cratylus-第28章

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fears　to　call　the　God　Pluto　instead。



HERMOGENES：　　And　what　is　the　true　derivation？



SOCRATES：　　In　spite　of　the　mistakes　which　are　made　about　the　power　of　this

deity；　and　the　foolish　fears　which　people　have　of　him；　such　as　the　fear　of

always　being　with　him　after　death；　and　of　the　soul　denuded　of　the　body

going　to　him　（compare　Rep。）；　my　belief　is　that　all　is　quite　consistent；　and

that　the　office　and　name　of　the　God　really　correspond。



HERMOGENES：　　Why；　how　is　that？



SOCRATES：　　I　will　tell　you　my　own　opinion；　but　first；　I　should　like　to　ask

you　which　chain　does　any　animal　feel　to　be　the　stronger？　and　which　confines

him　more　to　the　same　spot；desire　or　necessity？



HERMOGENES：　　Desire；　Socrates；　is　stronger　far。



SOCRATES：　　And　do　you　not　think　that　many　a　one　would　escape　from　Hades；　if

he　did　not　bind　those　who　depart　to　him　by　the　strongest　of　chains？



HERMOGENES：　　Assuredly　they　would。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　by　the　greatest　of　chains；　then　by　some　desire；　as　I

should　certainly　infer；　and　not　by　necessity？



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　clear。



SOCRATES：　　And　there　are　many　desires？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　therefore　by　the　greatest　desire；　if　the　chain　is　to　be　the

greatest？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　is　any　desire　stronger　than　the　thought　that　you　will　be

made　better　by　associating　with　another？



HERMOGENES：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　And　is　not　that　the　reason；　Hermogenes；　why　no　one；　who　has　been

to　him；　is　willing　to　come　back　to　us？　　Even　the　Sirens；　like　all　the　rest

of　the　world；　have　been　laid　under　his　spells。　　Such　a　charm；　as　I　imagine；

is　the　God　able　to　infuse　into　his　words。　　And；　according　to　this　view；　he

is　the　perfect　and　accomplished　Sophist；　and　the　great　benefactor　of　the

inhabitants　of　the　other　world；　and　even　to　us　who　are　upon　earth　he　sends

from　below　exceeding　blessings。　　For　he　has　much　more　than　he　wants　down

there；　wherefore　he　is　called　Pluto　（or　the　rich）。　　Note　also；　that　he　will

have　nothing　to　do　with　men　while　they　are　in　the　body；　but　only　when　the

soul　is　liberated　from　the　desires　and　evils　of　the　body。　　Now　there　is　a

great　deal　of　philosophy　and　reflection　in　that；　for　in　their　liberated

state　he　can　bind　them　with　the　desire　of　virtue；　but　while　they　are

flustered　and　maddened　by　the　body；　not　even　father　Cronos　himself　would

suffice　to　keep　them　with　him　in　his　own　far…famed　chains。



HERMOGENES：　　There　is　a　deal　of　truth　in　what　you　say。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　Hermogenes；　and　the　legislator　called　him　Hades；　not　from

the　unseen　（aeides）far　otherwise；　but　from　his　knowledge　（eidenai）　of　all

noble　things。



HERMOGENES：　　Very　good；　and　what　do　we　say　of　Demeter；　and　Here；　and

Apollo；　and　Athene；　and　Hephaestus；　and　Ares；　and　the　other　deities？



SOCRATES：　　Demeter　is　e　didousa　meter；　who　gives　food　like　a　mother；　Here

is　the　lovely　one　（erate）for　Zeus；　according　to　tradition；　loved　and

married　her；　possibly　also　the　name　may　have　been　given　when　the　legislator

was　thinking　of　the　heavens；　and　may　be　only　a　disguise　of　the　air　（aer）；

putting　the　end　in　the　place　of　the　beginning。　　You　will　recognize　the

truth　of　this　if　you　repeat　the　letters　of　Here　several　times　over。　　People

dread　the　name　of　Pherephatta　as　they　dread　the　name　of　Apollo；and　with

as　little　reason；　the　fear；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　only　arises　from　their

ignorance　of　the　nature　of　names。　　But　they　go　changing　the　name　into

Phersephone；　and　they　are　terrified　at　this；　whereas　the　new　name　means

only　that　the　Goddess　is　wise　（sophe）；　for　seeing　that　all　things　in　the

world　are　in　motion　（pheromenon）；　that　principle　which　embraces　and　touches

and　is　able　to　follow　them；　is　wisdom。　　And　therefore　the　Goddess　may　be

truly　called　Pherepaphe　（Pherepapha）；　or　some　name　like　it；　because　she

touches　that　which　is　in　motion　（tou　pheromenon　ephaptomene）；　herein

showing　her　wisdom。　　And　Hades；　who　is　wise；　consorts　with　her；　because　she

is　wise。　　They　alter　her　name　into　Pherephatta　now…a…days；　because　the

present　generation　care　for　euphony　more　than　truth。　　There　is　the　other

name；　Apollo；　which；　as　I　was　saying；　is　generally　supposed　to　have　some

terrible　signification。　　Have　you　remarked　this　fact？



HERMOGENES：　　To　be　sure　I　have；　and　what　you　say　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　But　the　name；　in　my　opinion；　is　really　most　expressive　of　the

power　of　the　God。



HERMOGENES：　　How　so？



SOCRATES：　　I　will　endeavour　to　explain；　for　I　do　not　believe　that　any

single　name　could　have　been　better　adapted　to　express　the　attributes　of　the

God；　embracing　and　in　a　manner　signifying　all　four　of　them；music；　and

prophecy；　and　medicine；　and　archery。



HERMOGENES：　　That　must　be　a　strange　name；　and　I　should　like　to　hear　the

explanation。



SOCRATES：　　Say　rather　an　harmonious　name；　as　beseems　the　God　of　Harmony。　

In　the　first　place；　the　purgations　and　purifications　which　doctors　and

diviners　use；　and　their　fumigations　with　drugs　magical　or　medicinal；　as

well　as　their　washings　and　lustral　sprinklings；　have　all　one　and　the　same

object；　which　is　to　make　a　man　pure　both　in　body　and　soul。



HERMOGENES：　　Very　true。



SOCRATES：　　And　is　not　Apollo　the　purifier；　and　the　washer；　and　the　absolver

from　all　impurities？



HERMOGENES：　　Very　true。



SOCRATES：　　Then　in　reference　to　his　ablutions　and　absolutions；　as　being　the

physician　who　orders　them；　he　may　be　rightly　called　Apolouon　（purifier）；　or

in　respect　of　his　powers　of　divination；　and　his　truth　and　sincerity；　which

is　the　same　as　truth；　he　may　be　most　fitly　called　Aplos；　from　aplous

（sincere）；　as　in　the　Thessalian　dialect；　for　all　the　Thessalians　call　him

Aplos；　also　he　is　aei　Ballon　（always　shooting）；　because　he　is　a　master

archer　who　never　misses；　or　again；　the　name　may　refer　to　his　musical

attributes；　and　then；　as　in　akolouthos；　and　akoitis；　and　in　many　other

words　the　alpha　is　supposed　to　mean　'together；'　so　the　meaning　of　the　name

Apollo　will　be　'moving　together；'　whether　in　the　poles　of　heaven　as　they

are　called；　or　in　the　harmony　of　song；　which　is　termed　concord；　because　he

moves　all　together　by　an　harmonious　power；　as　astronomers　and　musicians

ingeniously　declare。　　And　he　is　the　God　who　presides　over　harmony；　and

makes　all　things　move　together；　both　among　Gods　and　among　men。　　And　as　in

the　words　akolouthos　and　akoitis　the　alpha　is　substituted　for　an　omicron；

so　the　name　Apollon　is　equivalent　to　omopolon；　only　the　second　lambda　is

added　in　order　to　avoid　the　ill…omened　sound　of　destruction　（apolon）。　　Now

the　suspicion　of　this　destructive　power　still　haunts　the　minds　of　some　who

do　not　consider　the　true　value　of　the　name；　which；　as　I　was　saying　just

now；　has　reference　to　all　the　powers　of　the　God；　who　is　the　single　one；　the

everdarting；　the　purifier；　the　mover　together　（aplous；　aei　Ballon；

apolouon；　omopolon）。　　The　name　of　the　Muses　and　of　music　would　seem　to　be

derived　from　their　making　philosophical　enquiries　（mosthai）；　and　Leto　is

called　by　this　name；　because　she　is　such　a　gentle　Goddess；　and　so　willing

（ethelemon）　to　grant　our　requests；　or　her　name　may　be　Letho；　as　she　is

often　called　by　strangersthey　seem　to　imply　by　it　her　amiability；　and　her

smooth　and　easy…going　way　of　behaving。　　Artemis　is　named　from　her　healthy

（artemes）；　well…ordered　nature；　and　because　of　her　love　of　virginity；

perhaps　because　she　is　a　proficient　in　virtue　（arete）；　and　perhaps　also　as

hating　intercourse　of　the　sexes　（ton　aroton　misesasa）。　　He　who　gave　the

Goddess　her　name　may　have　had　any　or　all　of　these　reasons。



HERMOGENES：　　What　is　the　meaning　of　Dionysus　and　Aphrodite？



SOCRATES：　　Son　of　Hipponicus；　you　ask　a　solemn　question；　there　is　a　serious

and　also　a　facetious　explanation　of　both　these　names；　the　serious

explanation　is　not　to　be　had　from　me；　but　there　is　no　objection　to　your

hearing　the　facetious　one；　for　the　Gods　too　love　a　joke。　　Dionusos　is

simply　didous　oinon　（giver　of　wine）；　Didoinusos；　as　he