| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Phaedo by Plato: There is nothing new, he said, in what I am about to tell you; but only
what I have been always and everywhere repeating in the previous discussion
and on other occasions: I want to show you the nature of that cause which
has occupied my thoughts. I shall have to go back to those familiar words
which are in the mouth of every one, and first of all assume that there is
an absolute beauty and goodness and greatness, and the like; grant me this,
and I hope to be able to show you the nature of the cause, and to prove the
immortality of the soul.
Cebes said: You may proceed at once with the proof, for I grant you this.
Well, he said, then I should like to know whether you agree with me in the
next step; for I cannot help thinking, if there be anything beautiful other
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: lesson in "measures," 639-646: {poteron to trimetron e to
tetrametron}.
Then Socrates: By all that's holy, I wish you would, Hermogenes. How
delightful it would be. Just as a song sounds sweeter in concert with
the flute, so would your talk be more mellifluous attuned to its soft
pipings; and particularly if you would use gesticulation like the
flute-girl, to suit the tenor of your speech.
Here Callias demanded: And when our friend (Antisthenes) essays to
cross-examine people[3] at a banquet, what kind of piping[4] should he
have?
[3] Or, "a poor body," in reference to the elentic onslaught made on
The Symposium |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: cease not to sorrow for thee, even as for the life of
Achilles, son of Peleus! Nay, there is none other to blame,
but Zeus, who hath borne wondrous hate to the army of the
Danaan spearsmen, and laid on thee thy doom. Nay, come
hither, my lord, that thou mayest hear my word and my
speech; master thy wrath and thy proud spirit."
'So I spake, but he answered me not a word and passed to
Erebus after the other spirits of the dead that be
departed. Even then, despite his anger, would he have
spoken to me or I to him, but my heart within me was minded
to see the spirits of those others that were departed.
The Odyssey |
