cratylus-第24节

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alpha；　has　been　omitted；　and　the　acute　on　the　last　syllable　has　been

changed　to　a　grave。



HERMOGENES：　　What　do　you　mean？



SOCRATES：　　I　mean　to　say　that　the　word　'man'　implies　that　other　animals

never　examine；　or　consider；　or　look　up　at　what　they　see；　but　that　man　not

only　sees　（opope）　but　considers　and　looks　up　at　that　which　he　sees；　and

hence　he　alone　of　all　animals　is　rightly　anthropos；　meaning　anathron　a

opopen。



HERMOGENES：　　May　I　ask　you　to　examine　another　word　about　which　I　am

curious？



SOCRATES：　　Certainly。



HERMOGENES：　　I　will　take　that　which　appears　to　me　to　follow　next　in　order。　

You　know　the　distinction　of　soul　and　body？



SOCRATES：　　Of　course。



HERMOGENES：　　Let　us　endeavour　to　analyze　them　like　the　previous　words。



SOCRATES：　　You　want　me　first　of　all　to　examine　the　natural　fitness　of　the

word　psuche　（soul）；　and　then　of　the　word　soma　（body）？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　If　I　am　to　say　what　occurs　to　me　at　the　moment；　I　should　imagine

that　those　who　first　used　the　name　psuche　meant　to　express　that　the　soul

when　in　the　body　is　the　source　of　life；　and　gives　the　power　of　breath　and

revival　（anapsuchon）；　and　when　this　reviving　power　fails　then　the　body

perishes　and　dies；　and　this；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　they　called　psyche。　　But

please　stay　a　moment；　I　fancy　that　I　can　discover　something　which　will　be

more　acceptable　to　the　disciples　of　Euthyphro；　for　I　am　afraid　that　they

will　scorn　this　explanation。　　What　do　you　say　to　another？



HERMOGENES：　　Let　me　hear。



SOCRATES：　　What　is　that　which　holds　and　carries　and　gives　life　and　motion

to　the　entire　nature　of　the　body？　　What　else　but　the　soul？



HERMOGENES：　　Just　that。



SOCRATES：　　And　do　you　not　believe　with　Anaxagoras；　that　mind　or　soul　is　the

ordering　and　containing　principle　of　all　things？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes；　I　do。



SOCRATES：　　Then　you　may　well　call　that　power　phuseche　which　carries　and

holds　nature　（e　phusin　okei；　kai　ekei）；　and　this　may　be　refined　away　into

psuche。



HERMOGENES：　　Certainly；　and　this　derivation　is；　I　think；　more　scientific

than　the　other。



SOCRATES：　　It　is　so；　but　I　cannot　help　laughing；　if　I　am　to　suppose　that

this　was　the　true　meaning　of　the　name。



HERMOGENES：　　But　what　shall　we　say　of　the　next　word？



SOCRATES：　　You　mean　soma　（the　body）。



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　That　may　be　variously　interpreted；　and　yet　more　variously　if　a

little　permutation　is　allowed。　　For　some　say　that　the　body　is　the　grave

（sema）　of　the　soul　which　may　be　thought　to　be　buried　in　our　present　life；

or　again　the　index　of　the　soul；　because　the　soul　gives　indications　to

（semainei）　the　body；　probably　the　Orphic　poets　were　the　inventors　of　the

name；　and　they　were　under　the　impression　that　the　soul　is　suffering　the

punishment　of　sin；　and　that　the　body　is　an　enclosure　or　prison　in　which　the

soul　is　incarcerated；　kept　safe　（soma；　sozetai）；　as　the　name　soma　implies；

until　the　penalty　is　paid；　according　to　this　view；　not　even　a　letter　of　the

word　need　be　changed。



HERMOGENES：　　I　think；　Socrates；　that　we　have　said　enough　of　this　class　of

words。　　But　have　we　any　more　explanations　of　the　names　of　the　Gods；　like

that　which　you　were　giving　of　Zeus？　　I　should　like　to　know　whether　any

similar　principle　of　correctness　is　to　be　applied　to　them。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　indeed；　Hermogenes；　and　there　is　one　excellent　principle

which；　as　men　of　sense；　we　must　acknowledge；that　of　the　Gods　we　know

nothing；　either　of　their　natures　or　of　the　names　which　they　give

themselves；　but　we　are　sure　that　the　names　by　which　they　call　themselves；

whatever　they　may　be；　are　true。　　And　this　is　the　best　of　all　principles；

and　the　next　best　is　to　say；　as　in　prayers；　that　we　will　call　them　by　any

sort　or　kind　of　names　or　patronymics　which　they　like；　because　we　do　not

know　of　any　other。　　That　also；　I　think；　is　a　very　good　custom；　and　one

which　I　should　much　wish　to　observe。　　Let　us；　then；　if　you　please；　in　the

first　place　announce　to　them　that　we　are　not　enquiring　about　them；　we　do

not　presume　that　we　are　able　to　do　so；　but　we　are　enquiring　about　the

meaning　of　men　in　giving　them　these　names；in　this　there　can　be　small

blame。



HERMOGENES：　　I　think；　Socrates；　that　you　are　quite　right；　and　I　would　like

to　do　as　you　say。



SOCRATES：　　Shall　we　begin；　then；　with　Hestia；　according　to　custom？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes；　that　will　be　very　proper。



SOCRATES：　　What　may　we　suppose　him　to　have　meant　who　gave　the　name　Hestia？



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　another　and　certainly　a　most　difficult　question。



SOCRATES：　　My　dear　Hermogenes；　the　first　imposers　of　names　must　surely　have

been　considerable　persons；　they　were　philosophers；　and　had　a　good　deal　to

say。



HERMOGENES：　　Well；　and　what　of　them？



SOCRATES：　　They　are　the　men　to　whom　I　should　attribute　the　imposition　of

names。　　Even　in　foreign　names；　if　you　analyze　them；　a　meaning　is　still

discernible。　　For　example；　that　which　we　term　ousia　is　by　some　called　esia；

and　by　others　again　osia。　　Now　that　the　essence　of　things　should　be　called

estia；　which　is　akin　to　the　first　of　these　（esia　=　estia）；　is　rational

enough。　　And　there　is　reason　in　the　Athenians　calling　that　estia　which

participates　in　ousia。　　For　in　ancient　times　we　too　seem　to　have　said　esia

for　ousia；　and　this　you　may　note　to　have　been　the　idea　of　those　who

appointed　that　sacrifices　should　be　first　offered　to　estia；　which　was

natural　enough　if　they　meant　that　estia　was　the　essence　of　things。　　Those

again　who　read　osia　seem　to　have　inclined　to　the　opinion　of　Heracleitus；

that　all　things　flow　and　nothing　stands；　with　them　the　pushing　principle

（othoun）　is　the　cause　and　ruling　power　of　all　things；　and　is　therefore

rightly　called　osia。　　Enough　of　this；　which　is　all　that　we　who　know　nothing

can　affirm。　　Next　in　order　after　Hestia　we　ought　to　consider　Rhea　and

Cronos；　although　the　name　of　Cronos　has　been　already　discussed。　　But　I　dare

say　that　I　am　talking　great　nonsense。



HERMOGENES：　　Why；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　My　good　friend；　I　have　discovered　a　hive　of　wisdom。



HERMOGENES：　　Of　what　nature？



SOCRATES：　　Well；　rather　ridiculous；　and　yet　plausible。



HERMOGENES：　　How　plausible？



SOCRATES：　　I　fancy　to　myself　Heracleitus　repeating　wise　traditions　of

antiquity　as　old　as　the　days　of　Cronos　and　Rhea；　and　of　which　Homer　also

spoke。



HERMOGENES：　　How　do　you　mean？



SOCRATES：　　Heracleitus　is　supposed　to　say　that　all　things　are　in　motion　and

nothing　at　rest；　he　compares　them　to　the　stream　of　a　river；　and　says　that

you　cannot　go　into　the　same　water　twice。



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　Well；　then；　how　can　we　avoid　inferring　that　he　who　gave　the

names　of　Cronos　and　Rhea　to　the　ancestors　of　the　Gods；　agreed　pretty　much

in　the　doctrine　of　Heracleitus？　　Is　the　giving　of　the　names　of　streams　to

both　of　them　purely　accidental？　　Compare　the　line　in　which　Homer；　and；　as　I

believe；　Hesiod　also；　tells　of



'Ocean；　the　origin　of　Gods；　and　mother　Tethys　（Il。the　line　is　not　found

in　the　extant　works　of　Hesiod。）。'



And　again；　Orpheus　says；　that



'The　fair　river　of　Ocean　was　the　first　to　marry；　and　he　espoused　his　sister

Tethys；　who　was　his　mother's　daughter。'



You　see　that　this　is　a　remarkable　coincidence；　and　all　in　the　direction　of

Heracleitus。



HERMOGENES：　　I　think　that　there　is　something　in　what　you　say；　Socrates；　but

I　do　not　understand　the　meaning　of　the　name　Tethys。



SOCRATES：　　Well；　that　is　almost　self…explained；　being　only　the　name　of　a

spring；　a　little　disguised；　for　that　which　is　strained　and　filtered

（diattomenon；　ethoumenon）　may　be　likened　to　a　spring；　and　the　name　Tethys

is　made　up　of　these　two　words。



HERMOGENES：　　The　idea　is　ingenious；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　To　be　sure。　　But　what　comes　next？of　Zeus　we　have　spoken。



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　Then　let　us　next　take　his　two　brothers；　Poseidon　and　Pluto；

whether　the　latter　is　called　by　that　or　by　his　other　name。



HERMOGENES：　　By　all　means。



SOCRATES：　　Poseidon　is　Posidesmos；　the　chain　of　the　feet；　the　original

inventor　of　the　name　had　been　stopped　by　the　watery　element　in　his　walks；

and　not　allowed　to　go　on；　and　therefore　he　called　the　ruler　of　this　element

Poseidon；　the　epsilon　was　probably　inserted　as　an　ornament。　　Yet；　perhaps；

not　so；　but　the　name　may　have　been　originally　written　with　a　double　lamda

and　not　with　a　sigma；　meaning　that　the　God　knew　many　things　（Polla　eidos）。　

And　perhaps　also　he　being　the　shaker　of　the　earth；　has　been　named　from

shaking　（seiein）；　and　then　pi　and　delta　have　been　added。　　Pluto　gives

wealth　（Ploutos）；　and　his　name　means　the　giver　of　wealth；　which　comes　out

of　the　earth　beneath。　　People　in　general　appear　to　imagine　that　the　term

Hades　is　connected　with　the　invisible　（aeides）　and　so　they　are　led　by　their

fears　to　call　the　God　Pluto　instead。



HERMOGENES：　　And　what　is　the　true　derivation？



SOCRATES：　　In　s