Phaedrus

​SOCRATES: What indeed? Must the speech be praised by both you and me in this respect, on the ground that the author has said what is necessary, and not only in that respect, because the words are clear and well-rounded, and each of the words is precisely turned as on a lathe? For if we must do so, it must be conceded for your sake, since it escaped me because of my own insignificance; for I was paying attention only to his rhetoric, and as for this, I would not have thought that Lysias himself would consider it sufficient. And so it seemed to me, Phaedrus, unless you say otherwise, that he has said the same things twice and thrice, as if he were not very well-stocked with resources to say many things on the same subject, or perhaps caring nothing for such a thing; and indeed he seemed to me to be showing off, displaying that he is able to say the same things in different ways, and to speak best in both ways. PHAEDRUS: You are talking nonsense, Socrates; for this is the very thing the speech has most of all. For of the things that are in the subject and worthy to be said, he has omitted nothing, so that no one could ever say other things more abundant and of more value than those said by him. SOCRATES: In this I shall no longer be able to agree with you; for ancient and wise men and women, who have spoken and written about these things, will refute me if I concede it to gratify you. PHAEDRUS: Who are these? And where have you heard better things than these? SOCRATES: At the moment I cannot say so offhand; but it is clear that I have heard it from some people, perhaps from the beautiful Sappho, or the wise Anacreon, or even from some prose writers. On what ground do I say this? Somehow, my divine friend, I feel my chest full, so that I would have other things to say not worse than these, differing from them. Now, that I have thought of none of them from myself, I know well, being conscious of my own ignorance; it remains then, I think, that from some foreign streams, through hearing, I have been filled like a vessel. But because of my sluggishness, I have in turn forgotten this very thing, both how and from whom I heard it. PHAEDRUS: But, most noble friend, you have spoken most excellently. For do not tell me from whom and how you heard it, even if I bid you, but do this very thing which you say; you have promised to say other things better than and not fewer than those in the book, keeping away from them, and I promise you, like the nine archons, to set up a golden statue of equal measure at Delphi, not only of myself but also of you.