§203διὰ τούτου καὶ ἡ μαντικὴ πᾶσα χωρεῖ καὶ ἡ τῶν ἱερέων τέχνη τῶν τε περὶ τὰς θυσίας καὶ τελετὰς καὶ τὰς ἐπῳδὰς καὶ τὴν μαντείαν πᾶσαν καὶ γοητείαν.
Through this also proceeds the whole of divination and the art of the priests concerning sacrifices and initiations, and incantations, and all prophecy and sorcery.
θεὸς δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ οὐ μείγνυται, ἀλλὰ διὰ τούτου πᾶσά ἐστιν ἡ ὁμιλία καὶ ἡ διάλεκτος θεοῖς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ἐγρηγορόσι καὶ καθεύδουσι·
God does not mix with man, but all association and dialogue between gods and men, both for those who are awake and those who are asleep, is through this.
καὶ ὁ μὲν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα σοφὸς δαιμόνιος ἀνήρ, ὁ δὲ ἄλλο τι σοφὸς ὢν ἢ περὶ τέχνας ἢ χειρουργίας τινὰς βάναυσος.
And he who is wise in such matters is a daemonic man, whereas he who is wise in any other thing, whether in arts or some handcrafts, is a mere artisan.
οὗτοι δὴ οἱ δαίμονες πολλοὶ καὶ παντοδαποί εἰσιν, εἷς δὲ τούτων ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ Ἔρως.
These daemons indeed are many and of all kinds, and one of them is Eros.
πατρὸς δέ, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, τίνος ἐστὶ καὶ μητρός;
"And of what father and mother is he?" I said.
μακρότερον μέν, ἔφη, διηγήσασθαι· ὅμως δέ σοι ἐρῶ.
"It is a rather long story to tell," she said, "but nevertheless I will tell you.
ὅτε γὰρ ἐγένετο ἡ Ἀφροδίτη, ἡστιῶντο οἱ θεοὶ οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ ὁ τῆς Μήτιδος ὑὸς Πόρος.
For when Aphrodite was born, the gods were feasting, both the others and Poros, the son of Metis.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐδείπνησαν, προσαιτήσουσα οἷον δὴ εὐωχίας οὔσης ἀφίκετο ἡ Πενία, καὶ ἦν περὶ τὰς θύρας.
After they had dined, Penia came to beg, as there was a feast, and she was about the doors.
ὁ οὖν Πόρος μεθυσθεὶς τοῦ νέκταρος— οἶνος γὰρ οὔπω ἦν—εἰς τὸν τοῦ Διὸς κῆπον εἰσελθὼν βεβαρημένος ηὗδεν.
Now Poros, having become drunk with nectar—for wine did not yet exist—went into the garden of Zeus, and being heavy with sleep, slept.
ἡ οὖν Πενία ἐπιβουλεύουσα διὰ τὴν αὑτῆς ἀπορίαν παιδίον ποιήσασθαι ἐκ τοῦ Πόρου, κατακλίνεταί τε παρʼ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκύησε τὸν ἔρωτα.
Then Penia, plotting because of her own poverty to have a child from Poros, lay down beside him and conceived Eros.
διὸ δὴ καὶ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἀκόλουθος καὶ θεράπων γέγονεν ὁ Ἔρως, γεννηθεὶς ἐν τοῖς ἐκείνης γενεθλίοις, καὶ ἅμα φύσει ἐραστὴς ὢν περὶ τὸ καλὸν καὶ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης καλῆς οὔσης.
Therefore indeed Eros became a follower and attendant of Aphrodite, having been born on her birthday, and being at the same time by nature a lover of the beautiful, and because Aphrodite is beautiful.
ἅτε οὖν Πόρου καὶ Πενίας ὑὸς ὢν ὁ Ἔρως ἐν τοιαύτῃ τύχῃ καθέστηκεν. πρῶτον μὲν πένης ἀεί ἐστι, καὶ πολλοῦ δεῖ ἁπαλός τε καὶ καλός, οἷον οἱ πολλοὶ οἴονται, ἀλλὰ σκληρὸς καὶ αὐχμηρὸς καὶ ἀνυπόδητος καὶ ἄοικος, χαμαιπετὴς ἀεὶ ὢν καὶ ἄστρωτος, ἐπὶ θύραις καὶ ἐν ὁδοῖς ὑπαίθριος κοιμώμενος, τὴν τῆς μητρὸς φύσιν ἔχων, ἀεὶ ἐνδείᾳ σύνοικος.
Since, then, Eros is the son of Poros and Penia, he is in such a condition: first, he is always poor, and is far from being tender and beautiful, as most people think, but is hard and rough, shoeless and homeless, always sleeping on the ground without bedding, keeping outdoor vigils at doors and in the streets, having his mother's nature, always cohabiting with want.
κατὰ δὲ αὖ τὸν πατέρα ἐπίβουλός ἐστι τοῖς καλοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, ἀνδρεῖος ὢν καὶ ἴτης καὶ σύντονος, θηρευτὴς δεινός, ἀεί τινας πλέκων μηχανάς, καὶ φρονήσεως ἐπιθυμητὴς καὶ πόριμος, φιλοσοφῶν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου, δεινὸς γόης καὶ φαρμακεὺς καὶ σοφιστής·
But on his father's side, again, he is a schemer after the beautiful and the good, being brave, impetuous, and intense, a formidable hunter, always weaving some devices, a desirer of wisdom and full of resources, philosophizing through all his life, a formidable sorcerer, druggist, and sophist.
καὶ οὔτε ὡς ἀθάνατος πέφυκεν οὔτε ὡς θνητός, ἀλλὰ τοτὲ μὲν τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας θάλλει τε καὶ ζῇ, ὅταν εὐπορήσῃ, τοτὲ δὲ ἀποθνῄσκει, πάλιν δὲ ἀναβιώσκεται διὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς φύσιν, τὸ δὲ ποριζόμενον ἀεὶ ὑπεκρεῖ, ὥστε οὔτε ἀπορεῖ Ἔρως ποτὲ οὔτε πλουτεῖ, σοφίας τε αὖ καὶ ἀμαθίας ἐν μέσῳ ἐστίν.
And he is by nature neither immortal nor mortal, but at one time on the same day he flourishes and lives, when he is in abundance, and at another time he dies, but again comes back to life through his father's nature; yet that which is provided always flows away, so that Eros is never either in want or in wealth, and moreover he is in the middle of wisdom and ignorance.