Socrates’ second reference to Euthyphro comes just two Stephanus pages after the first one, at 399a1. He says to Hermogenes: ‘That is to say, you trust to the inspiration of Euthyphro.’ – Hermogenes: ‘Of course.’ (Tr. B. Jowett)
How did the
two get to this second reference to Euthyphro??
After
explaining the names of the gods, for which see the preceding post, Socrates
asks, what next. Hermogenes suggests demons (dai/monaj), heroes (h3rwaj) and men (a0nqrw&pouj, 397d9). Socrates says that ‘Hesiod called them demons because they
were dah/monej (knowing or wise), and in our older
Attic dialect the word itself occurs. Now he and poets say truly, that when a
good man dies he has honour (timh/n) and a mighty portion (mega/lhn moi=ran) among the dead, and becomes a
demon; which is a name signifying wisdom (kata\ th\n th=j fronh/sewj e0pwnumi/an). And I say too (tau/th| ou]n
ti/qemai kai\ e0gw&),
that every man (pa/nt’ a1ndra) that happens to be a good man (o3j a2n a0gaqo\j
h]|) is more than human
(daimo/nion
ei]nai) both in life (kai\ zw~nta) and death (kai\
teleuth/santa), and is
rightly (kai\ o0rqw~j)
called a demon (dai/mona kalei=sqai).
Hermogenes: ‘Then
I rather think (Kai\ e0gw& moi dokw~) that I am of one mind with you (pa/nu soi
su/myhfoj ei]nai); but
what is the meaning of the word “hero”?’ (h3rwj, in the old writing e3rwj.)
***
The explanation in brackets is misleading.
The “new” writing was originated in Ionia, and was adopted in Athens in 403
B.C. Until then, the Athenians used the capital letters, E
stood for e,h, O for o,w, and H for
the rough breathing. In the pre-403 Athens h3rwj
was written HEROS. (See Greek Grammar, by H.W. Smyth,
revised by G.M. Messing, Harvard University Press, p. 8, par. 2.)
***
Socrates: ‘I think that there is no
difficulty in explaining this (Tou=to
de\ ou0 pa/nu xalepo\n e0nnoh=sai),
for the name is not much altered (smikro\n ga\r parh=ktai au0tw~n to\ o1noma), and signifies (dhlou=n)
that they were born of love (th\n
e0k tou= e1rwtoj ge/nesin).’
Hermogenes
does not understand: ‘What do you mean?’ (Pw=j le/geij;)
Socrates says,
as Hermogenes well knows, that heroes (h3rwej) are demigods (h(mi/qeoi): ‘All of them (Pa/ntej dh/pou) sprang (gego/nasin) either from the love of a god for a
mortal woman (e0rasqe/ntoj h2 qeou= qnhth=j), or of a mortal man (h2 qnhtou=) for a goddess (qea=j); if you consider (e0a\n ou]n skoph=|j) the word in the old Attic (kata\ th\n A)ttikh\n
th\n palaia\n fwnh/n),
you will see better (ma=llon ei1sh|) that the name heros [HEROS] is only a slight alteration of Eros [EROS].’
Then
Socrates contemplates an alternative, different explanation: ‘either this is
the meaning (kai\ h2toi tou=to le/gei tou\j h3rwaj), or that they were wise (h2 o3ti sofoi\ h]san) and skilful as rhetoricians (kai\ r9h/torej
deinoi/) and
dialecticians (kai\ dialektikoi/), and able to put the question (e0rwta=n), for ei2rein is equivalent to le/gein. And therefore, as I was saying (o3per ou]n a1rti le/gomen), in the Attic dialect (e0n th|= A)ttikh=| fwnh=| lego/menoi) the heroes (oi( h3rwej) turn out to be rhetoricians and questioners (r(h/tore/j tinej kai\ e0rwthtikoi\ sumbai/nousin); so that (w#ste )
the noble breed of heroes (to\
h9rwiko\n fu=lon) becomes (gi/gnetai) a kind of sophists and rhetors (r9hto/rwn kai\ sofistw~n ge/noj). But this is not difficult to come up with (a0lla\ ou0 tou=to xalepo/n e0stin e0nnoh=sai), but why men are called a1nqrwpoi, this is more difficult (a0lla\ ma=llon to\ tw~n a0nqrw&pwn,
dia\ ti/ pote “a1nqrwpoi” kalou=ntai); can you tell me (su\ e1xeij ei0pei=n;)?
Hermogenes says he can’t, and would
not try even if he could: ‘because I think (dia\ to\ h9gei=sqai)
you are more likely to find out (se\ ma=llon eu9rh/sein)
than myself (h2
e0mauto/n).’
Socrates: ‘You trust to the
inspiration of Euthyphro (Th=|
tou= Eu0qu/fronoj e0pipnoi/a| pisteu/eij),
it seems (w(j
e1oikaj),’
Hermogenes: ‘That’s clear (Dh=la dh/)). (398b5-399a2, tr. B. Jowett)
