Cratylus

Perseus Greek · Perseus Greek · 771 sections

402.2
Hermogenes. What is this probability?
402.3
Socrates. I seem to have a vision of Heracleitus saying some ancient words of wisdom as old as the reign of Cronus and Rhea, which Homer said too.
402.4
Hermogenes. What do you mean by that?
402.5
Socrates. Heracleitus says, you know, that all things move and nothing remains still, and he likens the universe to the current of a river, saying that you cannot step twice into the same stream.
402.6
Hermogenes. True.
402.7
Socrates. Well, don’t you think he who gave to the ancestors of the other gods the names Rhea and Cronus had the same thought as Heracleitus? Do you think he gave both of them the names of streams merely by chance? Just so Homer, too, says—Ocean the origin of the gods, and their mother Tethys; and I believe Hesiod says that also. Orpheus, too, says—Fair-flowing Ocean was the first to marry, and he wedded his sister Tethys, daughter of his mother.See how they agree with each other and all tend towards the doctrine of Heracleitus.
402.8
Hermogenes. I think there is something in what you say, Socrates; but I do not know what the name of Tethys means.
402.9
Socrates. Why, the name itself almost tells that it is the name of a spring somewhat disguised; for that which is strained (διαττώμενον) and filtered (ἠθούμενον) represents a spring, and the name Tethys is compounded of those two words.
402.10
Hermogenes. That is very neat, Socrates.
402.11
Socrates. Of course it is. But what comes next? Zeus we discussed before.
402.12
Hermogenes. Yes.
402.13
Socrates. Let us, then, speak of his brothers, Poseidon and Pluto, including also the other name of the latter.
402.14
Hermogenes. By all means.
402.15
Socrates. I think Poseidon’s name was given by him who first applied it, because the power the sea restrained him as he was walking and hindered his advance; it acted as a bond (δεσμός) of his feet (ποδῶν). So he called the lord of this power Poseidon, regarding him as a foot-bond (ποσί-δεσμον). The e is inserted perhaps for euphony.
403.1
Socrates. But possibly that may not be right; possibly two lambdas were originally pronounced instead of the sigma, because the god knew (εἰδότος) many (πολλά) things. Or it may be that from his shaking he was called the Shaker (ὁ σείων), and the pi and delta are additions. As for Pluto, he was so named as the giver of wealth (πλοῦτος), because wealth comes up from below out of the earth. And Hades—I fancy most people think that this is a name of the Invisible (ἀειδής), so they are afraid and call him Pluto.
403.2
Hermogenes. And what do you think yourself, Socrates?
403.3
Socrates. I think people have many false notions about the power of this god, and are unduly afraid of him. They are afraid because when we are once dead we remain in his realm for ever, and they are also terrified because the soul goes to him without the covering of the body. But I think all these facts, and the office and the name of the god, point in the same direction.
403.4
Hermogenes. How so?
403.5
Socrates. I will tell you my own view. Please answer this question: Which is the stronger bond upon any living being to keep him in any one place, desire, or compulsion?
403.6
Hermogenes. Desire, Socrates, is much stronger.
403.7
Socrates. Then do you not believe there would be many fugitives from Hades, if he did not bind with the strongest bond those who go to him there?
403.8
Hermogenes. Of course there would.
403.9
Socrates. Apparently, then, if he binds them with the strongest bond, he binds them by some kind of desire, not by compulsion.
403.10
Hermogenes. Yes, that is plain.
403.11
Socrates. There are many desires, are there not?
403.12
Hermogenes. Yes.
403.13
Socrates. Then he binds with the desire which is the strongest of all, if he is to restrain them with the strongest bond.
403.14
Hermogenes. Yes.
403.15
Socrates. And is there any desire stronger than the thought of being made a better man by association with some one?
403.16
Hermogenes. No, by Zeus, Socrates, there certainly is not.
403.17
Socrates. Then, Hermogenes, we must believe that this is the reason why no one has been willing to come away from that other world, not even the Sirens, but they and all others have been overcome by his enchantments, so beautiful, as it appears, are the words which Hades has the power to speak; and from this point of view this god is a perfect sophist and a great benefactor of those in his realm, he who also bestows such great blessings upon us who are on earth; such abundance surrounds him there below, and for this reason he is called Pluto.
404.1
Socrates. Then, too, he refuses to consort with men while they have bodies, but only accepts their society when the soul is pure of all the evils and desires of the body. Do you not think this shows him to be a philosopher and to understand perfectly that under these conditions he could restrain them by binding them with the desire of virtue, but that so long as they are infected with the unrest and madness of the body, not even his father Cronus could hold them to himself, though he bound them with his famous chains?
404.2
Hermogenes. There seems to be something in that, Socrates.
404.3
Socrates. And the name Hades is not in the least derived from the invisible (ἀειδές), but far more probably from knowing (εἰδέναι) all noble things, and for that reason he was called Hades by the lawgiver.
404.4
Hermogenes. Very well; what shall we say of Demeter, Hera, Apollo, Athena, Hephaestus, Ares, and the other gods
404.5
Socrates. Demeter appears to have been called Demeter, because like a mother (μήτηρ) she gives the gift of food, and Hera is a lovely one (ἐρατή), as indeed, Zeus is said to have married her for love. But perhaps the lawgiver had natural phenomena in mind, and called her Hera (Ἥρα) as a disguise for ἀήρ (air), putting the beginning at the end. You would understand, if you were to repeat the name Hera over and over. And Pherephatta!—How many people fear this name, and also Apollo! I imagine it is because they do not know about correctness of names. You see they change the name to Phersephone and its aspect frightens them. But really the name indicates that the goddess is wise; for since things are in motion (φερόμενα), that which grasps (ἐφαπτόμενον) and touches (ἐπαφῶν) and is able to follow them is wisdom. Pherepapha, or something of that sort, would therefore be the correct name of the goddess, because she is wise and touches that which is in motion (ἐπαφὴ τοῦ φερομένου)—and this is the reason why Hades, who is wise, consorts with her, because she is wise—but people have altered her name, attaching more importance to euphony than to truth, and they call her Pherephatta. Likewise in the case of Apollo, as I say, many people are afraid because of the name of the god, thinking that it has some terrible meaning. Have you not noticed that?
404.6
Hermogenes. Certainly; what you say is true.
404.7
Socrates. But really the name is admirably appropriate to the power of the god.
404.8
Hermogenes. How is that?
405.1
Socrates. I will try to tell you what I think about it; for no single name could more aptly indicate the four functions of the god, touching upon them all and in a manner declaring his power in music, prophecy, medicine, and archery.
405.2
Hermogenes. Go on; you seem to imply that it is a remarkable name.
405.3
Socrates. His name and nature are in harmony; you see he is a musical god. For in the first place, purification and purgations used in medicine and in soothsaying, and fumigations with medicinal and magic drugs, and the baths and sprinklings connected with that sort of thing all have the single function of making a man pure in body and soul, do they not?
405.4
Hermogenes. Certainly.
405.5
Socrates. But this is the god who purifies and washes away (ἀπαλοούων) and delivers (ἀπολύων) from such evils, is he not?
405.6
Hermogenes. Certainly.
405.7
Socrates. With reference, then, to his acts of delivering and his washings, as being the physician of such diseases, he might properly be called Apoluon (ἀπαλούων, the washer), and with reference to soothsaying and truth and simplicity—for the two are identical—he might most properly be called by the name the Thessalians use; for all Thessalians call the god Aplun. And because he is always by his archery controller of darts (βολῶν) he is ever darting (ἀεὶ βάλλων). And with reference to music we have to understand that alpha often signifies together, and here it denotes moving together in the heavens about the poles, as we call them, and harmony in song, which is called concord; for, as the ingenious musicians and astronomers tell us, all these things move together by a kind of harmony. And this god directs the harmony, making them all move together, among both gods and men; and so, just as we call the ὁμοκέλευθον (him who accompanies), and ὁμόκοιτιν (bedfellow), by changing the ὁμο to alpha, ἀκόλουθον and ἄκοιτιν, so also we called him Apollo who was Homopolo, and the second lambda was inserted, because without it the name sounded of disaster (ἀπολῶ, ἀπόλωλα, etc.).
406.1
Socrates. Even as it is, some have a suspicion of this, because they do not properly regard the force of the name, and therefore they fear it, thinking that it denotes some kind of ruin. But in fact, as was said, the name touches upon all the qualities of the god, as simple, ever-darting, purifying, and accompanying. The Muses and music in general are named, apparently, from μῶσθαι, searching, and philosophy; and Leto from her gentleness, because whatever is asked of her, she is willing (ἐθελήμων). But perhaps her name is Letho, as she is called by many foreigners; and those who call her by that name seem to do so on account of the mild and gentle (λεῖον, Ληθώ) kindness of her character. Artemis appears to get her name from her healthy (ἀρτεμές) and well-ordered nature, and her love of virginity; or perhaps he who named her meant that she is learned in virtue (ἀρετή), or possibly, too, that she hates sexual intercourse (ἄροτον μισεῖ) of man and woman; or he who gave the goddess her name may have given it for any or all of these reasons.
406.2
Hermogenes. What of Dionysus and Aphrodite?
406.3
Socrates. You ask great things of me, son of Hipponicus. You see there is both a serious and a facetious account of the form of the name of these deities. You will have to ask others for the serious one; but there is nothing to hinder my giving you the facetious account, for the gods also have a sense of humor. Dionysus, the giver (διδούς) of wine (οἶνος), might be called in jest Didoinysus, and wine, because it makes most drinkers think (οἴεσθαι) they have wit (νοῦς) when they have not, might very justly be called Oeonus (οἰόνους). As for Aphrodite, we need not oppose Hesiod; we can accept his derivation of the name from her birth out of the foam (ἀφροῦ).
406.4
Hermogenes. But surely you, as an Athenian, will not forget Athena, nor Hephaestus and Ares.
406.5
Socrates. That is not likely.
406.6
Hermogenes. No.
406.7
Socrates. It is easy to tell the reason of one of her two names.
406.8
Hermogenes. What name?
406.9
Socrates. We call her Pallas, you know.
406.10
Hermogenes. Yes, of course.
406.11
Socrates. Those of us are right, I fancy, who think this name is derived from armed dances, for lifting oneself or anything else from the ground or in the hands is called shaking (πάλλειν) and being shaken, or dancing and being danced.
407.1
Hermogenes. Yes, certainly.
407.2
Socrates. So that is the reason she is called Pallas.
407.3
Hermogenes. And rightly called so. But what can you say of her other name?
407.4
Socrates. You mean Athena?
407.5
Hermogenes. Yes.
407.6
Socrates. That is a weightier matter, my friend. The ancients seem to have had the same belief about Athena as the interpreters of Homer have now; for most of these, in commenting on the poet, say that he represents Athena as mind (νοῦς) and intellect (διάνοια); and the maker of her name seems to have had a similar conception of her, but he gives her the still grander title of mind of God ἡ θεοῦ νόησις, seeming to say that she is a ἁ θεονόα; here he used the alpha in foreign fashion instead of eta, and dropped out the iota and sigma. But perhaps that was not his reason; he may have called her Theonoe because she has unequalled knowledge of divine things (τὰ θεῖα νοοῦσα). Perhaps, too, he may have wished to identify the goddess with wisdom of character (ἐν ἤθει νόησις) by calling her Ethonoe; and then he himself or others afterwards improved the name, as they thought, and called her Athenaa.
407.7
Hermogenes. And how do you explain Hephaestus?
407.8
Socrates. You ask about the noble master of light?
407.9
Hermogenes. To be sure.
407.10
Socrates. Hephaestus is Phaestus, with the eta added by attraction; anyone could see that, I should think.
407.11
Hermogenes. Very likely, unless some other explanation occurs to you, as it probably will.
407.12
Socrates. To prevent that, ask about Ares.
407.13
Hermogenes. I do ask.
407.14
Socrates. Ares, then, if you like, would be named for his virility and courage, or for his hard and unbending nature, which is called ἄρρατον; so Ares would be in every way a fitting name for the god of war.
407.15
Hermogenes. Certainly.
407.16
Socrates. For God’s sake, let us leave the gods, as I am afraid to talk about them; but ask me about any others you please, that you may see what Euthyphro’s horses are.
407.17
Hermogenes. I will do so, but first one more god. I want to ask you about Hermes, since Cratylus says I am not Hermogenes (son of Hermes). Let us investigate the name of Hermes, to find out whether there is anything in what he says.
408.1
Socrates. Well then, this name Hermes seems to me to have to do with speech; he is an interpreter (ἡρμηνεύς) and a messenger, is wily and deceptive in speech, and is oratorical. All this activity is concerned with the power of speech. Now, as I said before, εἴρειν denotes the use of speech; moreover, Homer often uses the word ἐμήσατο, which means contrive. From these two words, then, the lawgiver imposes upon us the name of this god who contrived speech and the use of speech—εἴρεινmeans speak— and tells us: Ye human beings, he who contrived speech (εἴρειν ἐμήσατο) ought to be called Eiremes by you. We, however, have beautified the name, as we imagine, and call him Hermes. Iris also seems to have got her name from εἴρειν, because she is a messenger.
408.2
Hermogenes. By Zeus, I believe Cratylus was right in saying I was not Hermogenes; I certainly am no good contriver of speech.
408.3
Socrates. And it is reasonable, my friend, that Pan is the double-natured son of Hermes.
408.4
Hermogenes. How is that?
408.5
Socrates. You know that speech makes all things (πᾶν) known and always makes them circulate and move about, and is twofold, true and false.
408.6
Hermogenes. Certainly.
408.7
Socrates. Well, the true part is smooth and divine and dwells aloft among the gods, but falsehood dwells below among common men, is rough and like the tragic goat; for tales and falsehoods are most at home there, in the tragic life.
408.8
Hermogenes. Certainly.
408.9
Socrates. Then Pan, who declares and always moves (ἀεὶ πολῶν) all, is rightly called goat-herd (αἰπόλος), being the double-natured son of Hermes, smooth in his upper parts, rough and goat-like in his lower parts. And Pan, if he is the son of Hermes, is either speech or the brother of speech, and that brother resembles brother is not at all surprising. But, as I said, my friend, let us get away from the gods.
408.10
Hermogenes. From such gods as those, if you like, Socrates; but why should you not tell of another kind of gods, such as sun, moon, stars, earth, ether, air, fire, water, the seasons, and the year?
408.11
Socrates. You are imposing a good many tasks upon me; however, if it will give you pleasure, I am willing.
408.12
Hermogenes. It will give me pleasure.
408.13
Socrates. What, then, do you wish first? Shall we discuss the sun (Ἥλιος), as you mentioned it first?
408.14
Hermogenes. By all means.
409.1
Socrates. I think it would be clearer if we were to use the Doric form of the name. The Dorians call it Ἅλιος. Now ἅλιος might be derived from collecting (ἁλίζειν) men when he rises, or because he always turns (ἀεὶ εἱλεῖν) about the earth in his course, or because he variegates the products of the earth, for variegate is identical with αἰολλεῖν.
409.2
Hermogenes. And what of the moon, Selene?
409.3
Socrates. That name appears to put Anaxagoras in an uncomfortable position.
409.4
Hermogenes. How so?
409.5
Socrates. Why, it seems to have anticipated by many years the recent doctrine of Anaxagoras, that the moon receives its light from the sun.
409.6
Hermogenes. How is that?
409.7
Socrates. Σέλας (gleam) and φῶς (light) are the same thing.
409.8
Hermogenes. Yes.
409.9
Socrates. Now the light is always new and old about the moon, if the Anaxagoreans are right; for they say the sun, in its continuous course about the moon, always sheds new light upon it, and the light of the previous month persists.
409.10
Hermogenes. Certainly.
409.11
Socrates. The moon is often called Σελαναία.
409.12
Hermogenes. Certainly.

Perseus Greek. CTS URN tlg0059.tlg005.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.