When Socrates said that his rival speech was finished, Phaedrus protested:
But I
thought it was just in the middle (Kai/toi w!|mhn ge mesou=n au0to/n), and would just go on to say an
equal amount about the non-lover (kai\ e0rei=n ta\ i1sa peri\ tou= mh\ e0rw~ntoj), to the effect that one should
rather grant him favours (w(j dei= e0kei/nw| xari/zesqai ma=llon), mentioning all the good things he
has on his side (le/gwn o3sa au] e1xei a0gaqa/), why then are you stopping as you
are (nu=n
de\ dh\, w} Sw&kratej, ti/ a0popau/h|;)?
Socrates: Haven’t
you noticed (Ou0k h1|sqou),
my dear fellow (w} maka/rie), that I’m already uttering epic verses (o3ti h1dh e1ph
fqe/ggomai), and not
dithyrambs now (a0ll’ ou0ke/ti diqura/mbouj), even though I’m playing the critic
(kai\
tau=ta ye/gwn;)? What do
you think I’ll produce if I begin praising the other man (e0a\n d’ e0painei=n to\n
e3teron a1rcwmai, ti/ me oi1ei poih/sein;)? Do you know that I’ll patently be possessed by the Nymphs
to whom you deliberately exposed me (a]r’ oi]sq’ o3ti u9po\ tw~n
Numfw~n, ai[j me su\ prou/balej e0k pronoi/aj, safw_j e0nqousia/sw)? So in a word I say (le/gw ou]n e9ni\
lo/gw|) that the other
man has the good points which are opposed to all the things for which we’ve
abused the first (o3ti o3sa to\n e3teron leloidorh/kamen, tw~| e9te/rw
ta0nanti/a tou/twn a0gaqa\ pro/sestin). And why indeed make a long speech of it (kai\ ti/ dei=
makrou= lo/gou;)? Enough
has been said about both (peri\ ga\r a0mfoi=n i9kanw~j ei1rhtai). So in that case my story will fare
as it should (kai\ ou3tw dh\ o9 mu=qoj o3ti pa/sxein prosh/kei au0tw~|, tou=to
pei/setai); as for me (k’a0gw&), I’m off across the river here (to\n po/tamon
tou=ton diaba\j a0pe/rxomai) before you force me into something worse (pri\n u9po\ sou=
ti mei/zon a0nagkasqh=nai).
Phaedrus: Don’t
go yet (Mh/pw
ge), Socrates (w} Sw&kratej); not until the heat of the day has
passed (pri\n
a2n to\ kau=ma pare/lqh|).
Don’t you see (h2 ou0x o9ra=|j) that it’s just about midday (w(j sxedo\n h1dh meshmbri/a
i3statai), the time we
say everything comes to a stop (h9 dh\ kaloume/nh staqera/;)? Let’s wait (a0lla\ perimei/nantej) and discuss what’s been said (kai\ a3ma peri\
tw~n ei0rhme/nwn dialexqe/ntej), and then we’ll go, when it’s cooler (ta/xa e0peida\n a0poyu/xh| i1men)?
Socrates: You’ve
a superhuman capacity when it comes to speeches (Qei=o/j g’ ei] peri\ tou\j
lo/gouj), Phaedrus (w} Fai=dre); you’re simply amazing (kai\ a0texnw~j
qauma/sioj). Of the
speeches which there have been during your lifetime (oi]mai ga\r e0gw_
tw~n e0pi\ tou= sou= bi/ou gegono/twn lo/gwn), I think that no one has brought more into existence than
you (mhde/na
plei/ouj h2 se\ pepoihke/nai gegenh=sqai), either by making them yourself (h1toi au0to\n
le/gonta) or by forcing
others to make them, in one way or another (h1 a1llouj e9ni\ ge/ tw~| tro/pw|
prosanagka/zonta). Simmias
the Theban is the one exception (Simmi/an Qhbai=on e0cairw~ lo/gou); the rest you beat by a long way (tw~n de\ a1llwn
pa/mpolu kratei=j). Just
so, now (kai\ nu=n au]),
you seem to me to have become the cause of my speaking a speech (dokei=j ai1tio/j
moi gegenh=sqai lo/gw| tini r9hqh=nai).
Phaedrus: No
bad thing (Ou0 po/lemo/n ge a0gge/lleij)! But how do you mean (a0lla\ pw~j dh/ ;)? What speech is this (kai\ ti/ni
tou/tw|)?
Socrates: When
I was about to cross the river, my good man (H#nik’ e1mellon, w)gaqe/,
to\n po/tamon diabai/nein),
I had that supernatural experience, the sign which I am accustomed to having on
each occasion, you understand (to\ daimo/nion kai\ to\ ei0wqo\j shmei=o/n moi
gi/gnesqai e0ge/neto),
it holds me back from whatever I am about to do (a0ei\ de/ me e0pi/sxei o4 a2n
me/llw pra/ttein) – and I
seemed to hear a voice from the very spot (kai/ tina fwnh\n e1doca au0to/qen
a0kou=sai), which
forbids me to leave (h3 me ou0k e0a|~ a0pie/nai) until I have made expiation (pri\n a2n a0fosiw&swmai), because I have committed an
offence against what belongs to the gods (w#j ti h9marthko/ta ei0j to\ qei=on). Well, I am a seer (ei0mi\ dh\ ou]n ma/ntij
me/n); not a very good
one (ou0
pa/nu de\ spoudai=oj),
but like people who are poor at reading and writing (a0ll’ w#sper oi9 ta\
gra/mmata fau=loi),
merely good enough for my own purposes (o3son me\n e0mautw~| mo/non i9kano/j); so I already clearly understand (safw~j ou]n h1dh
manqa/nw) what my
offence is (to\ a9ma/rthma).
For the fact is, my friend, that the soul too is something which has divinatory
powers (w(j
dh/ toi, w} e9tai=re, mantiko/n ti kai\ h9 yuxh/); for something certainly troubled me some while ago
as I was making the speech (e0me\ ga\r e1qrace me/n ti kai\ pa/lai le/gonta to\n
lo/gon), and I had a
certain feeling of unease (kai/ pwj e0duswpou/mhn), as Ibycus says (if I remember rightly) (kat’ I1bukon), ‘that for offences against the gods
(mh/
ti para\ qeoi=j a0mblakw&n), I win renown from all my fellow men’ (tima\n pro\j a0nqrw&pwn a0mei/yw). But now I realise my offence (nu=n d’ h!sqhmai to\
a9ma/rthma).
Phaedrus: Just
what do you mean (Le/geij de\ dh\ ti/;)?
Socrates: A
dreadful speech it was, Phaedrus, dreadful (Deino/n, w} Fai=dre, deino\n lo/gon), both the one you brought with you
(au0to/j
te e0ko/misaj), and the one
you compelled me to make (e0me/ te h0na/gkasaj ei0pei=n).
Phaedrus:
How so (Pw~j
dh/;)?
Socrates: It
was foolish (Eu0h/qh) and
somewhat impious (kai\ u9po/ ti a0sebh=); what speech could be more dreadful than that (ou[ ti/j a2n ei1h
deino/teroj;)?
None (Ou0dei/j), if you’re right in what you say (ei1 ge su\
a0lhqh= le/geij).
Socrates: What
(Ti/
ou]n;)? Don’t you think
Love to be the son of Aphrodite, and a god (to\n E!rwta ou0k A)frodi/thj kai\ qeo/n
tina h9gh=|;)?
Phaedrus: So
it is said (Le/getai/ ge dh/).
Socrates:
Not I think by Lysias, at any rate (Ou1 ti u9po/ ge Lusi/ou), nor by your speech (ou0de\ u9po\ tou=
sou= lo/gou), which came
from my mouth, bewitched as it was by you (o4j dia\ tou= e0mou= sto/matoj
katafarmakeuqe/ntoj u9po\ sou= e0le/xqh). But if Love is, as indeed it is, a god, or something
divine (ei0
d’ e1stin, w#sper
ou]n e1sti, qeo\j h1 ti qei=on o9 E!rwj), he could not be anything evil (ou0de\n a2n kako\n
ei1h); whereas the two recent
speeches spoke of him as if he were like that (tw_ de\ lo/gw tw_ nundh\ peri\
au0tou= ei0pe/thn w(j toiou/tou o1ntoj). So this was their offence in relation to Love (tau/th| te ou]n h9martane/thn
peri\ to\n E!rwta), and
besides their foolishness was really quite refined (e1ti te h9
eu0h/qeia au0toi=n pa/nu a0stei/a) – parading themselves as if they were worth something, while
actually saying nothing healthy or true (to\ mhde\n u9gie\j le/gonte mhde\
a0lhqe\j semnu/nesqai w(j ti\ o1nte), in case they would deceive some poor specimens of humanity
(ei0
a1ra a0nqrwpi/skouj tina\j e0capath/sante) and win praise from them (eu0dokimh/seton e0n au0toi=j). So I (e0moi\ me\n ou]n), my friend (w} fi/le), must purify myself (kaqh/rasqai a0na/gkh), and for those who offend in
telling of stories there is an ancient method of purification (e1sti de\ toi=j a9marta/nousi
peri\ muqologi/an kaqarmo\j a0rxai=oj), which Homer did not understand (o4n O#mhroj me\n
ou0k h1|sqeto), but
Stesichorus did (Sthsi/xoroj de/). For when he was deprived of his sight (tw~n ga\r o0mma/twn
sterhqei/j) because of
his libel against Helen (dia\ th=j E(le/nhj kakhgori/an), he did not fail to recognise the
reason, like Homer; because he was a true follower of the Muses, he knew it (ou0k h0gno/hsen w#sper
O#mhroj, a0ll’ a3te mousiko\j w@n e1gnw th\n ai0ti/an), and immediately composed the
verses (kai\
poiei= eu0qu/j)
This
tale I told is false. There is no doubt: (Ou0k e1st’ e1tumoj lo/goj ou[toj),
You
made no journey in the well-decked ships (ou0d’ e1baj e0n neusi\n
eu0se/lmoij,)
Nor voyaged to the citadel of Troy (ou0d’ i3keo Pe/rgama
Troi/aj).
And after composing the whole of the
so-called Palinode (kai\ poih/saj dh\ pa=san th\n kaloume/nhn Palinw|di/an) he at once regained his sight (paraxrh=ma a0ne/bleyen). So I shall follow a wiser course than
Stesichorus and Homer (e0gw_ ou]n sofw&teroj e0kei/nwn genh/somai) in just this respect (kat’ au0to/ ge tou=to): I shall try to render my palinode to Love
before anything happens to me because of my libel against him (pri\n ga/r ti paqei=n
dia\ th\n tou= E!rwtoj kakhgori/an pira/somai au0tw|~ a0podou=nai th\n
palinw|di/an), with my head bare (gumnh=| th=| kefalh|=), and not covered as it was before, for shame
(kai\
ou0x w#sper to/te u9p’ ai0sxu/nhj e0gkekalumme/noj).
Phaedrus: That (Toutwni/), Socrates (w} Sw&kratej), is the most delightful thing you could have
said to me (ou0k e1stin a3tt’ a2n e0moi\ ei]pej h9di/w).
Socrates: Yes (Kai\ ga/r), my good Phaedrus (w)gaqe\ Fai=dre), for you see how shameless the speeches were
(e0nnoei=j
w(j a0naidw~j ei1rhsqon tw_ lo/gw,),
this second one (ou[to/j te) and the
one which was read from the book (kai\ o9 e0k tou= bibli/ou r9hqei/j). If we were being listened to by someone of
noble and gentle character (ei0 ga\r a0kou/wn tij tu/xoi h9mw~n genna/daj kai\ pra~|oj
to\ h1qoj) who was in love with someone else of
the same sort (e9te/rou de\ toiou/tou e0rw~n), or else had ever been in love with someone
like that before (h2 kai\ pro/teron pote\ e0rasqei/j), and he heard us saying that lovers start
large-scale hostilities because of small things (lego/ntwn w(j dia\ smikra\ mega/laj
e1xqraj oi9 e0rastai\ a0nairou=ntai),
and adopt a jealous and harmful attitude towards their beloved (kai\ e1xousi
pro\j ta\ paidika\ fqonerw~j te kai\ blaberw~j),
surely you think he would suppose himself to be listening to people who had
perhaps been brought up among sailors (pw~j ou0k a2n oi1ei au0to\n h9gei=sqai
a0kou/ein e0n nau/taij pou teqramme/nwn),
and who have never witnessed a love of the sort that belongs to free men (kai\ ou0de/na
e0leu/qeron e1rwta e9wrako/twn), and would
be far from agreeing with the things we find to blame in Love (pollou= d’ a2n dei=n h9mi=n
o9mologei=n a4 ye/gomen to\n E!rwta)?
Phaedrus: Very probably, Socrates, he
would (I!swj
nh\ Di/’,
w} Sw&kratej.).
Socrates: Then out of shame for what
this man would think (Tou=to/n ge toi/nun
e1gwge ai0sxuno/menoj), and out of fear
of Love himself (kai\ au0to\n to\n E!rwta dediw&j), I for my part am anxious to wash out the
bitter taste, as it were, of the things we have heard said with a wholesome
speech (e0piqumw~
poti/mw| lo/gw| oi[on a9lmura\n a0koh\n a0poklu/sasqai); and I advise Lysias too (sumbouleu/w de\
kai\ Lusi/a|) to put in writing as quickly as
possible (o3ti ta/xista gra/yai) that one
should grant favours to the lover rather than to the man who is not in love, in
return for favours received (w(j xrh\ e0rasth=| ma=llon h2 mh\ e0rw~nti e0k tw~n
o9moi/wn xari/zesqai).
Phaedrus: You can be sure (A)ll’ eu] i1sqi) that that’s how it will be (o3ti e3cei tou=q’ ou3tw): once you have given your praise of the lover
(sou\
ga\r ei0po/ntoj to\n tou= e0rastou= e1painon),
there will be every necessity for Lysias to be compelled by me to write a
speech in his turn on the same subject (pa=sa a0na/gkh Lusi/an u9p’ e0mou= a0nagkasqh=nai
gra/yai au] peri\ tou= au0tou= lo/gon).
Socrates: That I quite believe (Tou=to me\n pisteu/w), so long as you remain the man you are (e3wsper a2n h=|j
o3j ei]).
Phaedrus: Then you can give your
speech in full confidence (Le/ge toi/nun qarrw~n).
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