Phaedrus joins Socrates in prayer to Eros

 

 

Socrates prays that Eros turns Lysias to philosophy ‘so that his lover here may direct his life towards love accompanied by talk of a philosophical kind.

Phaedrus: I join in your prayer for that, Socrates, if indeed it is better for us (Suneu/xomai/ soi, w} Sw&kratej, ei1per a1meinon tau=q’ h9mi=n ei]nai, tau=ta gi/gnesqai). For some time I have been amazed (to\n lo/gon de/ sou pa/lai qauma/saj e1xw) at how much finer you managed to make your speech than the one before (o3sw| kalli/w tou= prote/rou a0phrga/sw); so that I’m afraid Lysias will appear wretched to me in comparison (w#ste o0knw~ mh/ moi o9 Lusi/aj ta/peinoj fanh=|), if he really does consent to put up another in competition with it (e0a\n a1ra kai\ e0qelh/sh| pro\j au0to\n a1llon a0ntiparatei=nai). Indeed, my fine fellow, just recently one of the politicians was abusing him with this very charge (kai\ ga/r tij au0to\n, w} qauma/sie, e1nagxoj tw~n politikw~n tou=t’ au0to\ loidorw~n w)nei/dize), and throughout all his abuse kept calling him a ‘speech-writer’ (kai\ dia\ pa=shj th=j loidori/aj e0ka/lei logogra/fon); so perhaps we find him refraining from writing out of concern for his reputation (ta/x’ ou]n a2n u9po\ filotimi/aj e0pi/sxoi h9mi=n a2n tou= gra/fein).

Socrates: An absurd idea, young man (Geloi=o/n g’, w} neani/a, to\ do/gma le/geij); you much mistakes your friend (kai\ tou= e9tai/rou suxno\n diamarta/neij), if you think him so frightened of mere noise (ei0 au0to\n ou3twj oi1ei tina yofodea=). But perhaps you really think that the man who was abusing him meant what he said (i1swj de\ kai\ to\n loidorou/menon au0tw~| oi1ei o0neidi/zonta le/gein a4 e1legen).

Phaedrus: He seemed to (E0fai/neto ga/r), Socrates (w} Sw&katej); and I think you know yourself (kai\ su/noisqa/ pou kai\ au0to/j) that the men with the most power (o3ti oi9 me/giston duna/menoi/ te) and dignity (kai\ semno/tatoi) in our cities (e0n tai=j po/lesin) are ashamed (ai0sxu/nontai) to write speeches (lo/gouj te gra/fein) and leave compositions of theirs behind them (kai\ katalei/pein suggra/mmata e9autw~n), for fear of what posterity will think about them (do/can fobou/menoi tou= e1peita xro/nou) – they’re afraid they’ll be called sophists (mh\ sofistai\ kalw~ntai).

Socrates: Phaedrus, you don’t know that the expression ‘pleasant bend’ comes from the long bend of the Nile (Gluku\j a0gkw&n, w} Fai=dre, le/lhqe/n se o3ti a0po\ tou= makrou= a0gkw~noj tou= kata\ Nei=lon e0klh/qh); and besides the bend you’re missing the point that the politicians who have the highest opinion of themselves are most in love with speech-writing (kai\ pro\j tw~| a0gkw~ni lanqa/nei se o3ti oi9 me/giston fronou=ntej tw&n politikw~n ma/lista e0rw~si logografi/aj te) and with leaving compositions behind them (kai\ katalei/yeoj gramma/twn), to judge at any rate from the fact that whenever they write a speech (oi3 ge kai\ e0peida/n tina gra/fwsi lo/gon), they are so pleased with those who commend it (ou3twj a0gapw&si tou\j e0paine/taj) that they add in at the beginning the names of those who commend them on each occasion (w#ste prosparagra/fousi prw&touj oi4 a2n e9kastaxou= e0painw~sin au0tou/j).

Phaedrus: What do you mean by that (Pw~j le/geij tou=to;)? I don’t understand (ou0 ga\r manqa/nw).

Socrates: You don’t understand (Ou0 manqa/neij) that at the beginning of a politician’s composition (o3ti e0n a0rxh|= a0ndro\j politikou= suggra/mmatoj) the commender’s name is written first (prw~toj o9 e0paine/thj ge/graptai)?

Phaedrus: How so (Pw~j;)?

Socrates: The writer says perhaps ‘it was resolved by the council’ (“E1doce/ pou/ fhsin “th=| boulh|=”) or ‘by the people’ (h2 “tw~| dhmw~|”), or both (h2 a0mfote/roij), and ‘so-and-so said’ (kai\ o4j kai\ o4j ei]pen”), referring to his own dear self with great pomposity and self-eulogy (to\n au9to\n dh\ le/gwn ma/la semnw~j kai\ e0gkwmia/zwn o9 suggrafeu/j); then he proceeds with what he has to say (e1peita le/gei dh\ meta\ tou=to), demonstrating his own wisdom to those commending him (e0pideiknu/menoj toi=j e0paine/taij th\n au9tou= sofi/an), sometimes making a very long composition of it (e0ni/ote pa/nu makro\n poihsa/menoj su/ggramma); or does such a thing seem to you to differ from a written speech (h1 soi a1llo ti fai/netai to\ toiou=ton h2 lo/goj suggegramme/noj)?

Phaedrus: Not to me (Ou0k e1moige).

Socrates: So if it stays written down (Ou0kou=n e0a\n me\n ou[toj e0mme/nh|), the author leaves the theatre delighted (geghqw_j a0pe/rxetai e0k tou= qea/trou o9 poihth/j); but if it is rubbed out (e0a\n de\ e0caleifqh=|) and he loses his chance of being a speech-writer (kai\ a1moiroj ge/nhtai logografi/aj te) and of being recognised as a writer (kai\ ou0k a1cioj ei]nai suggra/fein), he and his friends go into mourning (penqei= au0to/j te kai\ oi9 e9tai=roi).

Phaedrus: Quite right (Kai\ ma/la).

Socrates: Clearly (Dhlo/n ge), not because they despise the profession (o3ti ou0x w(j u9perfronou=ntej tou= e0pithdeu/matoj), but because they regard it with admiration (a0ll’ w(j teqaumako/tej).

Phaedrus: Yes indeed (Pa/nu me\n ou]n).

Socrates: Well then (Ti/ de/;) – when he becomes an orator or king capable of acquiring the power of a Lycurgus, a Solon, or a Darius (o3tan i9kano\j ge/nhtai r9h/twr h2 basileu/j, w#ste labw_n th\n Lukou/rgou h2 So/lwnoj h2 Darei/ou du/namin), and achieving immortality (a0qa/natoj gene/sqai) as a speech-writer in a city (logogra/foj e0n po/lei), doesn’t he think himself equal to the gods even while he is alive (a]r’ ou0k i0so/qeon h9gei=tai au0to/j te au9to\n e1ti zw~n), and don’t those who come later (kai\ oi9 e1peita gigno/menoi) think the same of him (tau0ta\ tau=ta peri\ au0tou= nomi/zousi), when they observe his compositions (qew&menoi au0tou= ta\ suggra/mmata;)?

Phaedrus: Indeed so (Kai\ ma/la).

Socrates: So do you think that anyone of that kind (Oi1ei tina\ ou]n tw~n toiou/twn), whoever he is and however ill-disposed towards Lysias (o3stij kai\ o9pwstiou=n du/snouj Lusi/a|), reproaches him on this account (o0neidi/zein au0to\ tou=to) – that he is a writer (o3ti suggra/fei;)?

Phaedrus: It is not very likely (Ou1koun ei0ko/j ge), from what you say (e0c w{n su\ le/geij); if he did, it seems he would be reproaching what he himself desires (kai\ ga\r a2n th=| e9autou= e0piqumi/a|, w(j e1oiken, o0neidi/zoi).

Socrates: This much, then, is clear to everyone (Tou=to me\n a1ra panti\ dh/lon), that in itself, at least, writing speeches is not something shameful (o3ti ou0k ai0sxro\n au0to/ ge to\ gra/fein lo/gouj).

Phaedrus: How can it be (Ti/ ga/r)?

Socrates: But what is shameful, I think (A0ll’ e0kei=no oi]mai ai0sxro\n h1dh), is speaking and writing not in an acceptable way (to\ mh\ kalw~j le/gein te kai\ gra/fein), but shamefully and badly (a0ll’ ai0sxrw~j te kai\ kakw~j).

Phaedrus: Clearly (Dh=lon dh/).