei); for he is warmed by the reception of the effluence of beauty through his eyes (deca/menoj ga\r tou= ka/llouj th\n a0porroh\n dia\ tw~n o0mma/twn e0qerma/nqh), which is the natural nourishment of his plumage (h[| h9 tou= pterou= fu/sij a1rdetai), and with that warmth (qermanqe/ntoj de/) there is a melting of the parts around its base (e0ta/kh ta\ peri\ th\n e1kfusin), which have long since become hard and closed up (a4 pa/lai u9po\ sklhro/thtoj summemuko/ta), so preventing it from sprouting (ei]rge mh\ blasta/nein), and with the incoming stream of nourishment (e0pirruei/shj de\ th=j trofh=j) the quills of the feathers swell and set to growing from their roots under the whole form of the soul (w#|dhse/ te kai\ w#rmhse fu/esqai a0po\ th=j r9i/zhj o9 tou= pterou= kaulo\j u9po\ pa=n to\ th\j yuxh=j ei]doj); for formerly the whole of it was winged (pa=sa ga\r h]n to pa/lai pterwth/). Meanwhile, then, all of it throbs and palpitates (zei= ou]n e0n tou/tw| o3lh kai\ a0nakhki/ei) and the experience is like that of cutting teeth (kai\ o3per to\ tw~n o0dontofuou/ntwn pa/qoj), the itching and the aching that occur around the gums when the teeth are just coming through (peri\ tou\j o0do/ntaj gi/gnetai o3tan a1rti fu/wsin, knh=si/j te kai\ a0gana/kthsij peri\ ta\ ou]la): such is the state affecting the soul of the man who is beginning to sprout wings (tau0to\n dh\ pe/ponqen h9 tou= pterofuei=n a0rxome/nou yuxh/) – it throbs and aches and tickles as it grows its feathers (zei= te kai\ a0ganaktei= kai\ gargali/zetai fu/ousa ta\ ptera/). So when it gazes at the boy’s beauty (o3tan me\n ou]n ble/pousa pro\j to\ tou= paido\j ka/lloj), and is nourished and warmed by receiving particles which come to it in a flood from there – hence, of course, the name we give them, “desire” (e0kei=qen me/rh e0pio/nta kai\ re/ont’ -  a4 dh\ dia\ tau=ta i3meroj kalei=tai – dexome/nh a0rdhtai/ te kai\ qermai/nhtai) – it experiences relief from its anguish (lwfa=| te th=j o0du/nhj) and is filled with joy (kai\ ge/ghqen); but when it is apart and becomes parched (o3tan de\ xwri\j ge/nhtai kai\ au0xmh/sh|), the openings of the passages (ta\ tw~n dieco/dwn sto/mata) through which the feathers push their way out (h[ to\ ptero\n o9rma=|) are dried up and closed (sunauaino/mena mu/santa), so shutting off their shoots (a0poklh|/ei th\n bla/sthn tou= pterou=), and these, shut in with the desire (h9 d’ e1ntoj meta\ tou= i9me/rou a0pokeklh|me/nh), throb like pulsing arteries (phdw~sa oi[on ta\ sfu/zonta), each of them pricking at the outlet corresponding to it (th=| dieco/dw| e0gxri/ei e9ka/sth th=| kaq’ au9th/n), so that (w#ste) the entire soul, stung all over (pa=sa kentoume/nh ku/klw| h9 yuxh/), goes mad with pain (oi0stra=| kai\ o0duna=tai); but then, remembering the boy with his beauty, it rejoices again (mnh/mhn d’ au] e1xousa tou= kalou= ge/ghqen). The mixture of both these states makes it despair at the strangeness of its condition (e0k de\ a0mfote/rwn memeigme/nwn a0dhmonei= te th=| a0topi/a| tou= pa/qouj), raging in its perplexity (kai\ a0porou=sa lutta=), and in its madness it can neither sleep at night (kai\ e0mmanh\j ou]sa |ou1te nukto\j du/natai kaqeu/dein) nor keep still where it is by day (ou1te meq’ h9me/ran ou[ a2n h=| me/nein), but runs wherever it thinks it will see the possessor of the beauty it longs for (qei= de\ poqou=sa o3pou a2n oi1htai o1yesqai to\n e1xonta to\ ka/lloj); and when it has seen him (i0dou=sa de/) and channelled desire in to itself (kai\ e0poxeteusame/nh i3meron) it releases (e1luse me/n) what was pent up before (ta\ to/te sumpefragme/na), and finding a breathing space (a0napnoh\n labou=sa) it ceases from its stinging birth-pains (ke/ntrwn te kai\ w)di/nwn e1lhcen), once more enjoying this for the moment as the sweetest pleasure (h9donh\n d’ au] tau/thn glukuta/thn e0n tw~| paro/nti karpou=tai). This it does not willingly give up (o3qen dh\  e9kou=sa ei]nai ou0k a0polei/petai), nor does it value anyone above the one with beauty (ou0de/ tina tou= kalou= peri\ plei/onoj poiei=tai), but quite forgets mother, brothers, friends, all together (a1lla\ mhte/rwn te kai\ a0delfw~n kai\ e9tai/rwn pa/ntwn le/lhstai), not caring about the loss of his wealth through neglect (kai\ ou0si/aj di’ a0me/leian a0pollume/nhj par’ ou0de\n ti/qetai), and with contempt for all the accepted standards of propriety and good taste in which it previously prided itself (nomi/mwn de\ kai\ eu0sxhmo/nwn, oi[j pro\ tou= e0kallwpi/zeto, pa/ntwn katafronh/sasa) it is ready to act the part of a slave (douleu/ein e9toi/mh) and sleep wherever it is allowed to do so (kai\ koima=sqai o3pou a2n e0a=| tij), provided it is as close as possible to the object of its longing (e0gguta/tw tou= po/qou); for in addition for its reverence (pro\j ga\r tw~| se/besqai) for the possessor of beauty (to\n to\ ka/lloj e1xonta), it has found him the soul healer of its greatest sufferings (i0atro\n hu3rhke mo/non tw~n megi/stwn po/nwn). This experience (tou=to de\ to\ pa/qoj), my beautiful boy (w} pai= kale/), the one to whom my speech is addressed (pro\j o4n dh/ moi o9 lo/goj), men term love (a1nqrwpoi me\n e1rwta o0noma\zousin); but when you hear what the gods call it I expect you will laugh because of your youth (qeoi\ de\ o4 kalou=sin a0kou/saj ei0ko/twj dia\ neo/thta gela/sh|). I think some Homeric experts cite two verses from the less well-known poems (le/gousi de\ oi]mai/ tinej O(mhridw~n e0k tw~n a0poqe/twn e0pw~n du/o e1ph ei0j to\n E1rwta), the second of which is quite outrageous (w{n to\ e3teron u9bristiko\n pa/nu) and not very metrical (kai\ ou0 sfo/dra ti e1mmetron): they celebrate him like this (u9mnou=si de\ w{de) –

            “We mortals call him Mighty Love, a winged power of great renown

            to\n d’ h1toi qnhtoi\ me\n kalou=si pothno/n

            Immortals call him Fledgling Dove – since Eros’ wings lack down.”

            a0qa/natoi de\ Pterw&ta, dia\ pterofu/tor’ a0na/gkhn

You may believe this (tou/toij dh\ e1cesti me\n pei/qesqai) or not (e1cestin de\ mh/); but at any rate (o3mwj de/) the cause of the lover’s experience and this experience itself (h3 ge ai0ti/a kai\ to\ pa/qoj tw~n e0rw/ntwn) are as I have described (tou=to e0kei=no tugxa/nei o1n).

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The reader who tries to see the Greek in the English and the English in the Greek will find some difficulty in trying to relate Rowe’s poetical rendering of the two Homeric verses to the Greek original. I therefore quote Hackforth’s rendering of the two verses, which is close to the original:

Eros, cleaver of air, in mortals’ speech is he named (to\n d’ h1toi qnhtoi\ me\n kalou=si pothno/n)

But, since he must grow wings, Pteros the celestials call him (a0qa/natoi de\ Pterw&ta, dia\ pterofu/tor’ a0na/gkhn).