‘Just as at the beginning (Kaqa/per e0n a0rxh=|) of this tale (tou=de tou= mu/qou) we divided each soul into three forms (trixh=| diei/lomen yuxh\n e9ka/sthn), two like horses (i9ppomo/rfw me\n du/o tine ei1dh) and the third with the role of charioteer (h9nioxiko\n de\ ei]doj tri/ton), so now let this still stand (kai\ nu=n h9mi=n e1ti tau=ta mene/tw). Of the horses (tw~n de\ dh\ i3ppwn), one (o9 me/n), we say (fame/n), is good (a0gaqo/j), the other not (o4 d’ ou1); but we did not describe what the excellence of the good horse was, or the badness of the bad horse (a0reth\ de\ ti/j tou= a0gaqou= h2 kakou= kaki/a ou0 diei/pomen), and that is what we must now say (nu=n de\ lekte/on). Well then, the first of the two, which is on the nobler side (o9 me\n toi/nun au0toi=n e0n th=| kalli/oni sta/sei w!n), is erect in form (to/ te ei]doj o0rqo/j) and clean-limbed (kai\ dihrqrwme/noj), high-necked (u9yau/xhn), nose somewhat hooked (e0pi/grupoj), white in colour (leuko\j i0dei=n), with black eyes (melano/mmatoj), a lover of honour (timh=j e0rasth/j) when joined with restraint (meta\ swfrosu/nhj) and a sense of shame (kai\ ai0dou=j), and a companion of true glory (kai\ a0lhqinh=j do/chj e9tai=roj), needing no whip (a1plhktoj), responding to the spoken command alone (keleu/smati mo/non kai\ lo/gw| h9nioxei=tai); the other is crooked in shape (o9 d’ au] skolio/j), gross (polu/j), a random collection of parts (ei0kh=| sumpeforhme/noj), with a short, powerful neck (kraterau/xhn, braxutra/xhloj), flat-nosed (simopro/swpoj), black-skinned (mela/gxrwj), grey-eyed (glauko/mmatoj), bloodshot (u3faimoj), companion of excess and boastfulness (u3brewj kai\ a0lazonei/aj e9tai=roj), shaggy around the ears (peri\ w}ta la/sioj), deaf (kwfo/j), hardly yielding to whip and goad together (ma/stigi meta\ ke/ntrwn mo/gij u9pei/kwn). So when the charioteer first catches sight of the light of his love (o3tan d’ ou]n o9 h9ni/oxoj i0dw_n to\ e0rwtiko\n o1mma), warming the whole soul through the medium of perception (pa=san ai0sqh/sei diaqermh/naj th\n yuxh/n), and begins to be filled with tickling and pricks of longing (gargalismou= te kai\ po/qou ke/ntrwn u9poplhsqh=|), the horse which is obedient to the charioteer (o9 me\n eu0peiqh\j tw~| h9nio/xw| tw~n i3ppwn), constrained then as always by shame (a0ei/ te kai\ to/te ai0doi= biazo/menoj), holds itself back (e9auto\n kate/xei) from leaping on the loved one (mh\ e0piphda=n tw~| e0rwme/nw|); while the other no longer takes notice of goading or the whip from the charioteer (o9 de\ ou1te kentrw~n h9nioxikw~n ou1te ma/stigoj e1ti e0ntre/petai), but springs powerfully forward (skirtw~n de\ bi/a| fe/retai), and causing all kinds of trouble to the companion (kai\ pa/nta pra/gmata pare/xwn tw~| su/zigi/ te) and the charioteer (kai\ tw~| h9nio/xw|) forces them to move towards the beloved (a0nagka/zei i0e/nai te pro\j ta\ paidika/) and mention to him the delights of sex (kai\ mnei=an poiei=sqai th=j tw~n a0frodisi/wn xa/ritoj). At the start the two of them resist (tw_ de\ kat’ a0rxa\j me\n a0ntitei/neton), indignant (a0ganaktou=nte) of being forced to do terrible and improper things (w(j deina\ kai\ para/noma a0nagkazome/nw); but finally (teleutw~nte de/), when there is no limit to their plight (o3tan mhde\n h]| pe/raj kakou=), they follow its lead (poreu/esqon a0gome/nw), giving in (ei1cante) and agreeing (kai\ o9mologh/sante) to do what it tells them (poih/sein to\ keleuo/menon). Now they come close to the beloved (kai\ pro\j au0tw~| t’ e0ge/nonto) and see the flashing of his face (kai\ ei]don th\n o1yin th\n tw~n paidikw~n a0stra/ptousan). As the charioteer sees it (i0do/ntoj de\ tou= h9nio/xou), his memory is carried back to the nature of beauty (h9 mnh/mh pro\j th\n tou= ka/llouj fu/sin h0ne/xqh), and again sees it standing together with self-control on a holy pedestal (kai\ pa/lin ei]den au0th\n meta\ swfrosu/nhj e0n a9gnw~| ba/qrw| bebw~san); at the sight he becomes frightened (i0dou=sa de\ e1deise/ te), and in sudden reverence (kai\ sefqei=sa) he falls on his back (a0ne/pese u9pti/a), and is forced at the same time to pull back the reins so violently (kai\ a3ma h0nagka/sqh ei0j tou0pi/sw e9lku/sai ta=j h9ni/aj ou3tw sfo/dra) as to bring both horses down on their haunches (w#st’ e0pi\ ta\ i0sxi/a a1mfw kaqi/sai tw_ i3ppw), the one willingly (to\n me\n e9ko/nta), because of its lack of resistance to him (dia\ to\ mh\ a0ntitei/nein), but the unruly horse much against its will (to\n de\ u9bristh\n ma/la a1konta). When they are a little way off (a0pelqo/nte de\ a0pwte/rw), the first horse drenches the whole soul with sweat from shame and alarm (o9 me\n u9p’ ai0sxu/nhj te kai\ qa/mbouj i9drw~ti pa=san e1brece th\n yuxh/n), while the other, when it has recovered from the pain (o9 de\ lh/caj th=j o0du/nhj) caused to it by the bit and its fall (h4n u9po\ tou= xalinou= te e1sxen kai\ tou# ptw/matoj), scarcely gets its breath back (mo/gij e0canapneu/saj) before it breaks into angry abuse (e0loido/rhsen o0rgh=|), repeatedly reviling the charioteer and its companion for cowardly and unmanly desertion of their agreed position (polla\ kaki/zwn to/n te h9ni/oxon kai\ to\n o9mo/zuga w(j deili/a| te kai\ a0nandrei/a| lipo/nte th\n ta/cin kai\ o9mologi/an); and again it tries to compel them to approach, unwilling as they are (kai\ pa/lin ou0k e0qe/lontaj prosie/nai a0nagka/zwn), and barely concedes when they beg him (mo/gij sunexw&rhsen deome/nwn) to postpone it until a later time (ei0j au]qij u9perbale/sqai). When the agreed time comes (e0lqo/ntoj de\ tou= sunteqe/ntoj xro/nou), and they pretend not to remember (a0mnhmonei=n prospoioume/nw), it reminds them (a0namimnh/|skwn); struggling (biazo/menoj), neighing (xremeti/zwn), pulling (e3lkwn), it forces them to approach the beloved again (h0na/gkasen au] proselqei=n toi=j paidikoi=j) to make the same proposition (e0pi\ tou\j au0tou\j lo/gouj), and when they are nearby (kai\ e0peidh\ e0ggu\j h]san), head down (e0gku/yaj) and the tail outstretched (kai\ e0ktei/naj to\n ke/rkon), teeth clamped on its bit (e0ndakw_n to\n xalino/n), it pulls shamelessly (met’ a0naidei/aj e3lkei); but the same happens to the charioteer as before, only still more violently (o0 d’ h9ni/oxj e1ti ma=llon t’au0to\n pa/qoj paqw&n), as he falls back as if from a husplex (w#sper a0po\ u3splhgoj a0napesw&n);
***
The best
explanation of husplex is given in LSJ Greek-English Dictionary: ‘the
part of a springe or a noose trap which slips down when touched’. LSJ points to
its usage in philosophic discussions; it was used to indicate any unexpected
barrier which prevented one from achieving what one was after. The actual
meaning of husplex was dependent on any situation in which it was used.
In our case, Plato gives us its meaning when he describes the first attempt to
seduce the boy:
The bad
horse forces his companion and the charioteer to move towards the beloved and
mention to him the delights of sex. Now they come close to the beloved and see
the flashing of his face. As the charioteer sees it, his memory is carried back
to the nature of beauty, and again sees it standing together with self-control
on a holy pedestal, and in sudden reverence he falls on his back and is forced
at the same time to pull back the reins so violently as to bring both horses
down on their haunches.
The husplex
was charioteer’s memory of the beauty standing with sȏphrosunȇ
(Rowe’s ‘self-control’, Jowett’s ‘temperance’) on a holy pedestal. What
‘touched it’ and made it ‘slip down’ was the flashing of the beloved’s face.
***
still more
violently he wrenches the bit back, and forces it from the teeth of the unruly
horse (e1ti
ma=llon tou= u9bristou= i3ppou e0k tw~n odo/ntwn bi/a| o0pi/sw spa/saj to\n
xalino/n), spattering
its evil-speaking tongue and its jaws with blood (th/n te
kakhgo/ron glw&ttan kai\ ta\j gna/qouj kaqh/|macen), and thrusting its legs and
haunches to the ground (kai\ ta\ ske/lh te kai\ ta\ i0sxi/a pro\j th\n gh\n
e0rei/saj) delivers it
over to the pains (o0du/naij e1dwken). When the same thing happens to the evil horse many times,
and it ceases from its excesses (o3tan de\ tau0to\n polla/kij pa/sxwn o9
po/nhroj th=j u3brewj lh/ch|), now humbled (tapeinwqei/j) it allows the charioteer with his foresight to lead (e3petai h1dh th=|
tou= h9nio/xou pronoi/a|),
and when it sees the boy in his beauty (kai\ o3tan i1dh| to\n kalo/n), it nearly dies with fright (fo/bw| dio/llutai); and the result is that now the
soul of the lover follows the beloved in reverence and awe (w#ste sumbai/nei
tot’ h1dh th\n tou=
e0rastou= yuxh\n toi=j paidikoi=j ai0doume/nhn te kai\ dediui=an e3pesqai). So because he receives every kind
of service, as if equal to the gods (a3te ou]n pa=san qerapei/an w(j i0so/qeoj
qerapeuo/menoj), from a
lover who is not pretending but genuinely in love (ou0x u9po\
sxhmatizome/nou tou= e0rw~ntoj a0ll’ a0lhqw~j tou=to
peponqo/toj), and
because he naturally feels affection for a man who renders him service (kai\ au0to\j w@n
fu/sei fi/loj tw~| qerapeu/onti), even if perhaps in the past he had been prejudiced against him by
hearing his schoolfellows or others (e0a\n a1ra kai\ e0n tw~| pro/sqen u9po\
sumfoithtw~n h1 tinwn a1llwn diabeblhme/noj h|]) say it is shameful to associate with a lover (lego/ntwn w(j
ai0sxro\n e0rw~nti plhsia/zein), and repulses the lover for that reason (kai\ dia\ tou=to a0pwqh=| to\n
e0rw~nta), as time goes
on (proi+o/ntoj
h1dh tou= xro/nou) he is
lead both by his age, and by necessity, to admit him to his company (h3 te h9liki/a
kai\ to\ xrew_n h1gagen ei0j to\ prose/sqai au0to\n ei0j o9mili/an); for it is fated that evil will
never be friend to evil, nor good fail to be friend to good (ou0 ga\r dh/pote
ei3martai kako\n kakw~| fi/lon ou0d’ a0gaqo\n mh\
fi/lon a0gaqw~| ei]nai).
Once he had admitted him (proseme/nou de/) and accepted his conversation and his company (kai\ lo/gon kai\
o9mili/an decame/nou),
the goodwill that he experiences at close quarters from his lover amazes the
beloved (e0ggu/qen h9 eu1noia gignome/nh tou= e0rw~ntoj e0kplh/ttei to\n
e0rw&menon), as he
clearly sees (diaisqano/menon)
that not even all his other friends (o3ti ou0d’ oi9 su/mpantej
a1lloi fi/loi te) and
his relations together (kai\ oi0kei=oi) have anything to offer by way of affection in comparison
with the friend who is divinely possessed (moi=ran fili/aj ou0demi/an pare/xontai
pro\j to\n e1nqeon fi/lon).
And when he continues doing this (o3tan de\ xroni/zh| tou=to drw~n) and association is combined with
physical contact (kai\ plhsia/zh| meta\ tou= a3ptesqai) in the gymnasium (e1n te
gumnasi/oij) and on the
other occasions when people come together (kai\ e0n tai=j a1llaij o9mili/aij), then it is that the springs of
that stream (to/t’ h1dh h9 tou= r9eu/matoj e0kei/nou phgh/) which Zeus as lover of Ganymede
named “desire” (o4n i3meron Zeu\j Ganumh/dou e0rw~n w)no/mase) flow in abundance upon the lover (pollh\ ferome/nh
pro\j to\n e0rasth/n),
some sinking within him (h9 me\n ei0j au0to\n e1du), and some flowing off outside him as he brims over (h9 d’ a0pomestoume/nou
e1cw a0porrei=); and as
a breath of wind (kai\ oi[on pneu=ma) or an echo (h1 tij h0xw&) rebounds from smooth hard surfaces (a0po\ lei/wn te
kai\ sterew~n a9llome/nh)
and returns to the source from which it issued (pa/lin o3qen w(rmh/qh fe/retai), so (ou3tw) the stream of beauty (to\ tou= ka/llouj
r9eu=ma) passes back
into its possessor through his eyes (pa/lin ei0j to\n kalo\n dia\ tw~n
o0mma/twn i0o/n), which
is its natural route to the soul (h[| pe/fuken e0pi\ th\n yuxh\n i0e/nai); arriving there and setting him all
of a flutter (a0fiko/menon kai\ a0napterw~san), it waters the passages of the feathers (ta\j dio/douj
tw~n pterw~n a1rdei te)
and causes the wings to grow (kai\ w#rmhse pterofuei=n te), and fills the soul of the loved
one in his turn with love (kai\ th\n tou= e0rwme/nou au] yuxh\n e1rwtoj
e0ne/plhsen). So he is
in love (e0ra=| me\n ou]n),
but with what, he does not know (o3tou de\ a0porei=); and he neither knows what has
happened to him (kai\ ou0q o3ti pe/ponqen oi]den), nor can he even say what it is (ou0d’ e1xei fra/sai), but like a man who has caught an
eye-disease from someone (a0ll’ oi[on a0p’ a1llou
o0fqalmi/an a0polelaukw~j)
he can give no account of it (pro/fasin ei0pei=n ou0k e1xei), and is unaware that he is seeing
himself in his lover as if in a mirror (w#sper de\ e0n kato/ptrw| e0n tw~|
e0rw~nti e9auto\n o9rw~n le/lhqen). And when his lover is with him (kai\ o3tan me\n
e0kei=noj parh=|), like
him he ceases from his anguish (lh/gei kata\ tau0ta\ e0kei/nw| th=j
o0du/nhj); when he is
absent (o3tan
de\ a0ph=|), again like him he longs and is longed for, because
his return of love is a reflection of love (kata\ tau0ta\ au] poqei= kai\ poqei=tai, ei1dwlon
e1rwtoj a0nte/rwta e1xwn),
though he calls what he has and thinks of it as friendly affection rather than
love (kalei=
de\ au0to\n kai\ oi1etai ou0k e1rwta a1lla\ fili/an ei]nai). His desires are similar to his
lover’s (e0piqumei= de\ e0kei/nw| paraplhsi/wj me/n), but weaker (a0sqeneste/rwj
de/): to see (o9ra=n), touch (a3ptesqai), kiss (filei=n) and lie down with him (sugkatakei=sqai); and indeed (kai\ dh/), as one might expect (oi[on ei0ko/j), soon afterwards he does just that
(poiei=
to\ meta\ tou=to taxu\ tau=ta). So as they lie together (e0n ou]n th=| sugkoimh/sei), the lover’s licentious horse (tou= me\n
e0rastou= o9 a0ko/lastoj i3ppoj) has something to suggest to the charioteer (e1xei o3ti le/gh|
pro\j to\n h9ni/oxon),
and claims little enjoyment as recompense for much hardship (kai\ a0cioi=
a0nti\ pollw~n po/nwn smikra\ a0polau/sai); while its counterpart in the beloved (o9 de\ tw~n
paidikw~n) has nothing
to say (e1xei
me\n ou0de\n ei0pei=n),
but swelling with confused passion (spargw~n de\ kai\ a0porw~n) it embraces the lover and kisses
him (periba/llei
to\n e0rasth\n kai\ filei=), welcoming him as someone full of goodwill (w(j sfo/dr’ eu1noun
a0spazo/menoj), and
whenever they lie down together (o3tan te sugkatake/wntai), it is ready (oi[o/j e0sti) not to refuse (mh\ a0parnhqh=nai) to do its own part in granting
favours to the lover (to\ au9tou= me/roj xari/sasqai tw|~ e0rw~nti), should he beg to receive them (ei0 dehqei/h
tuxei=n); but its
companion (o9 de\ o9mo/zuc),
for its part (au]), together
with the charioteer (meta\ tou= h9nio/xou), resist this with a reasoned sense of shame (pro\j tau=ta met’ ai0dou\j kai\
lo/gou a0ntitei/nei). Well
then, if the better elements of their minds get the upper hand by drawing them
to a well-ordered life, and to philosophy (e0a\n me\n dh\ ou]n e0j tetagme/nhn te
diai/tan kai\ filosofi/an nikh/sh| ta\ belti/w th=j dianoi/aj a0gago/nta), they pass their life here in
blessedness and harmony (maka/rion kai\ o9monoh/tikon to\n e0nqa/de bi/on dia/gousin), masters of themselves (e0gkratei=j
au9tw~n) and orderly in
their behaviour (kai\ ko/smioi o1ntej), having enslaved (doulwsa/menoi me/n) that part through which (w{|) evil attempted to enter the soul (kaki/a yuxh=j
e0negi/gneto), and freed
(e0leuqerw&santej
de/) that part through
which (w{|) goodness enters it (a0reth/); and when they die (teleuth/santej
de\ dh/) they become
winged and light (u9po/pteroi kai\ e0lafroi\ gegono/tej), and have won the first of their
three submissions in these, the true Olympic games (tw~n triw~n
palaisma/twn tw~n w(j a0lhqw~j O0lupiakw=n e4n nenikh/kasin) – and neither human sanity nor
divine madness has any greater good to offer than this (ou[ mei/zon
a0gaqo\n ou1te swfrosu/nh a0nqrwopi/nh ou1te qei/a mani/a dunath\ pori/sai
a0nqrw&pw|). But if
they turn to a coarser way of life, devoted not to wisdom but to honour (e0a\n de\ dh\
diai/th| fortikwte/ra| te kai\ a0filoso/fw|, filoti/mw| te xrh/sontai), then perhaps, I suppose (ta/x’ a2n pou=), when they are drinking (e0n me/qaij) or in some other moment of
carelessness (h1 tini a1llh| a0melei/a|) the licentious horses in the two of them catch them off
their guard (tw_ a0kola/stw au0toi=n u9pozugi/w labo/nte ta\j yuxa\j a0frou/rouj), and bringing them together (sunagago/nte ei0j
tau0to/n) take that
choice which is called blessed by the many (th\n u9po\ tw~n pollw~n makaristh\n
ai3resin ei9le/thn), and
carry it through (kai\ diepra/canto); and once having done so (kai\ diapra/came/nw), they continue with it (to\ loipo\n h1dh
xrw~ntai me\n au0th=|),
but sparingly (spani/a| de/), because what they are doing has not been approved by their
whole mind (a3te ou0 pa=sh| dedogme/na th=| dianoi/a| pra/ttontej). So these too spend their lives as
friends, though not to the same degree as the other pair, both during their love
and when they have passed beyond it (fi/lw me\n ou]n kai\ tou/tw h[tton de
e0kei/nwn a0llh/loin dia/ te tou= e1rwtoj kai\ e1cw genome/nw dia/gousi), believing that they have given and
received the most binding pledges (pi/steij ta\j megi/staj h9goume/nw
a0llh/loin dedwke/nai te kai\ dede/xqai), which it would be wrong to break by ever becoming enemies
(a4j
ou0 qe/miton ei]nai lu/santaj ei0j e1xqran pote\ e0lqei=n). On their death (e0n de\ th=|
teleuth=|) they leave
the body without wings but with the impulse to get them (a1pteroi me/n,
w(rmhko/tej de\ pterou=sqai e0kbai/nousi tou= sw&matoj), so that they carry off no small
reward for their lovers’ madness (w#ste ou0 smikro\n a]qlon th=j e0rwtikh=j
mani/aj fe/rontai); for
it is ordained that those who have already begun on their journey under the
heavens shall no longer pass into the darkness of the journey under the earth (ei0j ga\r sko/ton
kai\ th\n u9po\ gh=j porei/an ou0 no/moj e0sti\n e1ti e0lqei=n toi=j
kathrgme/noij h1dh th=j u9pourani/ou porei/aj), but rather live in the light (a0lla\ fano\n
bi/on dia/gontaj) and be
happy as they travel with each other (eu0daimonei=n met’ a0llh/lwn
poreuome/nouj), and
acquire matching plumage, when they acquire it, because of their love (kai\ o9mopte/rouj
e1rwtoj xa/rin, o3tan ge/nwntai, gene/sqai).
‘These are the blessings, my boy, so
great as to be counted divine, which will come to you from the friendship of a lover,
in the way I have described (Tau=ta tosau=ta, w} pai=, kai\ qei=a ou3tw soi
dwrh/setai h4 par’ e0rastou= fili/a); whereas the acquaintance of the
non-lover (h9 de\ a0po\ tou= mh\ e0rw~ntoj oi0keio/thj), which is diluted with a merely
mortal good sense (swfrosu/nh| qnhth=| kekrame/nh), dispensing miserly benefits of a
mortal kind (qnhta/ te kai\ feidwla\ oi0konomou=sa), engenders in the soul which is the object of its
attachment a meanness which is praised by the majority as a virtue (a0neleuqeri/an
u9po\ plh/qouj e0painoume/nhn w(j a0reth\n th=| filh=| yuxh=| e0ntekou=sa), and so will cause it to wallow
mindlessly around and under the earth for nine thousand years (e0nne/a xilia/daj
e0tw~n peri\ gh\n kulindoume/nhn au0th\n kai\ u9po\ gh=j a1noun pare/cei).
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