Phaedrus — Plato

PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE.* Socrates, who is the narrator Euthydemus. of the Dialogue. Dionysodorus. Crito. Ctesippus. Cleinias. Scene: — ^The Lyceum. Crito. Who was the person, Socrates, with whom you were talking yesterday at the Lyceum ? There was such a crowd around you that I could not get within hearing, but I caught sight of him over their heads, and I made out, as I thought, that he was a stranger with whom you were talking : who was he ?

Socrates. There were two, Crito ; which of them do you mean? Cri. The one who was seated second from you on the right-hand side.

In the middle was Cleinias, the young son of Axiochus, who has wonderfully grown ; he is only about the age of my own Critobulus,^ but he is much forwarder and very good-looking : the other is thin and looks younger than he is. * Crito : see Apology, note 35 ; Euthydemus (u'thy-de'mus) and Dionysodorus (di'o-nys'-o-do'rus) : probably merely dramatic characters. *• That they corresp)ond to any actual persons at Athens, is neither proved nor probable.

Grotes Plato I., p. 536. Ctesippus (te-sFp'pus) : the principal knowledge we have of this young man is gained from this dialogue. He was present at the death of Socrates, Phaedo 59. Cleinias (kir nf-as), son of Axiochus (2x-i'o-kus), not mentioned elsewhere in Plato. * An enclosure dedicated to Apollo just east of Athens, outside the gate. It was decorated with fountains, buildings, and covered walks.

It became the largest of the three great gymnasia of ancient Athens. It was frequented by philosophers and others as a place for retirement and study. » See Apology 33. 35

p. 36Soc. He whom you mean, Crito, is Euthydemus ; and on my left hand there was his brother Dionysodorus, who also took part in the conversation. Cri. Neither of them are known to me, Socrates ; they are a new importation of Sophists, as I should imagine. Of what country are they, and what is their line of wisdom ? Soc.

As to their origin, I beheve that they are natives of this part of the world, and have migrated from Chios to Thurii,-* they were driven out of Thurii, and have been living for many years past in this region. As to their wisdom, alx)ut which you ask, Crito, they are wonderful — consummate!

I never knew what the true pancratiast^ was before; they are simply made up of fighting, not like the two Acarnanian brothers ^ who fight with their bodies only, but this pair are perfect in the use of their bodies and have a universal mode of fighting (for they are capital at fighting in armor, and will teach the art to any one who pays them) : and also they are masters of legal fence, and are ready to do battle in the courts; they will give lessons in speaking and pleading, and in writing speeches.

And this was only the beginning of their wisdom, but they have at last carried out the pancrastiastic art to the very end, and have mastered the only mode of fighting which had been hitherto neglected by them ; and now no one dares look at them ; such is their skill in the war of words, that they can refute any proposition whether true or false.

Now I am thinking, Crito, of putting myself in their hands; for they say that in a short time they can impart their skill to any one. Cri. But, Socrates, are you not too old ? there may be reason to fear that. Soc.

Certainly not, Crito; as I will prove to you, fori have the consolation of knowing that they began this art of disputation which I covet, quite, as I may say, in old age; last year, or the year before, they had none of their new wisdom. I am * Chios (kl'os) : An island in the ^gean, off the coast of Lydia, colonized by Greeks.

Thurii (thu' ri-i) : a Greek city in southern Italy. » Pancratiast (from/<7«, all, and kratos; strength) : strictly, one who took part in the pancratium (pan-kra'shi-um), an athletic contest which combined boxing and wrestling. • Acarnania (Sc'ar-nS'nf-a) : a district on the western coast of Greece whose inhabitants were rude and less civilized than the rest of the Greeks. They were skilled in the use of the sling. The brothers mentioned do not seem to have been widely known.

p. 37only apprehensive that I may bring the two strangers into disrepute, as I have done Connus the son of Metrobius,^ the harpplayer, who is still my music-master; for when the boys who also go to him see me going, they laugh at me and call him grandpapa^s master.

Now I should not like the strangers to experience this sort of treatment, and perhaps they may be afraid and not like to receive me because of this ; and therefore, Crito, I shall try and persuade some old men to go along with me to them, as I persuaded them to go to Connus, and I hope that you will make one : and perhaps we had better take your sons as a bait; they will want to have them, and will be willing to receive us as pupils for the sake of them.

Cri. I see no objection, Socrates, if you like; but first I wish that you would give me a description of their wisdom, that I may know beforehand what we are going to learn. Soc, I will tell you at once ; for I cannot say that I did not attend: the fact was that I paid great attention to them, and I remember and will endeavor to tell you the whole story.

I was providentially sitting alone in the dressing-room of the Lyceum in which you saw me, and was about to depart, when as I was getting up I recognized the familiar divine sign : ^so I sat down again, and in a little while the two brothers Euthydemus and Dionysodorus came in, and several others with them, whom I believe to be their disciples, and they walked about in the covered space; they had not taken more than two or three turns when Cleinias entered, who, as you truly say, is very much improved : he was followed by a host of lovers,^ one of whom was Ctesippus the Paeanian,^^ a wellbred youth, but also having the wildness of youth.

Cleinias saw me from the entrance as I was sitting alone, and at once came and sat down on the right hand of me, as you describe ; and Dionysodorus and Euthydemus, when they saw him, at first stopped and talked with one another, now and then glancing at us, for I particularly watched them ; and then Euthydemus came and sat down by the youth, and the other by me on the left hand; the rest anywhere.

I saluted the brothers, whom I had not seen for a long time ; and then I said to Cleinias : These two men, Euthydemus and Dionysodorus, Cleinias, are ' Connus (kSn'nus) ; Metrobius (me-tro'bf-us). • See Apology, 31 and 40. * See Phaedrus, note 9. ^^ Pseania (pe-a'm-a) : a deme of Attica.