Section 536

SOCRATES. Do you realize, then, that the spectator is the last of those iron rings I mentioned, which receive their power from the Heraclean stone? You, the rhapsode or actor, are the middle ring, and the poet himself is the first one. Through all of you, the god draws the souls of men wherever he wishes, transmitting the power from one to another. Just as from the magnet, a huge chain of chorus members, masters, and assistant masters is suspended sideways from the rings that hang from the Muse. One poet is suspended from one Muse, another from another—we call this being "possessed," for he is held fast by her. And from these first rings—the poets—other rings are suspended and inspired, some attached to Orpheus, some to Musaeus; but the majority are possessed and held fast by Homer. You are one of these, Ion. You are possessed by Homer. When someone sings the verses of another poet, you fall asleep and are at a loss for words; but when someone strikes a chord of your poet, you instantly awaken, your soul dances, and you have plenty to say. For you do not say what you say about Homer by an art or by knowledge, but by divine dispensation and possession. Just as the Corybantes eagerly respond only to the melody of the god by whom they are possessed, and have plenty of gestures and words for that tune but ignore all others, so you, Ion, are full of words when someone mentions Homer, but are at a loss regarding the others. The reason you can speak beautifully about Homer but not the others is exactly what you ask: it is not by an art, but by divine dispensation.

ION. You speak well, Socrates. But I would be surprised if you could speak well enough to persuade me that I praise Homer because I am possessed and mad. I do not think I would seem that way to you, if you heard me speaking about him.

SOCRATES. But I do wish to hear you! However, not before you answer this for me: on which of the subjects Homer speaks about do you speak well? Surely you do not speak well on all of them.

ION. Rest assured, Socrates, there is nothing he speaks of that I do not speak well on.

SOCRATES. Surely not the things you happen not to know, even if Homer speaks of them?

ION. And what is there that Homer speaks of that I do not know?

Τμῆμα 536

ΣΩ. οἶσθα οὖν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ θεατὴς τῶν δακτυλίων ὁ ἔσχατος, ὧν ἐγὼ ἔλεγον ὑπὸ τῆς Ἡρακλειώτιδος λίθου ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων τὴν δύναμιν λαμβάνειν; ὁ δὲ μέσος σὺ ὁ ῥαψῳδὸς καὶ ὑποκριτής, ὁ δὲ πρῶτος αὐτὸς ὁ ποιητής· ὁ δὲ θεὸς διὰ πάντων τούτων ἕλκει τὴν ψυχὴν ὅποι ἂν βούληται τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀνακρεμαννὺς ἐξ ἀλλήλων τὴν δύναμιν. καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ τῆς λίθου ἐκείνης ὁρμαθὸς πάμπολυς ἐξήρτηται χορευτῶν τε καὶ διδασκάλων καὶ ὑποδιδασκάλων, ἐκ πλαγίου ἐξηρτημένων τῶν τῆς Μούσης ἐκκρεμαμένων δακτυλίων. καὶ ὁ μὲν τῶν ποιητῶν ἐξ ἄλλης Μούσης, ὁ δὲ ἐξ ἄλλης ἐξήρτηται—ὀνομάζομεν δὲ αὐτὸ κατέχεται, τὸ δέ ἐστι παραπλήσιον· ἔχεται γάρ—ἐκ δὲ τούτων τῶν πρώτων δακτυλίων, τῶν ποιητῶν, ἄλλοι ἐξ ἄλλου αὖ ἠρτημένοι εἰσὶ καὶ ἐνθουσιάζουσιν, οἱ μὲν ἐξ Ὀρφέως, οἱ δὲ ἐκ Μουσαίου· οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ ἐξ Ὁμήρου κατέχονταί τε καὶ ἔχονται. ὧν σύ, ὦ Ἴων, εἷς εἶ καὶ κατέχῃ ἐξ Ὁμήρου, καὶ ἐπειδὰν μέν τις ἄλλου του ποιητοῦ ᾁδῃ, καθεύδεις τε καὶ ἀπορεῖς ὅτι λέγῃς, ἐπειδὰν δὲ τούτου τοῦ ποιητοῦ φθέγξηταί τις μέλος, εὐθὺς ἐγρήγορας καὶ ὀρχεῖταί σου ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ εὐπορεῖς ὅτι λέγῃς· οὐ γὰρ τέχνῃ οὐδʼ ἐπιστήμῃ περὶ Ὁμήρου λέγεις ἃ λέγεις, ἀλλὰ θείᾳ μοίρᾳ καὶ κατοκωχῇ, ὥσπερ οἱ κορυβαντιῶντες ἐκείνου μόνου αἰσθάνονται τοῦ μέλους ὀξέως ὃ ἂν ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξ ὅτου ἂν κατέχωνται, καὶ εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέλος καὶ σχημάτων καὶ ῥημάτων εὐποροῦσι, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων οὐ φροντίζουσιν· οὕτω καὶ σύ, ὦ Ἴων, περὶ μὲν Ὁμήρου ὅταν τις μνησθῇ, εὐπορεῖς, περὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπορεῖς· τούτου δʼ ἐστὶ τὸ αἴτιον, ὅ μʼ ἐρωτᾷς, διʼ ὅτι σὺ περὶ μὲν Ὁμήρου εὐπορεῖς, περὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὔ, ὅτι οὐ τέχνῃ ἀλλὰ θείᾳ μοίρᾳ Ὁμήρου δεινὸς εἶ ἐπαινέτης.

ΙΩΝ. σὺ μὲν εὖ λέγεις, ὦ Σώκρατες· θαυμάζοιμι μεντἂν εἰ οὕτως εὖ εἴποις, ὥστε με ἀναπεῖσαι ὡς ἐγὼ κατεχόμενος καὶ μαινόμενος Ὅμηρον ἐπαινῶ. οἶμαι δὲ οὐδʼ ἂν σοὶ δόξαιμι, εἴ μου ἀκούσαις λέγοντος περὶ Ὁμήρου.

ΣΩ. καὶ μὴν ἐθέλω γε ἀκοῦσαι, οὐ μέντοι πρότερον πρὶν ἄν μοι ἀποκρίνῃ τόδε· ὧν Ὅμηρος λέγει περὶ τίνος εὖ λέγεις; οὐ γὰρ δήπου περὶ ἁπάντων γε.

ΙΩΝ. εὖ ἴσθι, ὦ Σώκρατες, περὶ οὐδενὸς ὅτου οὔ.

ΣΩ. οὐ δήπου καὶ περὶ τούτων ὧν σὺ μὲν τυγχάνεις οὐκ εἰδώς, Ὅμηρος δὲ λέγει.

ΙΩΝ. καὶ ταῦτα ποῖά ἐστιν ἃ Ὅμηρος μὲν λέγει, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ οἶδα;