cratylus-第25章

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indeed　I　believe　that　I　myself　did　not　know　what　I　meant　when　I　imagined

that　I　had　found　some　indication　of　the　opinion　of　Homer　about　the

correctness　of　names。



HERMOGENES：　　I　assure　you　that　I　think　otherwise；　and　I　believe　you　to　be

on　the　right　track。



SOCRATES：　　There　is　reason；　I　think；　in　calling　the　lion's　whelp　a　lion；

and　the　foal　of　a　horse　a　horse；　I　am　speaking　only　of　the　ordinary　course

of　nature；　when　an　animal　produces　after　his　kind；　and　not　of　extraordinary

births；if　contrary　to　nature　a　horse　have　a　calf；　then　I　should　not　call

that　a　foal　but　a　calf；　nor　do　I　call　any　inhuman　birth　a　man；　but　only　a

natural　birth。　　And　the　same　may　be　said　of　trees　and　other　things。　　Do　you

agree　with　me？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes；　I　agree。



SOCRATES：　　Very　good。　　But　you　had　better　watch　me　and　see　that　I　do　not

play　tricks　with　you。　　For　on　the　same　principle　the　son　of　a　king　is　to　be

called　a　king。　　And　whether　the　syllables　of　the　name　are　the　same　or　not

the　same；　makes　no　difference；　provided　the　meaning　is　retained；　nor　does

the　addition　or　subtraction　of　a　letter　make　any　difference　so　long　as　the

essence　of　the　thing　remains　in　possession　of　the　name　and　appears　in　it。



HERMOGENES：　　What　do　you　mean？



SOCRATES：　　A　very　simple　matter。　　I　may　illustrate　my　meaning　by　the　names

of　letters；　which　you　know　are　not　the　same　as　the　letters　themselves　with

the　exception　of　the　four　epsilon；　upsilon；　omicron；　omega；　the　names　of

the　rest；　whether　vowels　or　consonants；　are　made　up　of　other　letters　which

we　add　to　them；　but　so　long　as　we　introduce　the　meaning；　and　there　can　be

no　mistake；　the　name　of　the　letter　is　quite　correct。　　Take；　for　example；

the　letter　betathe　addition　of　eta；　tau；　alpha；　gives　no　offence；　and

does　not　prevent　the　whole　name　from　having　the　value　which　the　legislator

intendedso　well　did　he　know　how　to　give　the　letters　names。



HERMOGENES：　　I　believe　you　are　right。



SOCRATES：　　And　may　not　the　same　be　said　of　a　king？　a　king　will　often　be　the

son　of　a　king；　the　good　son　or　the　noble　son　of　a　good　or　noble　sire；　and

similarly　the　offspring　of　every　kind；　in　the　regular　course　of　nature；　is

like　the　parent；　and　therefore　has　the　same　name。　　Yet　the　syllables　may　be

disguised　until　they　appear　different　to　the　ignorant　person；　and　he　may

not　recognize　them；　although　they　are　the　same；　just　as　any　one　of　us　would

not　recognize　the　same　drugs　under　different　disguises　of　colour　and　smell；

although　to　the　physician；　who　regards　the　power　of　them；　they　are　the

same；　and　he　is　not　put　out　by　the　addition；　and　in　like　manner　the

etymologist　is　not　put　out　by　the　addition　or　transposition　or　subtraction

of　a　letter　or　two；　or　indeed　by　the　change　of　all　the　letters；　for　this

need　not　interfere　with　the　meaning。　　As　was　just　now　said；　the　names　of

Hector　and　Astyanax　have　only　one　letter　alike；　which　is　tau；　and　yet　they

have　the　same　meaning。　　And　how　little　in　common　with　the　letters　of　their

names　has　Archepolis　（ruler　of　the　city）and　yet　the　meaning　is　the　same。　

And　there　are　many　other　names　which　just　mean　'king。'　　Again；　there　are

several　names　for　a　general；　as；　for　example；　Agis　（leader）　and　Polemarchus

（chief　in　war）　and　Eupolemus　（good　warrior）；　and　others　which　denote　a

physician；　as　Iatrocles　（famous　healer）　and　Acesimbrotus　（curer　of

mortals）；　and　there　are　many　others　which　might　be　cited；　differing　in

their　syllables　and　letters；　but　having　the　same　meaning。　　Would　you　not

say　so？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　The　same　names；　then；　ought　to　be　assigned　to　those　who　follow

in　the　course　of　nature？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　of　those　who　follow　out　of　the　course　of　nature；　and

are　prodigies？　for　example；　when　a　good　and　religious　man　has　an

irreligious　son；　he　ought　to　bear　the　name　not　of　his　father；　but　of　the

class　to　which　he　belongs；　just　as　in　the　case　which　was　before　supposed　of

a　horse　foaling　a　calf。



HERMOGENES：　　Quite　true。



SOCRATES：　　Then　the　irreligious　son　of　a　religious　father　should　be　called

irreligious？



HERMOGENES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　He　should　not　be　called　Theophilus　（beloved　of　God）　or

Mnesitheus　（mindful　of　God）；　or　any　of　these　names：　　if　names　are　correctly

given；　his　should　have　an　opposite　meaning。



HERMOGENES：　　Certainly；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　Again；　Hermogenes；　there　is　Orestes　（the　man　of　the　mountains）

who　appears　to　be　rightly　called；　whether　chance　gave　the　name；　or　perhaps

some　poet　who　meant　to　express　the　brutality　and　fierceness　and　mountain

wildness　of　his　hero's　nature。



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　very　likely；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　And　his　father's　name　is　also　according　to　nature。



HERMOGENES：　　Clearly。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　for　as　his　name；　so　also　is　his　nature；　Agamemnon

（admirable　for　remaining）　is　one　who　is　patient　and　persevering　in　the

accomplishment　of　his　resolves；　and　by　his　virtue　crowns　them；　and　his

continuance　at　Troy　with　all　the　vast　army　is　a　proof　of　that　admirable

endurance　in　him　which　is　signified　by　the　name　Agamemnon。　　I　also　think

that　Atreus　is　rightly　called；　for　his　murder　of　Chrysippus　and　his

exceeding　cruelty　to　Thyestes　are　damaging　and　destructive　to　his

reputationthe　name　is　a　little　altered　and　disguised　so　as　not　to　be

intelligible　to　every　one；　but　to　the　etymologist　there　is　no　difficulty　in

seeing　the　meaning；　for　whether　you　think　of　him　as　ateires　the　stubborn；

or　as　atrestos　the　fearless；　or　as　ateros　the　destructive　one；　the　name　is

perfectly　correct　in　every　point　of　view。　　And　I　think　that　Pelops　is　also

named　appropriately；　for；　as　the　name　implies；　he　is　rightly　called　Pelops

who　sees　what　is　near　only　（o　ta　pelas　oron）。



HERMOGENES：　　How　so？



SOCRATES：　　Because；　according　to　the　tradition；　he　had　no　forethought　or

foresight　of　all　the　evil　which　the　murder　of　Myrtilus　would　entail　upon

his　whole　race　in　remote　ages；　he　saw　only　what　was　at　hand　and　immediate；

or　in　other　words；　pelas　（near）；　in　his　eagerness　to　win　Hippodamia　by

all　means　for　his　bride。　　Every　one　would　agree　that　the　name　of　Tantalus

is　rightly　given　and　in　accordance　with　nature；　if　the　traditions　about　him

are　true。



HERMOGENES：　　And　what　are　the　traditions？



SOCRATES：　　Many　terrible　misfortunes　are　said　to　have　happened　to　him　in

his　lifelast　of　all；　came　the　utter　ruin　of　his　country；　and　after　his

death　he　had　the　stone　suspended　（talanteia）　over　his　head　in　the　world

belowall　this　agrees　wonderfully　well　with　his　name。　　You　might　imagine

that　some　person　who　wanted　to　call　him　Talantatos　（the　most　weighted　down

by　misfortune）；　disguised　the　name　by　altering　it　into　Tantalus；　and　into

this　form；　by　some　accident　of　tradition；　it　has　actually　been　transmuted。　

The　name　of　Zeus；　who　is　his　alleged　father；　has　also　an　excellent　meaning；

although　hard　to　be　understood；　because　really　like　a　sentence；　which　is

divided　into　two　parts；　for　some　call　him　Zena；　and　use　the　one　half；　and

others　who　use　the　other　half　call　him　Dia；　the　two　together　signify　the

nature　of　the　God；　and　the　business　of　a　name；　as　we　were　saying；　is　to

express　the　nature。　　For　there　is　none　who　is　more　the　author　of　life　to　us

and　to　all；　than　the　lord　and　king　of　all。　　Wherefore　we　are　right　in

calling　him　Zena　and　Dia；　which　are　one　name；　although　divided；　meaning　the

God　through　whom　all　creatures　always　have　life　（di　on　zen　aei　pasi　tois

zosin　uparchei）。　　There　is　an　irreverence；　at　first　sight；　in　calling　him

son　of　Cronos　（who　is　a　proverb　for　stupidity）；　and　we　might　rather　expect

Zeus　to　be　the　child　of　a　mighty　intellect。　　Which　is　the　fact；　for　this　is

the　meaning　of　his　father's　name：　　Kronos　quasi　Koros　（Choreo；　to　sweep）；

not　in　the　sense　of　a　youth；　but　signifying　to　chatharon　chai　acheraton　tou

nou；　the　pure　and　garnished　mind　（sc。　apo　tou　chorein）。　　He；　as　we　are

informed　by　tradition；　was　begotten　of　Uranus；　rightly　so　called　（a