The Dialogues of Plato (Jowett)/Ion

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Ion Introduction

The Dialogues of Plato
by Plato

Ion translated by Benjamin Jowett

Symposium Introduction

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3748194The Dialogues of Plato — IonPlato

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ION.

PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE.

Socrates.

Ion.

^{Steph. 530}

Ion.
Socrates, Ion.

Socrates meets Ion the Rhapsode.

SOCRATES. Welcome, Ion. Are you from your native city of Ephesus?

Ion. No, Socrates ; but from Epidaurus, where I attended the festival of Asclcpius.

Soc. And do the Epidaurians have contests of rhapsodes at the festival?

Ion. O yes; and of all sorts of musical performers.

Soc. And were you one of the competitors — and did you succeed?

Ion. I obtained the first prize of all, Socrates.

Soc. Well done ; and I hope that you will do the same for us at the Panathenaea.

Ion. And I will, please heaven.

How envi- able is the profession of a rhapsode! He is always finely dressed and he lives in good company among poets, of whom he is the interpreter to men. Soc. I often envy the profession of a rhapsode, Ion ; for you have always to wear fine clothes, and to look as beautiful as you can is a part of your art. Then, again, you are obliged to be continually in the company of many good poets ; and especially of Homer, who is the best and most divine of them; and to understand him, and not merely learn his words by rote, is a thing greatly to be envied. And no man can be a rhapsode who does not understand the meaning of the poet. For the rhapsode ought to interpret the mind of the poet to his hearers, but how can he interpret him well unless he knows what he means ? All this is greatly to be envied.

Ion. Very true, Socrates ; interpretation has certainly been the most laborious part of my art ; and I believe myself able

Ion.
Socrates, Ion.

Ion devotes himself to the exclusive interpretation of Homer.

to speak about Homer better than any man ; and that neither Metrodorus of Lampsacus, nor Stesimbrotus of Thasos, nor Glaucon, nor any one else who ever was, had as good ideas about Homer as I have, or as many.

Soc. I am glad to hear you say so, Ion ; I see that you will not refuse to acquaint me with them.

Ion. Certainly, Socrates ; and you really ought to hear how exquisitely I render Homer. I think that the Homer- idae should give me a golden crown.

Soc. I shall take an opportunity of hearing your embellish- ments of him at some other time. But just now I should ⁵³¹ like to ask you a question : Does your art extend to Hesiod and Archilochus, or to Homer only?

Ion. To Homer only; he is in himself quite enough.

Soc. Are there any things about which Homer and Hesiod agree ?

Ion. Yes ; in my opinion there are a good many.

Soc. And can you interpret better what Homer says, or what Hesiod says, about these matters in which they agree?

Ion. I can interpret them equally well, Socrates, where they agree.

Soc. But what about matters in which they do not agree? — for example, about divination, of which both Homer and Hesiod have something to say, —

Ion. Very true :

Soc. Would you or a good prophet be a better interpreter of what these two poets say about divination, not only when they agree, but when they disagree ?

Ion. A prophet.

Soc. And if you were a prophet, would you not be able to interpret them when they disagree as well as when they agree ?

Ion. Clearly.

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The Dialogues of Plato (Jowett)/Ion

Footnotes

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