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Plato, Ion 530a-d5
Feb. 23rd, 2012 06:56 pmToday seems to have been a day off by default, since the most I've managed since waking is a walk and to cook dinner. (Ginger honey chicken, if you're wondering, with cucumber and soda bread.)
So! Time for a spot of Greek. Who's for Plato's Ion, then?
Σωκράτης
τὸν Ἴωνα χαίρειν. πόθεν τὰ νῦν ἡμῖν ἐπιδεδήμηκας; ἢ οἴκοθεν ἐξ Ἐφέσου;
Ἴων
οὐδαμῶς, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ Ἐπιδαύρου ἐκ τῶν Ἀσκληπιείων.
Σωκράτης
μῶν καὶ ῥαψῳδῶν ἀγῶνα τιθέασιν τῷ θεῷ οἱ Ἐπιδαύριοι;
Ἴων
πάνυ γε, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης γε μουσικῆς.
Σωκράτης
τί οὖν; ἠγωνίζου τι ἡμῖν; καὶ πῶς τι ἠγωνίσω;
Socrates:
Greetings, Ion. From where now have you come to us? From home out of Ephesus?
Ion:
Not at all, Socrates, but out of Epidauros from the Asklepieion.
Socrates:
Do you mean the Epidaurians also dedicate contests of singers/reciters to the gods?
Ion:
Yes, certainly, and indeed of other music too.
Socrates:
Why so, were you competing for a prize for us? And how did your competition go?
Ἴων
τὰ πρῶτα τῶν ἄθλων ἠνεγκάμεθα, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Σωκράτης
εὖ λέγεις: ἄγε δὴ ὅπως καὶ τὰ Παναθήναια νικήσομεν.
Ἴων
ἀλλ᾽ ἔσται ταῦτα, ἐὰν θεὸς ἐθέλῃ.
Σωκράτης
καὶ μὴν πολλάκις γε ἐζήλωσα ὑμᾶς τοὺς ῥαψῳδούς, ὦ Ἴων, τῆς τέχνης: τὸ γὰρ ἅμα μὲν τὸ σῶμα κεκοσμῆσθαι ἀεὶ πρέπον ὑμῶν εἶναι τῇ τέχνῃ καὶ ὡς καλλίστοις φαίνεσθαι, ἅμα δὲ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι ἔν τε ἄλλοις ποιηταῖς διατρίβειν πολλοῖς καὶ ἀγαθοῖς καὶ δὴ καὶ μάλιστα ἐν Ὁμήρῳ, τῷ ἀρίστῳ καὶ θειοτάτῳ τῶν ποιητῶν, καὶ τὴν τούτου διάνοιαν ἐκμανθάνειν, μὴ μόνον τὰ ἔπη, ζηλωτόν ἐστιν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν γένοιτό ποτε ἀγαθὸς ῥαψῳδός, εἰ μὴ συνείη τὰ λεγόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ. τὸν γὰρ ῥαψῳδὸν ἑρμηνέα δεῖ τοῦ ποιητοῦ τῆς διανοίας γίγνεσθαι τοῖς ἀκούουσι: τοῦτο δὲ καλῶς ποιεῖν μὴ γιγνώσκοντα ὅτι λέγει ὁ ποιητὴς ἀδύνατον. ταῦτα οὖν πάντα ἄξια ζηλοῦσθαι.
Ion:
We carried off first prize for ourselves, Socrates.
Socrates:
Well said! Well then, we'll win the Panathenaia likewise, too.
Ion:
These things will happen, if God desires them.
Socrates:
And indeed, often I envied you reciters, Ion, for your craft: for while it was always fitting for your craft for your body to have been adorned and to appear as in very great nobility, at the same time it is necessary to be employing oneself both with many other good poets and indeed especially even with Homer, the best and most godlike of the poets, and to understand thoroughly his thought, not only the words, is enviable. For he can never be a good reciter if he does not understand what has been said by the poets. It is necessary for the reciter to become an interpreter of the thought of the poet for his listeners: and to do this well not understanding what the poet says [is] impossible. So these things all worthy men [must] envy.
Ἴων
ἀληθῆ λέγεις, ὦ Σώκρατες: ἐμοὶ γοῦν τοῦτο πλεῖστον ἔργον παρέσχεν τῆς τέχνης, καὶ οἶμαι κάλλιστα ἀνθρώπων λέγειν περὶ Ὁμήρου, ὡς οὔτε Μητρόδωρος ὁ Λαμψακηνὸς οὔτε Στησίμβροτος ὁ Θάσιος οὔτε Γλαύκων οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς τῶν πώποτε γενομένων ἔσχεν εἰπεῖν οὕτω πολλὰς καὶ καλὰς διανοίας περὶ Ὁμήρου ὅσας ἐγώ.
Ion:
You speak truely, Socrates. So for me this provides most of the work of the craft, and I think myself best of men to speak concerning Homer, since neither Metrodoros of Lampsacus nor Stesimbrotos of Thasios nor Glaukon nor anyone else who was ever yet born had so very much to say concerning the many and fine thoughts of Homer as I do.
Σωκράτης
εὖ λέγεις, ὦ Ἴων: δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι οὐ φθονήσεις μοι ἐπιδεῖξαι.
Ἴων
καὶ μὴν ἄξιόν γε ἀκοῦσαι, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὡς εὖ κεκόσμηκα τὸν Ὅμηρον: ὥστε οἶμαι ὑπὸ Ὁμηριδῶν ἄξιος εἶναι χρυσῷ στεφάνῳ στεφανωθῆναι.
Σωκράτης
καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ ἔτι ποιήσομαι σχολὴν ἀκροάσασθαί
Socrates:
Well said, Ion. It's clear you don't begrudge showing off for me!
Ion:
And indeed, it is worthy listening to, Socrates, since I've well adorned Homer, just as I think myself worthy to be crowned with a gold crown by the Homeridae.
Socrates:
And indeed I yet will make leisure to listen [to you].
Tune in again next week for more terrible Greek!
So! Time for a spot of Greek. Who's for Plato's Ion, then?
Σωκράτης
τὸν Ἴωνα χαίρειν. πόθεν τὰ νῦν ἡμῖν ἐπιδεδήμηκας; ἢ οἴκοθεν ἐξ Ἐφέσου;
Ἴων
οὐδαμῶς, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ Ἐπιδαύρου ἐκ τῶν Ἀσκληπιείων.
Σωκράτης
μῶν καὶ ῥαψῳδῶν ἀγῶνα τιθέασιν τῷ θεῷ οἱ Ἐπιδαύριοι;
Ἴων
πάνυ γε, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης γε μουσικῆς.
Σωκράτης
τί οὖν; ἠγωνίζου τι ἡμῖν; καὶ πῶς τι ἠγωνίσω;
Socrates:
Greetings, Ion. From where now have you come to us? From home out of Ephesus?
Ion:
Not at all, Socrates, but out of Epidauros from the Asklepieion.
Socrates:
Do you mean the Epidaurians also dedicate contests of singers/reciters to the gods?
Ion:
Yes, certainly, and indeed of other music too.
Socrates:
Why so, were you competing for a prize for us? And how did your competition go?
Ἴων
τὰ πρῶτα τῶν ἄθλων ἠνεγκάμεθα, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Σωκράτης
εὖ λέγεις: ἄγε δὴ ὅπως καὶ τὰ Παναθήναια νικήσομεν.
Ἴων
ἀλλ᾽ ἔσται ταῦτα, ἐὰν θεὸς ἐθέλῃ.
Σωκράτης
καὶ μὴν πολλάκις γε ἐζήλωσα ὑμᾶς τοὺς ῥαψῳδούς, ὦ Ἴων, τῆς τέχνης: τὸ γὰρ ἅμα μὲν τὸ σῶμα κεκοσμῆσθαι ἀεὶ πρέπον ὑμῶν εἶναι τῇ τέχνῃ καὶ ὡς καλλίστοις φαίνεσθαι, ἅμα δὲ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι ἔν τε ἄλλοις ποιηταῖς διατρίβειν πολλοῖς καὶ ἀγαθοῖς καὶ δὴ καὶ μάλιστα ἐν Ὁμήρῳ, τῷ ἀρίστῳ καὶ θειοτάτῳ τῶν ποιητῶν, καὶ τὴν τούτου διάνοιαν ἐκμανθάνειν, μὴ μόνον τὰ ἔπη, ζηλωτόν ἐστιν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν γένοιτό ποτε ἀγαθὸς ῥαψῳδός, εἰ μὴ συνείη τὰ λεγόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ. τὸν γὰρ ῥαψῳδὸν ἑρμηνέα δεῖ τοῦ ποιητοῦ τῆς διανοίας γίγνεσθαι τοῖς ἀκούουσι: τοῦτο δὲ καλῶς ποιεῖν μὴ γιγνώσκοντα ὅτι λέγει ὁ ποιητὴς ἀδύνατον. ταῦτα οὖν πάντα ἄξια ζηλοῦσθαι.
Ion:
We carried off first prize for ourselves, Socrates.
Socrates:
Well said! Well then, we'll win the Panathenaia likewise, too.
Ion:
These things will happen, if God desires them.
Socrates:
And indeed, often I envied you reciters, Ion, for your craft: for while it was always fitting for your craft for your body to have been adorned and to appear as in very great nobility, at the same time it is necessary to be employing oneself both with many other good poets and indeed especially even with Homer, the best and most godlike of the poets, and to understand thoroughly his thought, not only the words, is enviable. For he can never be a good reciter if he does not understand what has been said by the poets. It is necessary for the reciter to become an interpreter of the thought of the poet for his listeners: and to do this well not understanding what the poet says [is] impossible. So these things all worthy men [must] envy.
Ἴων
ἀληθῆ λέγεις, ὦ Σώκρατες: ἐμοὶ γοῦν τοῦτο πλεῖστον ἔργον παρέσχεν τῆς τέχνης, καὶ οἶμαι κάλλιστα ἀνθρώπων λέγειν περὶ Ὁμήρου, ὡς οὔτε Μητρόδωρος ὁ Λαμψακηνὸς οὔτε Στησίμβροτος ὁ Θάσιος οὔτε Γλαύκων οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς τῶν πώποτε γενομένων ἔσχεν εἰπεῖν οὕτω πολλὰς καὶ καλὰς διανοίας περὶ Ὁμήρου ὅσας ἐγώ.
Ion:
You speak truely, Socrates. So for me this provides most of the work of the craft, and I think myself best of men to speak concerning Homer, since neither Metrodoros of Lampsacus nor Stesimbrotos of Thasios nor Glaukon nor anyone else who was ever yet born had so very much to say concerning the many and fine thoughts of Homer as I do.
Σωκράτης
εὖ λέγεις, ὦ Ἴων: δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι οὐ φθονήσεις μοι ἐπιδεῖξαι.
Ἴων
καὶ μὴν ἄξιόν γε ἀκοῦσαι, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὡς εὖ κεκόσμηκα τὸν Ὅμηρον: ὥστε οἶμαι ὑπὸ Ὁμηριδῶν ἄξιος εἶναι χρυσῷ στεφάνῳ στεφανωθῆναι.
Σωκράτης
καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ ἔτι ποιήσομαι σχολὴν ἀκροάσασθαί
Socrates:
Well said, Ion. It's clear you don't begrudge showing off for me!
Ion:
And indeed, it is worthy listening to, Socrates, since I've well adorned Homer, just as I think myself worthy to be crowned with a gold crown by the Homeridae.
Socrates:
And indeed I yet will make leisure to listen [to you].
Tune in again next week for more terrible Greek!
