cratylus-第5节

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quasi　koros；　not　in　the　sense　of　a　youth；　but　quasi　to　katharon　kai

akeraton　tou　nouthe　pure　and　garnished　mind；　which　in　turn　is　begotten　of

Uranus；　who　is　so　called　apo　tou　oran　ta　ano；　from　looking　upwards；　which；

as　philosophers　say；　is　the　way　to　have　a　pure　mind。　　The　earlier　portion

of　Hesiod's　genealogy　has　escaped　my　memory；　or　I　would　try　more

conclusions　of　the　same　sort。　　'You　talk　like　an　oracle。'　　I　caught　the

infection　from　Euthyphro；　who　gave　me　a　long　lecture　which　began　at　dawn；

and　has　not　only　entered　into　my　ears；　but　filled　my　soul；　and　my　intention

is　to　yield　to　the　inspiration　to…day；　and　to…morrow　I　will　be　exorcised　by

some　priest　or　sophist。　　'Go　on；　I　am　anxious　to　hear　the　rest。'　　Now　that

we　have　a　general　notion；　how　shall　we　proceed？　　What　names　will　afford　the

most　crucial　test　of　natural　fitness？　　Those　of　heroes　and　ordinary　men　are

often　deceptive；　because　they　are　patronymics　or　expressions　of　a　wish；　let

us　try　gods　and　demi…gods。　　Gods　are　so　called；　apo　tou　thein；　from　the

verb　'to　run；'　because　the　sun；　moon；　and　stars　run　about　the　heaven；　and

they　being　the　original　gods　of　the　Hellenes；　as　they　still　are　of　the

Barbarians；　their　name　is　given　to　all　Gods。　　The　demons　are　the　golden

race　of　Hesiod；　and　by　golden　he　means　not　literally　golden；　but　good；　and

they　are　called　demons；　quasi　daemones；　which　in　old　Attic　was　used　for

daimonesgood　men　are　well　said　to　become　daimones　when　they　die；　because

they　are　knowing。　　Eros　（with　an　epsilon）　is　the　same　word　as　eros　（with　an

eta）：　　'the　sons　of　God　saw　the　daughters　of　men　that　they　were　fair；'　or

perhaps　they　were　a　species　of　sophists　or　rhetoricians；　and　so　called　apo

tou　erotan；　or　eirein；　from　their　habit　of　spinning　questions；　for　eirein

is　equivalent　to　legein。　　I　get　all　this　from　Euthyphro；　and　now　a　new　and

ingenious　idea　comes　into　my　mind；　and；　if　I　am　not　careful；　I　shall　be

wiser　than　I　ought　to　be　by　to…morrow's　dawn。　　My　idea　is；　that　we　may　put

in　and　pull　out　letters　at　pleasure　and　alter　the　accents　（as；　for　example；

Dii　philos　may　be　turned　into　Diphilos）；　and　we　may　make　words　into

sentences　and　sentences　into　words。　　The　name　anthrotos　is　a　case　in　point；

for　a　letter　has　been　omitted　and　the　accent　changed；　the　original　meaning

being　o　anathron　a　opopenhe　who　looks　up　at　what　he　sees。　　Psuche　may　be

thought　to　be　the　reviving；　or　refreshing；　or　animating　principlee

anapsuchousa　to　soma；　but　I　am　afraid　that　Euthyphro　and　his　disciples　will

scorn　this　derivation；　and　I　must　find　another：　　shall　we　identify　the　soul

with　the　'ordering　mind'　of　Anaxagoras；　and　say　that　psuche；　quasi　phuseche

=　e　phusin　echei　or　ochei？this　might　easily　be　refined　into　psyche。　

'That　is　a　more　artistic　etymology。'



After　psuche　follows　soma；　this；　by　a　slight　permutation；　may　be　either　=

（1）　the　'grave'　of　the　soul；　or　（2）　may　mean　'that　by　which　the　soul

signifies　（semainei）　her　wishes。'　　But　more　probably；　the　word　is　Orphic；

and　simply　denotes　that　the　body　is　the　place　of　ward　in　which　the　soul

suffers　the　penalty　of　sin；en　o　sozetai。　　'I　should　like　to　hear　some

more　explanations　of　the　names　of　the　Gods；　like　that　excellent　one　of

Zeus。'　　The　truest　names　of　the　Gods　are　those　which　they　give　themselves；

but　these　are　unknown　to　us。　　Less　true　are　those　by　which　we　propitiate

them；　as　men　say　in　prayers；　'May　he　graciously　receive　any　name　by　which　I

call　him。'　　And　to　avoid　offence；　I　should　like　to　let　them　know　beforehand

that　we　are　not　presuming　to　enquire　about　them；　but　only　about　the　names

which　they　usually　bear。　　Let　us　begin　with　Hestia。　　What　did　he　mean　who

gave　the　name　Hestia？　　'That　is　a　very　difficult　question。'　　O；　my　dear

Hermogenes；　I　believe　that　there　was　a　power　of　philosophy　and　talk　among

the　first　inventors　of　names；　both　in　our　own　and　in　other　languages；　for

even　in　foreign　words　a　principle　is　discernible。　　Hestia　is　the　same　with

esia；　which　is　an　old　form　of　ousia；　and　means　the　first　principle　of

things：　　this　agrees　with　the　fact　that　to　Hestia　the　first　sacrifices　are

offered。　　There　is　also　another　readingosia；　which　implies　that　'pushing'

（othoun）　is　the　first　principle　of　all　things。　　And　here　I　seem　to　discover

a　delicate　allusion　to　the　flux　of　Heracleitusthat　antediluvian

philosopher　who　cannot　walk　twice　in　the　same　stream；　and　this　flux　of　his

may　accomplish　yet　greater　marvels。　　For　the　names　Cronos　and　Rhea　cannot

have　been　accidental；　the　giver　of　them　must　have　known　something　about　the

doctrine　of　Heracleitus。　　Moreover；　there　is　a　remarkable　coincidence　in

the　words　of　Hesiod；　when　he　speaks　of　Oceanus；　'the　origin　of　Gods；'　and

in　the　verse　of　Orpheus；　in　which　he　describes　Oceanus　espousing　his　sister

Tethys。　　Tethys　is　nothing　more　than　the　name　of　a　springto　diattomenon

kai　ethoumenon。　　Poseidon　is　posidesmos；　the　chain　of　the　feet；　because　you

cannot　walk　on　the　seathe　epsilon　is　inserted　by　way　of　ornament；　or

perhaps　the　name　may　have　been　originally　polleidon；　meaning；　that　the　God

knew　many　things　（polla　eidos）：　　he　may　also　be　the　shaker；　apo　tou

seiein；in　this　case；　pi　and　delta　have　been　added。　　Pluto　is　connected

with　ploutos；　because　wealth　comes　out　of　the　earth；　or　the　word　may　be　a

euphemism　for　Hades；　which　is　usually　derived　apo　tou　aeidous；　because　the

God　is　concerned　with　the　invisible。　　But　the　name　Hades　was　really　given

him　from　his　knowing　（eidenai）　all　good　things。　　Men　in　general　are

foolishly　afraid　of　him；　and　talk　with　horror　of　the　world　below　from　which

no　one　may　return。　　The　reason　why　his　subjects　never　wish　to　come　back；

even　if　they　could；　is　that　the　God　enchains　them　by　the　strongest　of

spells；　namely　by　the　desire　of　virtue；　which　they　hope　to　obtain　by

constant　association　with　him。　　He　is　the　perfect　and　accomplished　Sophist

and　the　great　benefactor　of　the　other　world；　for　he　has　much　more　than　he

wants　there；　and　hence　he　is　called　Pluto　or　the　rich。　　He　will　have

nothing　to　do　with　the　souls　of　men　while　in　the　body；　because　he　cannot

work　his　will　with　them　so　long　as　they　are　confused　and　entangled　by

fleshly　lusts。　　Demeter　is　the　mother　and　giver　of　foode　didousa　meter

tes　edodes。　　Here　is　erate　tis；　or　perhaps　the　legislator　may　have　been

thinking　of　the　weather；　and　has　merely　transposed　the　letters　of　the　word

aer。　　Pherephatta；　that　word　of　awe；　is　pheretapha；　which　is　only　an

euphonious　contraction　of　e　tou　pheromenou　ephaptomene；all　things　are　in

motion；　and　she　in　her　wisdom　moves　with　them；　and　the　wise　God　Hades

consorts　with　herthere　is　nothing　very　terrible　in　this；　any　more　than　in

the　her　other　appellation　Persephone；　which　is　also　significant　of　her

wisdom　（sophe）。　　Apollo　is　another　name；　which　is　supposed　to　have　some

dreadful　meaning；　but　is　susceptible　of　at　least　four　perfectly　innocent

explanations。　　First；　he　is　the　purifier　or　purger　or　absolver　（apolouon）；

secondly；　he　is　the　true　diviner；　Aplos；　as　he　is　called　in　the　Thessalian

dialect　（aplos　=　aplous；　sincere）；　thirdly；　he　is　the　archer　（aei　ballon）；

always　shooting；　or　again；　supposing　alpha　to　mean　ama　or　omou；　Apollo

becomes　equivalent　to　ama　polon；　which　points　to　both　his　musical　and　his

heavenly　attributes；　for　there　is　a　'moving　together'　alike　in　music　and　in

the　harmony　of　the　spheres。　　The　second　lambda　is　inserted　in　order　to

avoid　the　ill…omened　sound　of　destruction。　　The　Muses　are　so　calledapo

tou　mosthai。　　The　gentle　Leto　or　Letho　is　named　from　her　willingness

（ethelemon）；　or　because　she　is　ready　to　forgive　and　forget　（lethe）。　

Artemis　is　so　called　from　her　healthy　well…balanced　nature；　dia　to　artemes；

or　as　aretes　istor；　or　as　a　lover　of　virginity；　aroton　misesasa。　　One　of

these　explanations　is　probably　true；perhaps　all　of　them。　　Dionysus　is　o

didous　ton　oinon；　and　oinos　is　quasi　oionous　because　wine　makes　those　think

（oiesthai）　that　they　have　a　mind　（nous）　who　have　none。　　The　established

derivation　of　Aphrodite　dia　ten　tou　athrou　genesin　may　be　accepted　on　the

authority　of　Hesiod。　　Again；　there　is　the　name　of　Pallas；　or　Athene；　which

we；　who　are　Athenians；　must　not　forget。　　Pallas　is　derived　from　armed

dancesapo　tou　pallein　ta　opla。　　For　Athene　we　must　turn　to　the

allegorical　interpreters　of　Homer；　who　make　the　name　equivalent　to　theonoe；

or　possibly　the　word　was　originally　ethonoe　and　signified　moral

intelligence　（en　ethei　noesis）。　　Hephaestus；　again；　is　the　lord　of　lighto

tou　phaeos　istor。　　This　is　a　good　notion；　and；　to　prevent　any　other　getting

into　our　heads；　let　us　go　on　to　Ares。　　He　is　the　manly　one　（arren）；　or　the

unchangeable　one　（arratos）。　　Enough　of　the　Gods；　for；　by　the　Gods；　I　am

afraid　of　them；　but　if　you　suggest　other　words；　you　will　see　how　the　horses

of　Euthyphro　prance。　　'Only　one　more　God；　tell　me　about　my　godfather

Hermes。'　　He　is　ermeneus；　the　messenger　or　cheater　or　thief　or　bargainer；

or　o　eirein　momenos；　that　is；　eiremes　or　ermesthe　speaker　or　contriver　of

speeche