Lexiconsassigntoeachwordadefinitemeaningormeanings。Theybothtendtoobscurethefactthatthesentenceprecedesthewordandthatalllanguageisrelative。(1)Itisrelativetoitsowncontext。Itsmeaningismodifiedbywhathasbeensaidbeforeandafterinthesameorinsomeotherpassage:withoutcomparingthecontextwearenotsurewhetheritisusedinthesamesenseevenintwosuccessivesentences。(2)Itisrelativetofacts,totime,place,andoccasion:whentheyarealreadyknowntothehearerorreader,theymaybepresupposed;thereisnoneedtoalludetothemfurther。(3)Itisrelativetotheknowledgeofthewriterandreaderorofthespeakerandhearer。Exceptforthesakeoforderandconsecutivenessnothingoughttobeexpressedwhichisalreadycommonlyoruniversallyknown。Awordortwomaybesufficienttogiveanintimationtoafriend;alongorelaboratespeechorcompositionisrequiredtoexplainsomenewideatoapopularaudienceortotheordinaryreaderortoayoungpupil。Grammarsanddictionariesarenottobedespised;forinteachingweneedclearnessratherthansubtlety。Butwemustnotthereforeforgetthatthereisalsoahigheridealoflanguageinwhichallisrelative——soundstosounds,wordstowords,thepartstothewhole——inwhichbesidesthelessercontextofthebookorspeech,thereisalsothelargercontextofhistoryandcircumstances。
ThestudyofComparativePhilologyhasintroducedintotheworldanewsciencewhichmorethananyotherbindsupmanwithnature,anddistantagesandcountrieswithoneanother。Itmaybesaidtohavethrownalightuponallothersciencesanduponthenatureofthehumanminditself。Thetrueconceptionofitdispelsmanyerrors,notonlyofmetaphysicsandtheology,butalsoofnaturalknowledge。Yetitisfarfromcertainthatthisnewly-foundsciencewillcontinuetoprogressinthesamesurprisingmannerasheretofore;orthatevenifourmaterialsarelargelyincreased,weshallarriveatmuchmoredefiniteconclusionsthanatpresent。Likesomeotherbranchesofknowledge,itmaybeapproachingapointatwhichitcannolongerbeprofitablystudied。Butatanyrateithasbroughtbackthephilosophyoflanguagefromtheorytofact;ithaspassedoutoftheregionofguessesandhypotheses,andhasattainedthedignityofanInductiveScience。Anditisnotwithoutpracticalandpoliticalimportance。Itgivesanewinteresttodistantandsubjectcountries;itbringsbackthedawninglightfromoneendoftheearthtotheother。
Nations,likeindividuals,arebetterunderstoodbyuswhenweknowsomethingoftheirearlylife;andwhentheyarebetterunderstoodbyus,wefeelmorekindlytowardsthem。Lastly,wemayrememberthatallknowledgeisvaluableforitsownsake;andwemayalsohopethatadeeperinsightintothenatureofhumanspeechwillgiveusagreatercommandofitandenableustomakeanobleruseofit。(CompareagainW。Humboldt,’UeberdieVerschiedenheitdesmenschlichenSprachbaues;’M。Muller,’LecturesontheScienceofLanguage;’Steinthal,’EinleitungindiePsychologieundSprachwissenschaft:’andforthelatterpartoftheEssay,Delbruck,’StudyofLanguage;’Paul’s’PrinciplesoftheHistoryofLanguage:’tothelatterworktheauthorofthisEssayislargelyindebted。)
CRATYLUS
byPlatoTranslatedbyBenjaminJowettPERSONSOFTHEDIALOGUE:Socrates,Hermogenes,Cratylus。
HERMOGENES:SupposethatwemakeSocratesapartytotheargument?
CRATYLUS:Ifyouplease。
HERMOGENES:Ishouldexplaintoyou,Socrates,thatourfriendCratylushasbeenarguingaboutnames;hesaysthattheyarenaturalandnotconventional;notaportionofthehumanvoicewhichmenagreetouse;butthatthereisatruthorcorrectnessinthem,whichisthesameforHellenesasforbarbarians。WhereuponIaskhim,whetherhisownnameofCratylusisatruenameornot,andheanswers’Yes。’AndSocrates?
’Yes。’Theneveryman’sname,asItellhim,isthatwhichheiscalled。
Tothishereplies——’IfalltheworldweretocallyouHermogenes,thatwouldnotbeyourname。’AndwhenIamanxioustohaveafurtherexplanationheisironicalandmysterious,andseemstoimplythathehasanotionofhisownaboutthematter,ifhewouldonlytell,andcouldentirelyconvinceme,ifhechosetobeintelligible。Tellme,Socrates,whatthisoraclemeans;orrathertellme,ifyouwillbesogood,whatisyourownviewofthetruthorcorrectnessofnames,whichIwouldfarsoonerhear。
SOCRATES:SonofHipponicus,thereisanancientsaying,that’hardistheknowledgeofthegood。’Andtheknowledgeofnamesisagreatpartofknowledge。IfIhadnotbeenpoor,Imighthaveheardthefifty-drachmacourseofthegreatProdicus,whichisacompleteeducationingrammarandlanguage——thesearehisownwords——andthenIshouldhavebeenatonceabletoansweryourquestionaboutthecorrectnessofnames。But,indeed,I
haveonlyheardthesingle-drachmacourse,andtherefore,Idonotknowthetruthaboutsuchmatters;Iwill,however,gladlyassistyouandCratylusintheinvestigationofthem。WhenhedeclaresthatyournameisnotreallyHermogenes,Isuspectthatheisonlymakingfunofyou;——hemeanstosaythatyouarenotruesonofHermes,becauseyouarealwayslookingafterafortuneandneverinluck。But,asIwassaying,thereisagooddealofdifficultyinthissortofknowledge,andthereforewehadbetterleavethequestionopenuntilwehaveheardbothsides。
HERMOGENES:Ihaveoftentalkedoverthismatter,bothwithCratylusandothers,andcannotconvincemyselfthatthereisanyprincipleofcorrectnessinnamesotherthanconventionandagreement;anynamewhichyougive,inmyopinion,istherightone,andifyouchangethatandgiveanother,thenewnameisascorrectastheold——wefrequentlychangethenamesofourslaves,andthenewly-imposednameisasgoodastheold:forthereisnonamegiventoanythingbynature;allisconventionandhabitoftheusers;——suchismyview。ButifIammistakenIshallbehappytohearandlearnofCratylus,orofanyoneelse。
SOCRATES:Idaresaythatyoumayberight,Hermogenes:letussee;——Yourmeaningis,thatthenameofeachthingisonlythatwhichanybodyagreestocallit?
HERMOGENES:Thatismynotion。
SOCRATES:Whetherthegiverofthenamebeanindividualoracity?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Well,now,letmetakeaninstance;——supposethatIcallamanahorseorahorseaman,youmeantosaythatamanwillberightlycalledahorsebymeindividually,andrightlycalledamanbytherestoftheworld;andahorseagainwouldberightlycalledamanbymeandahorsebytheworld:——thatisyourmeaning?
HERMOGENES:Hewould,accordingtomyview。
SOCRATES:Buthowabouttruth,then?youwouldacknowledgethatthereisinwordsatrueandafalse?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:Andtherearetrueandfalsepropositions?
HERMOGENES:Tobesure。
SOCRATES:Andatruepropositionsaysthatwhichis,andafalsepropositionsaysthatwhichisnot?
HERMOGENES:Yes;whatotheranswerispossible?
SOCRATES:Theninapropositionthereisatrueandfalse?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:Butisapropositiontrueasawholeonly,andarethepartsuntrue?
HERMOGENES:No;thepartsaretrueaswellasthewhole。
SOCRATES:Wouldyousaythelargepartsandnotthesmallerones,oreverypart?
HERMOGENES:Ishouldsaythateverypartistrue。
SOCRATES:Isapropositionresolvableintoanypartsmallerthananame?
HERMOGENES:No;thatisthesmallest。
SOCRATES:Thenthenameisapartofthetrueproposition?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Yes,andatruepart,asyousay。
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andisnotthepartofafalsehoodalsoafalsehood?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Then,ifpropositionsmaybetrueandfalse,namesmaybetrueandfalse?
HERMOGENES:Sowemustinfer。
SOCRATES:Andthenameofanythingisthatwhichanyoneaffirmstobethename?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andwilltherebesomanynamesofeachthingaseverybodysaysthatthereare?andwilltheybetruenamesatthetimeofutteringthem?
HERMOGENES:Yes,Socrates,Icanconceivenocorrectnessofnamesotherthanthis;yougiveonename,andIanother;andindifferentcitiesandcountriestherearedifferentnamesforthesamethings;Hellenesdifferfrombarbariansintheiruseofnames,andtheseveralHellenictribesfromoneanother。
SOCRATES:Butwouldyousay,Hermogenes,thatthethingsdifferasthenamesdiffer?andaretheyrelativetoindividuals,asProtagorastellsus?
Forhesaysthatmanisthemeasureofallthings,andthatthingsaretomeastheyappeartome,andthattheyaretoyouastheyappeartoyou。
Doyouagreewithhim,orwouldyousaythatthingshaveapermanentessenceoftheirown?
HERMOGENES:Therehavebeentimes,Socrates,whenIhavebeendriveninmyperplexitytotakerefugewithProtagoras;notthatIagreewithhimatall。
SOCRATES:What!haveyoueverbeendriventoadmitthattherewasnosuchthingasabadman?
HERMOGENES:No,indeed;butIhaveoftenhadreasontothinkthatthereareverybadmen,andagoodmanyofthem。
SOCRATES:Well,andhaveyoueverfoundanyverygoodones?
HERMOGENES:Notmany。
SOCRATES:Stillyouhavefoundthem?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andwouldyouholdthattheverygoodweretheverywise,andtheveryevilveryfoolish?Wouldthatbeyourview?
HERMOGENES:Itwould。
SOCRATES:ButifProtagorasisright,andthetruthisthatthingsareastheyappeartoanyone,howcansomeofusbewiseandsomeofusfoolish?
HERMOGENES:Impossible。
SOCRATES:Andif,ontheotherhand,wisdomandfollyarereallydistinguishable,youwillallow,Ithink,thattheassertionofProtagorascanhardlybecorrect。Forifwhatappearstoeachmanistruetohim,onemancannotinrealitybewiserthananother。
HERMOGENES:Hecannot。
SOCRATES:NorwillyoubedisposedtosaywithEuthydemus,thatallthingsequallybelongtoallmenatthesamemomentandalways;forneitheronhisviewcantherebesomegoodandothersbad,ifvirtueandvicearealwaysequallytobeattributedtoall。
HERMOGENES:Therecannot。
SOCRATES:Butifneitherisright,andthingsarenotrelativetoindividuals,andallthingsdonotequallybelongtoallatthesamemomentandalways,theymustbesupposedtohavetheirownproperandpermanentessence:theyarenotinrelationtous,orinfluencedbyus,fluctuatingaccordingtoourfancy,buttheyareindependent,andmaintaintotheirownessencetherelationprescribedbynature。
HERMOGENES:Ithink,Socrates,thatyouhavesaidthetruth。
SOCRATES:DoeswhatIamsayingapplyonlytothethingsthemselves,orequallytotheactionswhichproceedfromthem?Arenotactionsalsoaclassofbeing?
HERMOGENES:Yes,theactionsarerealaswellasthethings。
SOCRATES:Thentheactionsalsoaredoneaccordingtotheirpropernature,andnotaccordingtoouropinionofthem?Incutting,forexample,wedonotcutasweplease,andwithanychanceinstrument;butwecutwiththeproperinstrumentonly,andaccordingtothenaturalprocessofcutting;
andthenaturalprocessisrightandwillsucceed,butanyotherwillfailandbeofnouseatall。
HERMOGENES:Ishouldsaythatthenaturalwayistherightway。
SOCRATES:Again,inburning,noteverywayistherightway;buttherightwayisthenaturalway,andtherightinstrumentthenaturalinstrument。
HERMOGENES:True。
SOCRATES:Andthisholdsgoodofallactions?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andspeechisakindofaction?
HERMOGENES:True。
SOCRATES:Andwillamanspeakcorrectlywhospeaksashepleases?Willnotthesuccessfulspeakerratherbehewhospeaksinthenaturalwayofspeaking,andasthingsoughttobespoken,andwiththenaturalinstrument?Anyothermodeofspeakingwillresultinerrorandfailure。
HERMOGENES:Iquiteagreewithyou。
SOCRATES:Andisnotnamingapartofspeaking?foringivingnamesmenspeak。
HERMOGENES:Thatistrue。
SOCRATES:Andifspeakingisasortofactionandhasarelationtoacts,isnotnamingalsoasortofaction?
HERMOGENES:True。
SOCRATES:Andwesawthatactionswerenotrelativetoourselves,buthadaspecialnatureoftheirown?
HERMOGENES:Precisely。
SOCRATES:Thentheargumentwouldleadustoinferthatnamesoughttobegivenaccordingtoanaturalprocess,andwithaproperinstrument,andnotatourpleasure:inthisandnootherwayshallwenamewithsuccess。
HERMOGENES:Iagree。
SOCRATES:Butagain,thatwhichhastobecuthastobecutwithsomething?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andthatwhichhastobewovenorpiercedhastobewovenorpiercedwithsomething?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:Andthatwhichhastobenamedhastobenamedwithsomething?
HERMOGENES:True。
SOCRATES:Whatisthatwithwhichwepierce?
HERMOGENES:Anawl。
SOCRATES:Andwithwhichweweave?
HERMOGENES:Ashuttle。
SOCRATES:Andwithwhichwename?
HERMOGENES:Aname。
SOCRATES:Verygood:thenanameisaninstrument?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:SupposethatIask,’Whatsortofinstrumentisashuttle?’Andyouanswer,’Aweavinginstrument。’
HERMOGENES:Well。
SOCRATES:AndIaskagain,’Whatdowedowhenweweave?’——Theansweris,thatweseparateordisengagethewarpfromthewoof。
HERMOGENES:Verytrue。
SOCRATES:Andmaynotasimilardescriptionbegivenofanawl,andofinstrumentsingeneral?
HERMOGENES:Tobesure。
SOCRATES:AndnowsupposethatIaskasimilarquestionaboutnames:willyouanswerme?Regardingthenameasaninstrument,whatdowedowhenwename?
HERMOGENES:Icannotsay。
SOCRATES:Dowenotgiveinformationtooneanother,anddistinguishthingsaccordingtotheirnatures?
HERMOGENES:Certainlywedo。
SOCRATES:Thenanameisaninstrumentofteachingandofdistinguishingnatures,astheshuttleisofdistinguishingthethreadsoftheweb。
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andtheshuttleistheinstrumentoftheweaver?
HERMOGENES:Assuredly。
SOCRATES:Thentheweaverwillusetheshuttlewell——andwellmeanslikeaweaver?andtheteacherwillusethenamewell——andwellmeanslikeateacher?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andwhentheweaverusestheshuttle,whoseworkwillhebeusingwell?
HERMOGENES:Thatofthecarpenter。
SOCRATES:Andiseverymanacarpenter,ortheskilledonly?
HERMOGENES:Onlytheskilled。
SOCRATES:Andwhenthepiercerusestheawl,whoseworkwillhebeusingwell?
HERMOGENES:Thatofthesmith。
SOCRATES:Andiseverymanasmith,oronlytheskilled?
HERMOGENES:Theskilledonly。
SOCRATES:Andwhentheteacherusesthename,whoseworkwillhebeusing?
HERMOGENES:ThereagainIampuzzled。
SOCRATES:Cannotyouatleastsaywhogivesusthenameswhichweuse?
HERMOGENES:IndeedIcannot。
SOCRATES:Doesnotthelawseemtoyoutogiveusthem?
HERMOGENES:Yes,Isupposeso。
SOCRATES:Thentheteacher,whenhegivesusaname,usestheworkofthelegislator?
HERMOGENES:Iagree。
SOCRATES:Andiseverymanalegislator,ortheskilledonly?
HERMOGENES:Theskilledonly。
SOCRATES:Then,Hermogenes,noteverymanisabletogiveaname,butonlyamakerofnames;andthisisthelegislator,whoofallskilledartisansintheworldistherarest。
HERMOGENES:True。
SOCRATES:Andhowdoesthelegislatormakenames?andtowhatdoeshelook?Considerthisinthelightofthepreviousinstances:towhatdoesthecarpenterlookinmakingtheshuttle?Doeshenotlooktothatwhichisnaturallyfittedtoactasashuttle?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:Andsupposetheshuttletobebrokeninmaking,willhemakeanother,lookingtothebrokenone?orwillhelooktotheformaccordingtowhichhemadetheother?
HERMOGENES:Tothelatter,Ishouldimagine。
SOCRATES:Mightnotthatbejustlycalledthetrueoridealshuttle?
HERMOGENES:Ithinkso。
SOCRATES:Andwhatevershuttlesarewanted,forthemanufactureofgarments,thinorthick,offlaxen,woollen,orothermaterial,oughtallofthemtohavethetrueformoftheshuttle;andwhateveristheshuttlebestadaptedtoeachkindofwork,thatoughttobetheformwhichthemakerproducesineachcase。
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andthesameholdsofotherinstruments:whenamanhasdiscoveredtheinstrumentwhichisnaturallyadaptedtoeachwork,hemustexpressthisnaturalform,andnototherswhichhefancies,inthematerial,whateveritmaybe,whichheemploys;forexample,heoughttoknowhowtoputintoirontheformsofawlsadaptedbynaturetotheirseveraluses?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:Andhowtoputintowoodformsofshuttlesadaptedbynaturetotheiruses?
HERMOGENES:True。
SOCRATES:Fortheseveralformsofshuttlesnaturallyanswertotheseveralkindsofwebs;andthisistrueofinstrumentsingeneral。
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Then,astonames:oughtnotourlegislatoralsotoknowhowtoputthetruenaturalnameofeachthingintosoundsandsyllables,andtomakeandgiveallnameswithaviewtotheidealname,ifheistobeanamerinanytruesense?Andwemustrememberthatdifferentlegislatorswillnotusethesamesyllables。Forneitherdoeseverysmith,althoughhemaybemakingthesameinstrumentforthesamepurpose,makethemallofthesameiron。Theformmustbethesame,butthematerialmayvary,andstilltheinstrumentmaybeequallygoodofwhateverironmade,whetherinHellasorinaforeigncountry;——thereisnodifference。
HERMOGENES:Verytrue。
SOCRATES:Andthelegislator,whetherhebeHelleneorbarbarian,isnotthereforetobedeemedbyyouaworselegislator,providedhegivesthetrueandproperformofthenameinwhateversyllables;thisorthatcountrymakesnomatter。
HERMOGENES:Quitetrue。
SOCRATES:Butwhothenistodeterminewhethertheproperformisgiventotheshuttle,whateversortofwoodmaybeused?thecarpenterwhomakes,ortheweaverwhoistousethem?
HERMOGENES:Ishouldsay,hewhoistousethem,Socrates。
SOCRATES:Andwhousestheworkofthelyre-maker?Willnothebethemanwhoknowshowtodirectwhatisbeingdone,andwhowillknowalsowhethertheworkisbeingwelldoneornot?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:Andwhoishe?
HERMOGENES:Theplayerofthelyre。
SOCRATES:Andwhowilldirecttheshipwright?
HERMOGENES:Thepilot。
SOCRATES:Andwhowillbebestabletodirectthelegislatorinhiswork,andwillknowwhethertheworkiswelldone,inthisoranyothercountry?
Willnottheuserbetheman?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andthisishewhoknowshowtoaskquestions?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andhowtoanswerthem?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andhimwhoknowshowtoaskandansweryouwouldcalladialectician?
HERMOGENES:Yes;thatwouldbehisname。
SOCRATES:Thentheworkofthecarpenteristomakearudder,andthepilothastodirecthim,iftherudderistobewellmade。
HERMOGENES:True。
SOCRATES:Andtheworkofthelegislatoristogivenames,andthedialecticianmustbehisdirectorifthenamesaretoberightlygiven?
HERMOGENES:Thatistrue。
SOCRATES:Then,Hermogenes,Ishouldsaythatthisgivingofnamescanbenosuchlightmatterasyoufancy,ortheworkoflightorchancepersons;
andCratylusisrightinsayingthatthingshavenamesbynature,andthatnoteverymanisanartificerofnames,butheonlywholookstothenamewhicheachthingbynaturehas,andisabletoexpressthetrueformsofthingsinlettersandsyllables。
HERMOGENES:Icannotansweryou,Socrates;butIfindadifficultyinchangingmyopinionallinamoment,andIthinkthatIshouldbemorereadilypersuaded,ifyouwouldshowmewhatthisiswhichyoutermthenaturalfitnessofnames。
SOCRATES:MygoodHermogenes,Ihavenonetoshow。WasInottellingyoujustnow(butyouhaveforgotten),thatIknewnothing,andproposingtosharetheenquirywithyou?ButnowthatyouandIhavetalkedoverthematter,astephasbeengained;forwehavediscoveredthatnameshavebynatureatruth,andthatnoteverymanknowshowtogiveathinganame。
HERMOGENES:Verygood。
SOCRATES:Andwhatisthenatureofthistruthorcorrectnessofnames?
That,ifyoucaretoknow,isthenextquestion。
HERMOGENES:Certainly,Icaretoknow。
SOCRATES:Thenreflect。
HERMOGENES:HowshallIreflect?
SOCRATES:Thetruewayistohavetheassistanceofthosewhoknow,andyoumustpaythemwellbothinmoneyandinthanks;thesearetheSophists,ofwhomyourbrother,Callias,has——ratherdearly——boughtthereputationofwisdom。Butyouhavenotyetcomeintoyourinheritance,andthereforeyouhadbettergotohim,andbegandentreathimtotellyouwhathehaslearntfromProtagorasaboutthefitnessofnames。
HERMOGENES:ButhowinconsistentshouldIbe,if,whilstrepudiatingProtagorasandhistruth(’Truth’wasthetitleofthebookofProtagoras;
compareTheaet。),Iweretoattachanyvaluetowhatheandhisbookaffirm!
SOCRATES:Thenifyoudespisehim,youmustlearnofHomerandthepoets。
HERMOGENES:AndwheredoesHomersayanythingaboutnames,andwhatdoeshesay?
SOCRATES:Heoftenspeaksofthem;notablyandnoblyintheplaceswherehedistinguishesthedifferentnameswhichGodsandmengivetothesamethings。Doeshenotinthesepassagesmakearemarkablestatementaboutthecorrectnessofnames?FortheGodsmustclearlybesupposedtocallthingsbytheirrightandnaturalnames;doyounotthinkso?
HERMOGENES:Why,ofcoursetheycallthemrightly,iftheycallthematall。Buttowhatareyoureferring?
SOCRATES:DoyounotknowwhathesaysabouttheriverinTroywhohadasinglecombatwithHephaestus?
’Whom,’ashesays,’theGodscallXanthus,andmencallScamander。’
HERMOGENES:Iremember。
SOCRATES:Well,andaboutthisriver——toknowthatheoughttobecalledXanthusandnotScamander——isnotthatasolemnlesson?Oraboutthebirdwhich,ashesays,’TheGodscallChalcis,andmenCymindis:’
tobetaughthowmuchmorecorrectthenameChalcisisthanthenameCymindis——doyoudeemthatalightmatter?OraboutBatieiaandMyrina?
(CompareIl。’ThehillwhichmencallBatieiaandtheimmortalsthetombofthesportiveMyrina。’)AndtherearemanyotherobservationsofthesamekindinHomerandotherpoets。Now,Ithinkthatthisisbeyondtheunderstandingofyouandme;butthenamesofScamandriusandAstyanax,whichheaffirmstohavebeenthenamesofHector’sson,aremorewithintherangeofhumanfaculties,asIamdisposedtothink;andwhatthepoetmeansbycorrectnessmaybemorereadilyapprehendedinthatinstance:youwillrememberIdaresaythelinestowhichIrefer?(Il。)
HERMOGENES:Ido。
SOCRATES:Letmeaskyou,then,whichdidHomerthinkthemorecorrectofthenamesgiventoHector’sson——AstyanaxorScamandrius?
HERMOGENES:Idonotknow。
SOCRATES:Howwouldyouanswer,ifyouwereaskedwhetherthewiseortheunwisearemorelikelytogivecorrectnames?
HERMOGENES:Ishouldsaythewise,ofcourse。
SOCRATES:Andarethemenorthewomenofacity,takenasaclass,thewiser?
HERMOGENES:Ishouldsay,themen。
SOCRATES:AndHomer,asyouknow,saysthattheTrojanmencalledhimAstyanax(kingofthecity);butifthemencalledhimAstyanax,theothernameofScamandriuscouldonlyhavebeengiventohimbythewomen。
HERMOGENES:Thatmaybeinferred。
SOCRATES:AndmustnotHomerhaveimaginedtheTrojanstobewiserthantheirwives?
HERMOGENES:Tobesure。
SOCRATES:ThenhemusthavethoughtAstyanaxtobeamorecorrectnamefortheboythanScamandrius?
HERMOGENES:Clearly。
SOCRATES:Andwhatisthereasonofthis?Letusconsider:——doeshenothimselfsuggestaverygoodreason,whenhesays,’Forhealonedefendedtheircityandlongwalls’?
Thisappearstobeagoodreasonforcallingthesonofthesaviourkingofthecitywhichhisfatherwassaving,asHomerobserves。
HERMOGENES:Isee。
SOCRATES:Why,Hermogenes,Idonotasyetseemyself;anddoyou?
HERMOGENES:No,indeed;notI。
SOCRATES:Buttellme,friend,didnotHomerhimselfalsogiveHectorhisname?
HERMOGENES:Whatofthat?
SOCRATES:ThenameappearstometobeverynearlythesameasthenameofAstyanax——bothareHellenic;andaking(anax)andaholder(ektor)havenearlythesamemeaning,andarebothdescriptiveofaking;foramanisclearlytheholderofthatofwhichheisking;herules,andowns,andholdsit。But,perhaps,youmaythinkthatIamtalkingnonsense;andindeedIbelievethatImyselfdidnotknowwhatImeantwhenIimaginedthatIhadfoundsomeindicationoftheopinionofHomeraboutthecorrectnessofnames。
HERMOGENES:IassureyouthatIthinkotherwise,andIbelieveyoutobeontherighttrack。
SOCRATES:Thereisreason,Ithink,incallingthelion’swhelpalion,andthefoalofahorseahorse;Iamspeakingonlyoftheordinarycourseofnature,whenananimalproducesafterhiskind,andnotofextraordinarybirths;——ifcontrarytonatureahorsehaveacalf,thenIshouldnotcallthatafoalbutacalf;nordoIcallanyinhumanbirthaman,butonlyanaturalbirth。Andthesamemaybesaidoftreesandotherthings。Doyouagreewithme?
HERMOGENES:Yes,Iagree。
SOCRATES:Verygood。ButyouhadbetterwatchmeandseethatIdonotplaytrickswithyou。Foronthesameprinciplethesonofakingistobecalledaking。Andwhetherthesyllablesofthenamearethesameornotthesame,makesnodifference,providedthemeaningisretained;nordoestheadditionorsubtractionofalettermakeanydifferencesolongastheessenceofthethingremainsinpossessionofthenameandappearsinit。
HERMOGENES:Whatdoyoumean?
SOCRATES:Averysimplematter。Imayillustratemymeaningbythenamesofletters,whichyouknowarenotthesameasthelettersthemselveswiththeexceptionofthefourepsilon,upsilon,omicron,omega;thenamesoftherest,whethervowelsorconsonants,aremadeupofotherletterswhichweaddtothem;butsolongasweintroducethemeaning,andtherecanbenomistake,thenameoftheletterisquitecorrect。Take,forexample,theletterbeta——theadditionofeta,tau,alpha,givesnooffence,anddoesnotpreventthewholenamefromhavingthevaluewhichthelegislatorintended——sowelldidheknowhowtogivethelettersnames。
HERMOGENES:Ibelieveyouareright。
SOCRATES:Andmaynotthesamebesaidofaking?akingwilloftenbethesonofaking,thegoodsonorthenoblesonofagoodornoblesire;andsimilarlytheoffspringofeverykind,intheregularcourseofnature,isliketheparent,andthereforehasthesamename。Yetthesyllablesmaybedisguiseduntiltheyappeardifferenttotheignorantperson,andhemaynotrecognizethem,althoughtheyarethesame,justasanyoneofuswouldnotrecognizethesamedrugsunderdifferentdisguisesofcolourandsmell,althoughtothephysician,whoregardsthepowerofthem,theyarethesame,andheisnotputoutbytheaddition;andinlikemannertheetymologistisnotputoutbytheadditionortranspositionorsubtractionofaletterortwo,orindeedbythechangeofalltheletters,forthisneednotinterferewiththemeaning。Aswasjustnowsaid,thenamesofHectorandAstyanaxhaveonlyoneletteralike,whichistau,andyettheyhavethesamemeaning。AndhowlittleincommonwiththelettersoftheirnameshasArchepolis(rulerofthecity)——andyetthemeaningisthesame。
Andtherearemanyothernameswhichjustmean’king。’Again,thereareseveralnamesforageneral,as,forexample,Agis(leader)andPolemarchus(chiefinwar)andEupolemus(goodwarrior);andotherswhichdenoteaphysician,asIatrocles(famoushealer)andAcesimbrotus(curerofmortals);andtherearemanyotherswhichmightbecited,differingintheirsyllablesandletters,buthavingthesamemeaning。Wouldyounotsayso?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Thesamenames,then,oughttobeassignedtothosewhofollowinthecourseofnature?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Andwhatofthosewhofollowoutofthecourseofnature,andareprodigies?forexample,whenagoodandreligiousmanhasanirreligiousson,heoughttobearthenamenotofhisfather,butoftheclasstowhichhebelongs,justasinthecasewhichwasbeforesupposedofahorsefoalingacalf。
HERMOGENES:Quitetrue。
SOCRATES:Thentheirreligioussonofareligiousfathershouldbecalledirreligious?
HERMOGENES:Certainly。
SOCRATES:HeshouldnotbecalledTheophilus(belovedofGod)orMnesitheus(mindfulofGod),oranyofthesenames:ifnamesarecorrectlygiven,hisshouldhaveanoppositemeaning。
HERMOGENES:Certainly,Socrates。
SOCRATES:Again,Hermogenes,thereisOrestes(themanofthemountains)
whoappearstoberightlycalled;whetherchancegavethename,orperhapssomepoetwhomeanttoexpressthebrutalityandfiercenessandmountainwildnessofhishero’snature。
HERMOGENES:Thatisverylikely,Socrates。
SOCRATES:Andhisfather’snameisalsoaccordingtonature。
HERMOGENES:Clearly。
SOCRATES:Yes,forashisname,soalsoishisnature;Agamemnon(admirableforremaining)isonewhoispatientandperseveringintheaccomplishmentofhisresolves,andbyhisvirtuecrownsthem;andhiscontinuanceatTroywithallthevastarmyisaproofofthatadmirableenduranceinhimwhichissignifiedbythenameAgamemnon。IalsothinkthatAtreusisrightlycalled;forhismurderofChrysippusandhisexceedingcrueltytoThyestesaredamaginganddestructivetohisreputation——thenameisalittlealteredanddisguisedsoasnottobeintelligibletoeveryone,buttotheetymologistthereisnodifficultyinseeingthemeaning,forwhetheryouthinkofhimasateiresthestubborn,orasatrestosthefearless,orasaterosthedestructiveone,thenameisperfectlycorrectineverypointofview。AndIthinkthatPelopsisalsonamedappropriately;for,asthenameimplies,heisrightlycalledPelopswhoseeswhatisnearonly(otapelasoron)。
HERMOGENES:Howso?
SOCRATES:Because,accordingtothetradition,hehadnoforethoughtorforesightofalltheevilwhichthemurderofMyrtiluswouldentailuponhiswholeraceinremoteages;hesawonlywhatwasathandandimmediate,——orinotherwords,pelas(near),inhiseagernesstowinHippodamiabyallmeansforhisbride。EveryonewouldagreethatthenameofTantalusisrightlygivenandinaccordancewithnature,ifthetraditionsabouthimaretrue。
HERMOGENES:Andwhatarethetraditions?
SOCRATES:Manyterriblemisfortunesaresaidtohavehappenedtohiminhislife——lastofall,cametheutterruinofhiscountry;andafterhisdeathhehadthestonesuspended(talanteia)overhisheadintheworldbelow——allthisagreeswonderfullywellwithhisname。YoumightimaginethatsomepersonwhowantedtocallhimTalantatos(themostweighteddownbymisfortune),disguisedthenamebyalteringitintoTantalus;andintothisform,bysomeaccidentoftradition,ithasactuallybeentransmuted。
ThenameofZeus,whoishisallegedfather,hasalsoanexcellentmeaning,althoughhardtobeunderstood,becausereallylikeasentence,whichisdividedintotwoparts,forsomecallhimZena,andusetheonehalf,andotherswhousetheotherhalfcallhimDia;thetwotogethersignifythenatureoftheGod,andthebusinessofaname,asweweresaying,istoexpressthenature。Forthereisnonewhoismoretheauthoroflifetousandtoall,thanthelordandkingofall。WhereforewearerightincallinghimZenaandDia,whichareonename,althoughdivided,meaningtheGodthroughwhomallcreaturesalwayshavelife(dionzenaeipasitoiszosinuparchei)。Thereisanirreverence,atfirstsight,incallinghimsonofCronos(whoisaproverbforstupidity),andwemightratherexpectZeustobethechildofamightyintellect。Whichisthefact;forthisisthemeaningofhisfather’sname:KronosquasiKoros(Choreo,tosweep),notinthesenseofayouth,butsignifyingtochatharonchaiacheratontounou,thepureandgarnishedmind(sc。apotouchorein)。He,asweareinformedbytradition,wasbegottenofUranus,rightlysocalled(apotouorantaano)fromlookingupwards;which,asphilosopherstellus,isthewaytohaveapuremind,andthenameUranusisthereforecorrect。IfI
couldrememberthegenealogyofHesiod,IwouldhavegoneonandtriedmoreconclusionsofthesamesortontheremoterancestorsoftheGods,——thenI
mighthaveseenwhetherthiswisdom,whichhascometomeallinaninstant,Iknownotwhence,willorwillnotholdgoodtotheend。
HERMOGENES:Youseemtome,Socrates,tobequitelikeaprophetnewlyinspired,andtobeutteringoracles。
SOCRATES:Yes,Hermogenes,andIbelievethatIcaughttheinspirationfromthegreatEuthyphrooftheProspaltiandeme,whogavemealonglecturewhichcommencedatdawn:hetalkedandIlistened,andhiswisdomandenchantingravishmenthasnotonlyfilledmyearsbuttakenpossessionofmysoul,andto-dayIshalllethissuperhumanpowerworkandfinishtheinvestigationofnames——thatwillbetheway;butto-morrow,ifyouaresodisposed,wewillconjurehimaway,andmakeapurgationofhim,ifwecanonlyfindsomepriestorsophistwhoisskilledinpurificationsofthissort。
HERMOGENES:Withallmyheart;foramverycurioustoheartherestoftheenquiryaboutnames。
SOCRATES:Thenletusproceed;andwherewouldyouhaveusbegin,nowthatwehavegotasortofoutlineoftheenquiry?Arethereanynameswhichwitnessofthemselvesthattheyarenotgivenarbitrarily,buthaveanaturalfitness?Thenamesofheroesandofmeningeneralareapttobedeceptivebecausetheyareoftencalledafterancestorswithwhosenames,asweweresaying,theymayhavenobusiness;ortheyaretheexpressionofawishlikeEutychides(thesonofgoodfortune),orSosias(theSaviour),orTheophilus(thebelovedofGod),andothers。ButIthinkthatwehadbetterleavethese,fortherewillbemorechanceoffindingcorrectnessinthenamesofimmutableessences;——thereoughttohavebeenmorecaretakenaboutthemwhentheywerenamed,andperhapstheremayhavebeensomemorethanhumanpoweratworkoccasionallyingivingthemnames。
HERMOGENES:Ithinkso,Socrates。
SOCRATES:OughtwenottobeginwiththeconsiderationoftheGods,andshowthattheyarerightlynamedGods?
HERMOGENES:Yes,thatwillbewell。
SOCRATES:Mynotionwouldbesomethingofthissort:——Isuspectthatthesun,moon,earth,stars,andheaven,whicharestilltheGodsofmanybarbarians,weretheonlyGodsknowntotheaboriginalHellenes。Seeingthattheywerealwaysmovingandrunning,fromtheirrunningnaturetheywerecalledGodsorrunners(Theous,Theontas);andwhenmenbecameacquaintedwiththeotherGods,theyproceededtoapplythesamenametothemall。Doyouthinkthatlikely?
HERMOGENES:Ithinkitverylikelyindeed。
SOCRATES:WhatshallfollowtheGods?
HERMOGENES:Mustnotdemonsandheroesandmencomenext?
SOCRATES:Demons!Andwhatdoyouconsidertobethemeaningofthisword?Tellmeifmyviewisright。
HERMOGENES:Letmehear。
SOCRATES:YouknowhowHesiodusestheword?
HERMOGENES:Idonot。
SOCRATES:Doyounotrememberthathespeaksofagoldenraceofmenwhocamefirst?
HERMOGENES:Yes,Ido。
SOCRATES:Hesaysofthem——
’ButnowthatfatehasclosedoverthisraceTheyareholydemonsupontheearth,Beneficent,avertersofills,guardiansofmortalmen。’(Hesiod,WorksandDays。)
HERMOGENES:Whatistheinference?
SOCRATES:Whatistheinference!Why,Isupposethathemeansbythegoldenmen,notmenliterallymadeofgold,butgoodandnoble;andIamconvincedofthis,becausehefurthersaysthatwearetheironrace。
HERMOGENES:Thatistrue。
SOCRATES:Anddoyounotsupposethatgoodmenofourowndaywouldbyhimbesaidtobeofgoldenrace?
HERMOGENES:Verylikely。
SOCRATES:Andarenotthegoodwise?
HERMOGENES:Yes,theyarewise。
SOCRATES:AndthereforeIhavethemostentireconvictionthathecalledthemdemons,becausetheyweredaemones(knowingorwise),andinourolderAtticdialecttheworditselfoccurs。Nowheandotherpoetssaytruly,thatwhenagoodmandieshehashonourandamightyportionamongthedead,andbecomesademon;whichisanamegiventohimsignifyingwisdom。
AndIsaytoo,thateverywisemanwhohappenstobeagoodmanismorethanhuman(daimonion)bothinlifeanddeath,andisrightlycalledademon。
HERMOGENES:ThenIratherthinkthatIamofonemindwithyou;butwhatisthemeaningoftheword’hero’?(Eroswithaneta,intheoldwritingeroswithanepsilon。)
SOCRATES:Ithinkthatthereisnodifficultyinexplaining,forthenameisnotmuchaltered,andsignifiesthattheywerebornoflove。
HERMOGENES:Whatdoyoumean?
SOCRATES:Doyounotknowthattheheroesaredemigods?
HERMOGENES:Whatthen?
SOCRATES:AllofthemsprangeitherfromtheloveofaGodforamortalwoman,orofamortalmanforaGoddess;thinkofthewordintheoldAttic,andyouwillseebetterthatthenameherosisonlyaslightalterationofEros,fromwhomtheheroessprang:eitherthisisthemeaning,or,ifnotthis,thentheymusthavebeenskilfulasrhetoriciansanddialecticians,andabletoputthequestion(erotan),foreireinisequivalenttolegein。Andtherefore,asIwassaying,intheAtticdialecttheheroesturnouttoberhetoriciansandquestioners。Allthisiseasyenough;thenoblebreedofheroesareatribeofsophistsandrhetors。Butcanyoutellmewhymenarecalledanthropoi?——thatismoredifficult。
HERMOGENES:No,Icannot;andIwouldnottryevenifIcould,becauseI
thinkthatyouarethemorelikelytosucceed。
SOCRATES:Thatistosay,youtrusttotheinspirationofEuthyphro。
HERMOGENES:Ofcourse。
SOCRATES:Yourfaithisnotvain;foratthisverymomentanewandingeniousthoughtstrikesme,and,ifIamnotcareful,beforeto-morrow’sdawnIshallbewiserthanIoughttobe。Now,attendtome;andfirst,rememberthatweoftenputinandpulloutlettersinwords,andgivenamesaswepleaseandchangetheaccents。Take,forexample,thewordDiiPhilos;inordertoconvertthisfromasentenceintoanoun,weomitoneoftheiotasandsoundthemiddlesyllablegraveinsteadofacute;as,ontheotherhand,lettersaresometimesinsertedinwordsinsteadofbeingomitted,andtheacutetakestheplaceofthegrave。
HERMOGENES:Thatistrue。
SOCRATES:Thenameanthropos,whichwasonceasentence,andisnowanoun,appearstobeacasejustofthissort,foroneletter,whichisthealpha,hasbeenomitted,andtheacuteonthelastsyllablehasbeenchangedtoagrave。
HERMOGENES:Whatdoyoumean?
SOCRATES:Imeantosaythattheword’man’impliesthatotheranimalsneverexamine,orconsider,orlookupatwhattheysee,butthatmannotonlysees(opope)butconsidersandlooksupatthatwhichhesees,andhencehealoneofallanimalsisrightlyanthropos,meaninganathronaopopen。
HERMOGENES:MayIaskyoutoexamineanotherwordaboutwhichIamcurious?
SOCRATES:Certainly。
HERMOGENES:Iwilltakethatwhichappearstometofollownextinorder。
Youknowthedistinctionofsoulandbody?
SOCRATES:Ofcourse。
HERMOGENES:Letusendeavourtoanalyzethemlikethepreviouswords。
SOCRATES:Youwantmefirstofalltoexaminethenaturalfitnessofthewordpsuche(soul),andthenofthewordsoma(body)?
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:IfIamtosaywhatoccurstomeatthemoment,Ishouldimaginethatthosewhofirstusedthenamepsuchemeanttoexpressthatthesoulwheninthebodyisthesourceoflife,andgivesthepowerofbreathandrevival(anapsuchon),andwhenthisrevivingpowerfailsthenthebodyperishesanddies,andthis,ifIamnotmistaken,theycalledpsyche。Butpleasestayamoment;IfancythatIcandiscoversomethingwhichwillbemoreacceptabletothedisciplesofEuthyphro,forIamafraidthattheywillscornthisexplanation。Whatdoyousaytoanother?
HERMOGENES:Letmehear。
SOCRATES:Whatisthatwhichholdsandcarriesandgiveslifeandmotiontotheentirenatureofthebody?Whatelsebutthesoul?
HERMOGENES:Justthat。
SOCRATES:AnddoyounotbelievewithAnaxagoras,thatmindorsoulistheorderingandcontainingprincipleofallthings?
HERMOGENES:Yes;Ido。
SOCRATES:Thenyoumaywellcallthatpowerphusechewhichcarriesandholdsnature(ephusinokei,kaiekei),andthismayberefinedawayintopsuche。
HERMOGENES:Certainly;andthisderivationis,Ithink,morescientificthantheother。
SOCRATES:Itisso;butIcannothelplaughing,ifIamtosupposethatthiswasthetruemeaningofthename。
HERMOGENES:Butwhatshallwesayofthenextword?
SOCRATES:Youmeansoma(thebody)。
HERMOGENES:Yes。
SOCRATES:Thatmaybevariouslyinterpreted;andyetmorevariouslyifalittlepermutationisallowed。Forsomesaythatthebodyisthegrave(sema)ofthesoulwhichmaybethoughttobeburiedinourpresentlife;
oragaintheindexofthesoul,becausethesoulgivesindicationsto(semainei)thebody;probablytheOrphicpoetsweretheinventorsofthename,andtheywereundertheimpressionthatthesoulissufferingthepunishmentofsin,andthatthebodyisanenclosureorprisoninwhichthesoulisincarcerated,keptsafe(soma,sozetai),asthenamesomaimplies,untilthepenaltyispaid;accordingtothisview,notevenaletterofthewordneedbechanged。
HERMOGENES:Ithink,Socrates,thatwehavesaidenoughofthisclassofwords。ButhaveweanymoreexplanationsofthenamesoftheGods,likethatwhichyouweregivingofZeus?Ishouldliketoknowwhetheranysimilarprincipleofcorrectnessistobeappliedtothem。
SOCRATES:Yes,indeed,Hermogenes;andthereisoneexcellentprinciplewhich,asmenofsense,wemustacknowledge,——thatoftheGodsweknownothing,eitheroftheirnaturesorofthenameswhichtheygivethemselves;butwearesurethatthenamesbywhichtheycallthemselves,whatevertheymaybe,aretrue。Andthisisthebestofallprinciples;
andthenextbestistosay,asinprayers,thatwewillcallthembyanysortorkindofnamesorpatronymicswhichtheylike,becausewedonotknowofanyother。Thatalso,Ithink,isaverygoodcustom,andonewhichIshouldmuchwishtoobserve。Letus,then,ifyouplease,inthefirstplaceannouncetothemthatwearenotenquiringaboutthem;wedonotpresumethatweareabletodoso;butweareenquiringaboutthemeaningofmeningivingthemthesenames,——inthistherecanbesmallblame。
HERMOGENES:Ithink,Socrates,thatyouarequiteright,andIwouldliketodoasyousay。
SOCRATES:Shallwebegin,then,withHestia,accordingtocustom?
HERMOGENES:Yes,thatwillbeveryproper。
SOCRATES:WhatmaywesupposehimtohavemeantwhogavethenameHestia?
HERMOGENES:Thatisanotherandcertainlyamostdifficultquestion。
SOCRATES:MydearHermogenes,thefirstimposersofnamesmustsurelyhavebeenconsiderablepersons;theywerephilosophers,andhadagooddealtosay。
HERMOGENES:Well,andwhatofthem?
SOCRATES:TheyarethementowhomIshouldattributetheimpositionofnames。Eveninforeignnames,ifyouanalyzethem,ameaningisstilldiscernible。Forexample,thatwhichwetermousiaisbysomecalledesia,andbyothersagainosia。Nowthattheessenceofthingsshouldbecalledestia,whichisakintothefirstofthese(esia=estia),isrationalenough。AndthereisreasonintheAthenianscallingthatestiawhichparticipatesinousia。Forinancienttimeswetooseemtohavesaidesiaforousia,andthisyoumaynotetohavebeentheideaofthosewhoappointedthatsacrificesshouldbefirstofferedtoestia,whichwasnaturalenoughiftheymeantthatestiawastheessenceofthings。ThoseagainwhoreadosiaseemtohaveinclinedtotheopinionofHeracleitus,thatallthingsflowandnothingstands;withthemthepushingprinciple(othoun)isthecauseandrulingpowerofallthings,andisthereforerightlycalledosia。Enoughofthis,whichisallthatwewhoknownothingcanaffirm。NextinorderafterHestiaweoughttoconsiderRheaandCronos,althoughthenameofCronoshasbeenalreadydiscussed。ButIdaresaythatIamtalkinggreatnonsense。