§405ΣΩ. ἐγὼ πειράσομαι φράσαι ὅ γέ μοι φαίνεται· οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ὅτι ἂν μᾶλλον ὄνομα ἥρμοσεν ἓν ὂν τέτταρσι δυνάμεσι ταῖς τοῦ θεοῦ, ὥστε πασῶν ἐφάπτεσθαι καὶ δηλοῦν τρόπον τινὰ μουσικήν τε καὶ μαντικὴν καὶ ἰατρικὴν καὶ τοξικήν.
SOCRATES: I will try to tell you what indeed seems to me; for there is no other single name that could have been more fittingly applied to the four powers of the god, so as to touch upon them all and indicate in a way music, prophecy, medicine, and archery.
ΕΡΜ. λέγε δή· ἄτοπον γάρ τί μοι λέγεις τὸ ὄνομα εἶναι.
HERMOGENES: Tell me, then; for you say that the name is something strange, it seems to me.
ΣΩ. εὐάρμοστον μὲν οὖν, ἅτε μουσικοῦ ὄντος τοῦ θεοῦ.
SOCRATES: On the contrary, it is very well harmonized, inasmuch as the god is musical.
πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἡ κάθαρσις καὶ οἱ καθαρμοὶ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἰατρικὴν καὶ κατὰ τὴν μαντικὴν καὶ αἱ τοῖς ἰατρικοῖς φαρμάκοις καὶ αἱ τοῖς μαντικοῖς περιθειώσεις τε καὶ τὰ λουτρὰ τὰ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις καὶ αἱ περιρράνσεις, πάντα ἕν τι ταῦτα δύναιτʼ ἄν, καθαρὸν παρέχειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα καὶ κατὰ τὴν ψυχήν·
For first, purification and purifications, both in medicine and in prophecy, and fumigations with medicinal drugs and with prophetic sulfur, and the washings in such ceremonies, and the sprinklings—all these would have the power of doing one thing, namely, making a man pure both in body and in soul.
ἢ οὔ;
Is it not so?
ΕΡΜ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
HERMOGENES: Yes, indeed.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν ὁ καθαίρων θεὸς καὶ ὁ ἀπολούων τε καὶ ἀπολύων τῶν τοιούτων κακῶν οὗτος ἂν εἴη;
SOCRATES: Therefore, would not the purifying god, and the one who washes away and releases us from such evils, be this one?
ΕΡΜ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
HERMOGENES: Yes, indeed.
ΣΩ. κατὰ μὲν τοίνυν τὰς ἀπολύσεις τε καὶ ἀπολούσεις, ὡς ἰατρὸς ὢν τῶν τοιούτων,
Ἀπολούων
ἂν ὀρθῶς καλοῖτο·
SOCRATES: Now, then, with respect to releases and washings, as being a physician of such things, he would correctly be called "Washer".
κατὰ δὲ τὴν μαντικὴν καὶ τὸ ἀληθές τε καὶ τὸ ἁπλοῦν— ταὐτὸν γάρ ἐστιν—ὥσπερ οὖν οἱ Θετταλοὶ καλοῦσιν αὐτόν, ὀρθότατʼ ἂν καλοῖτο· Ἄπλουν
γάρ φασι πάντες Θετταλοὶ τοῦτον τὸν θεόν.
But with respect to prophecy, and the true and the simple—for they are the same—just as indeed the Thessalians call him, he would be most correctly called; for all Thessalians call this god "Simple".
διὰ δὲ τὸ ἀεὶ βολῶν ἐγκρατὴς εἶναι τοξικῇ
Ἀειβάλλων
ἐστίν.
And because of his being always master of his arrows in archery, he is "Always-Shooter".
κατὰ δὲ τὴν μουσικὴν δεῖ ὑπολαβεῖν ὅτι τὸ ἄλφα σημαίνει πολλαχοῦ τὸ ὁμοῦ, καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ὁμοῦ πόλησιν καὶ περὶ τὸν οὐρανόν, οὓς δὴ
πόλους
καλοῦσιν, καὶ περὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ ᾠδῇ ἁρμονίαν, ἣ δὴ συμφωνία καλεῖται, ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα, ὥς φασιν οἱ κομψοὶ περὶ μουσικὴν καὶ ἀστρονομίαν, ἁρμονίᾳ τινὶ πολεῖ ἅμα πάντα·
But with respect to music, one must suppose that the alpha signifies in many places "together", and here it signifies the together-revolving both around the heaven, which they call poles, and around the harmony in song, which is indeed called symphony; because all these things, as those who are clever in music and astronomy say, revolve all together by a certain harmony.
ἐπιστατεῖ δὲ οὗτος ὁ θεὸς τῇ ἁρμονίᾳ ὁμοπολῶν αὐτὰ πάντα καὶ κατὰ θεοὺς καὶ κατʼ ἀνθρώπους·
And this god presides over harmony, revolving them all together both among gods and among men.
ὥσπερ οὖν τὸν ὁμοκέλευθον καὶ ὁμόκοιτιν
ἀκόλουθον
καὶ
ἄκοιτιν
ἐκαλέσαμεν, μεταβαλόντες ἀντὶ τοῦ
ὁμο—
ἀ—,
οὕτω καὶ
Ἀπόλλωνα
ἐκαλέσαμεν ὃς ἦν
ὁμοπολῶν,
ἕτερον λάβδα ἐμβαλόντες, ὅτι ὁμώνυμον ἐγίγνετο τῷ χαλεπῷ ὀνόματι.
Just as, then, we called the "same-wayed" and "same-bedded" "follower" and "spouse", changing "homo-" to "a-", so also we called him "Apollo" who was "together-revolving", inserting a second lambda because otherwise it became homonymous with the harsh name.
§406ΣΩ. ὅπερ καὶ νῦν ὑποπτεύοντές τινες διὰ τὸ μὴ ὀρθῶς σκοπεῖσθαι τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ὀνόματος φοβοῦνται αὐτὸ ὡς σημαῖνον φθοράν τινα·
SOCRATES: Which is indeed what some even now suspecting, because they do not correctly examine the power of the name, fear it as signifying some destruction.
τὸ δὲ, ὥσπερ ἄρτι ἐλέγετο, πασῶν ἐφαπτόμενον κεῖται τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεων, ἁπλοῦ, ἀεὶ βάλλοντος, ἀπολούοντος, ὁμοπολοῦντος.
But, as was just said, the name is laid down touching upon all the powers of the god, of "simple", "always-shooting", "washing", "together-revolving".
τὰς δὲ
Μούσας
τε καὶ ὅλως τὴν μουσικὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ μῶσθαι, ὡς ἔοικεν, καὶ τῆς ζητήσεώς τε καὶ φιλοσοφίας τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο ἐπωνόμασεν.
And as for the Muses and music in general, he gave this name, as it seems, from "striving", and from search and philosophy.
Λητὼ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς πρᾳότητος τῆς θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸ ἐθελήμονα εἶναι ὧν ἄν τις δέηται.
And Leto is from the gentleness of the goddess, in accordance with her being willing to grant what one may pray for.
ἴσως δὲ ὡς οἱ ξένοι καλοῦσιν— πολλοὶ γὰρ
Ληθὼ
καλοῦσιν—ἔοικεν οὖν πρὸς τὸ μὴ τραχὺ τοῦ ἤθους ἀλλʼ ἥμερόν τε καὶ λεῖον
Ληθὼ
κεκλῆσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦτο καλούντων.
But perhaps, as foreigners call her—for many call her "Letho"—it seems, then, in relation to her character being not rough but gentle and smooth, she was called "Letho" by those who call her this.
Ἄρτεμις
δὲ διὰ τὸ ἀρτεμὲς φαίνεται καὶ τὸ κόσμιον, διὰ τὴν τῆς παρθενίας ἐπιθυμίαν· ἴσως δὲ ἀρετῆς ἵστορα τὴν θεὸν ἐκάλεσεν ὁ καλέσας, τάχα δʼ ἂν καὶ ὡς τὸν ἄροτον μισησάσης τὸν ἀνδρὸς ἐν γυναικί·
And Artemis seems to be named on account of her being "unharmed and sound" and "orderly", because of her desire for virginity; but perhaps the one who named her called the goddess "knower of virtue", or perhaps again as having hated the "tilling" of man in woman.
ἢ διὰ τούτων τι ἢ διὰ πάντα ταῦτα τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο ὁ τιθέμενος ἔθετο τῇ θεῷ.
Either through one of these or through all of them, the name-giver gave this name to the goddess.
ΕΡΜ. τί δὲ ὁ
Διόνυσός
τε καὶ ἡ
ἀφροδίτη
;
HERMOGENES: And what of Dionysus and Aphrodite?
ΣΩ. μεγάλα, ὦ παῖ Ἱππονίκου, ἐρωτᾷς.
SOCRATES: You ask big questions, O son of Hipponicus.
ἀλλὰ ἔστι γὰρ καὶ σπουδαίως εἰρημένος ὁ τρόπος τῶν ὀνομάτων τούτοις τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ παιδικῶς.
But indeed, the manner of the names for these gods has been spoken of both in a serious and in a playful way.
τὸν μὲν οὖν σπουδαῖον ἄλλους τινὰς ἐρώτα, τὸν δὲ παιδικὸν οὐδὲν κωλύει διελθεῖν· φιλοπαίσμονες γὰρ καὶ οἱ θεοί.
Ask someone else, then, for the serious one, but nothing prevents going through the playful one; for the gods also love a joke.
ὅ τε γὰρ Διόνυσος εἴη ἂν ὁ διδοὺς τὸν οἶνον
Διδοίνυσος
ἐν παιδιᾷ καλούμενος, οἶνος δʼ, ὅτι οἴεσθαι νοῦν ἔχειν ποιεῖ τῶν πινόντων τοὺς πολλοὺς οὐκ ἔχοντας,
οἰόνους
δικαιότατʼ ἂν καλούμενος.
For Dionysus would be the "Giver of Wine", being called so in play. And as for wine, because it makes most of those who drink it, who do not have intellect, think that they have it, it would be most justly called "Think-Intellect".
περὶ δὲ ἀφροδίτης οὐκ ἄξιον Ἡσιόδῳ ἀντιλέγειν, ἀλλὰ συγχωρεῖν ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἀφροῦ γένεσιν
ἀφροδίτη
ἐκλήθη.
And concerning Aphrodite, it is not fitting to argue against Hesiod, but to agree that she was called "Aphrodite" on account of her birth from the foam.
ΕΡΜ. ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ Ἀθηνᾶς Ἀθηναῖός γʼ ὤν, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἐπιλήσῃ, οὐδʼ Ἡφαίστου τε καὶ Ἄρεως.
HERMOGENES: But surely, Socrates, being an Athenian, you will not forget Athena, nor Hephaestus and Ares.
ΣΩ. οὐδὲ εἰκός γε.
SOCRATES: No, indeed; it would not be likely.
ΕΡΜ. οὐ γάρ.
HERMOGENES: Indeed not.
ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν τὸ μὲν ἕτερον ὄνομα αὐτῆς οὐ χαλεπὸν εἰπεῖν διʼ ὃ κεῖται.
SOCRATES: Well then, her other name is not difficult to state, on account of what it is laid down.
ΕΡΜ. τὸ ποῖον;
HERMOGENES: Which one?
ΣΩ.
Παλλάδα
που αὐτὴν καλοῦμεν.
SOCRATES: We call her "Pallas", I suppose.
ΕΡΜ. πῶς γὰρ οὔ;
HERMOGENES: Yes, of course.
ΣΩ. τοῦτο μὲν τοίνυν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ὀρχήσεως ἡγούμενοι τεθῆναι ὀρθῶς ἄν, ὡς ἐγᾦμαι, ἡγοίμεθα·
SOCRATES: Now, in thinking that this name was laid down on account of the dance in armor, we would, as I think, think correctly.
τὸ γάρ που ἢ αὑτὸν ἤ τι ἄλλο μετεωρίζειν ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἢ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν
πάλλειν
τε καὶ
πάλλεσθαι
καὶ ὀρχεῖν καὶ ὀρχεῖσθαι καλοῦμεν.
For lifting up either oneself or something else, either from the earth or in the hands, we call "to brandish" and "to be brandished", and to make dance and to dance.