360　BC
  PHAEDRUS
  by　Plato
  translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
  PHAEDRUS
  PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　SOCRATES；　PHAEDRUS。　Scene：　Under　a
  plane…tree；　by　the　banks　of　the　Ilissus。
  Socrates。　My　dear　Phaedrus；　whence　come　you；　and　whither　are　you
  going？
  Phaedrus。　I　come　from　Lysias　the　son　of　Cephalus；　and　I　am　going
  to　take　a　walk　outside　the　wall；　for　I　have　been　sitting　with　him
  the　whole　morning；　and　our　common　friend　Acumenus　tells　me　that　it
  is　much　more　refreshing　to　walk　in　the　open　air　than　to　be　shut　up
  in　a　cloister。
  Soc。　There　he　is　right。　Lysias　then；　I　suppose；　was　in　the　town？
  Phaedr。　Yes；　he　was　staying　with　Epicrates；　here　at　the　house　of
  Morychus；　that　house　which　is　near　the　temple　of　Olympian　Zeus。
  Soc。　And　how　did　he　entertain　you？　Can　I　be　wrong　in　supposing
  that　Lysias　gave　you　a　feast　of　discourse？
  Phaedr。　You　shall　hear；　if　you　can　spare　time　to　accompany　me。
  Soc。　And　should　I　not　deem　the　conversation　of　you　and　Lysias　〃a
  thing　of　higher　import；〃　as　I　may　say　in　the　words　of　Pindar；　〃than
  any　business〃？
  Phaedr。　Will　you　go　on？
  Soc。　And　will　you　go　on　with　the　narration？
  Phaedr。　My　tale；　Socrates；　is　one　of　your　sort；　for　love　was　the
  theme　which　occupied　us　…love　after　a　fashion：　Lysias　has　been　writing
  about　a　fair　youth　who　was　being　tempted；　but　not　by　a　lover；　and　this
  was　the　point：　he　ingeniously　proved　that　the　non…lover　should　be
  accepted　rather　than　the　lover。
  Soc。　O　that　is　noble　of　him！　I　wish　that　he　would　say　the　poor　man
  rather　than　the　rich；　and　the　old　man　rather　than　the　young　one；
  then　he　would　meet　the　case　of　me　and　of　many　a　man；　his　words　would
  be　quite　refreshing；　and　he　would　be　a　public　benefactor。　For　my　part；
  I　do　so　long　to　hear　his　speech；　that　if　you　walk　all　the　way　to
  Megara；　and　when　you　have　reached　the　wall　come　back；　as　Herodicus
  recommends；　without　going　in；　I　will　keep　you　company。
  Phaedr。　What　do　you　mean；　my　good　Socrates？　How　can　you　imagine　that
  my　unpractised　memory　can　do　justice　to　an　elaborate　work；　which　the
  greatest　rhetorician　of　the　age　spent　a　long　time　in　composing。
  Indeed；　I　cannot；　I　would　give　a　great　deal　if　I　could。
  Soc。　I　believe　that　I　know　Phaedrus　about　as　well　as　I　know
  myself；　and　I　am　very　sure　that　the　speech　of　Lysias　was　repeated　to
  him；　not　once　only；　but　again　and　again；…he　insisted　on　hearing　it
  many　times　over　and　Lysias　was　very　willing　to　gratify　him；　at　last；
  when　nothing　else　would　do；　he　got　hold　of　the　book；　and　looked　at
  what　he　most　wanted　to　see；…this　occupied　him　during　the　whole
  morning；　…and　then　when　he　was　tired　with　sitting；　he　went　out　to　take
  a　walk；　not　until；　by　the　dog；　as　I　believe；　he　had　simply　learned
  by　heart　the　entire　discourse；　unless　it　was　unusually　long；　and　he
  went　to　a　place　outside　the　wall　that　he　might　practise　his　lesson。
  There　he　saw　a　certain　lover　of　discourse　who　had　a　similar
  weakness；…he　saw　and　rejoiced；　now　thought　he；　〃I　shall　have　a　partner
  in　my　revels。〃　And　he　invited　him　to　come　and　walk　with　him。　But
  when　the　lover　of　discourse　begged　that　he　would　repeat　the　tale；　he
  gave　himself　airs　and　said；　〃No　I　cannot；〃　as　if　he　were　indisposed；
  although；　if　the　hearer　had　refused；　he　would　sooner　or　later　have
  been　compelled　by　him　to　listen　whether　he　would　or　no。　Therefore；
  Phaedrus；　bid　him　do　at　once　what　he　will　soon　do　whether　bidden　or
  not。
  Phaedr。　I　see　that　you　will　not　let　me　off　until　I　speak　in　some
  fashion　or　other；　verily　therefore　my　best　plan　is　to　speak　as　I
  best　can。
  Soc。　A　very　true　remark；　that　of　yours。
  Phaedr。　I　will　do　as　I　say；　but　believe　me；　Socrates；　I　did　not
  learn　the　very　words…O　no；　nevertheless　I　have　a　general　notion　of
  what　he　said；　and　will　give　you　a　summary　of　the　points　in　which　the
  lover　differed　from　the　non…lover。　Let　me　begin　at　the　beginning。
  Soc。　Yes；　my　sweet　one；　but　you　must　first　of　all　show　what　you　have
  in　your　left　hand　under　your　cloak；　for　that　roll；　as　I　suspect；　is
  the　actual　discourse。　Now；　much　as　I　love　you；　I　would　not　have　you
  suppose　that　I　am　going　to　have　your　memory　exercised　at　my　expense；
  if　you　have　Lysias　himself　here。
  Phaedr。　Enough；　I　see　that　I　have　no　hope　of　practising　my　art
  upon　you。　But　if　I　am　to　read；　where　would　you　please　to　sit？
  Soc。　Let　us　turn　aside　and　go　by　the　Ilissus；　we　will　sit　down　at
  some　quiet　spot。
  Phaedr。　I　am　fortunate　in　not　having　my　sandals；　and　as　you　never
  have　any；　I　think　that　we　may　go　along　the　brook　and　cool　our　feet
  in　the　water；　this　will　be　the　easiest　way；　and　at　midday　and　in　the
  summer　is　far　from　being　unpleasant。
  Soc。　Lead　on；　and　look　out　for　a　place　in　which　we　can　sit　down。
  Phaedr。　Do　you　see　the　tallest　plane…tree　in　the　distance？
  Soc。　Yes。
  Phaedr。　There　are　shade　and　gentle　breezes；　and　grass　on　which　we
  may　either　sit　or　lie　down。
  Soc。　Move　forward。
  Phaedr。　I　should　like　to　know；　Socrates；　whether　the　place　is　not
  somewhere　here　at　which　Boreas　is　said　to　have　carried　off　Orithyia
  from　the　banks　of　the　Ilissus？
  Soc。　Such　is　the　tradition。
  Phaedr。　And　is　this　the　exact　spot？　The　little　stream　is
  delightfully　clear　and　bright；　I　can　fancy　that　there　might　be　maidens
  playing　near。
  Soc。　I　believe　that　the　spot　is　not　exactly　here；　but　about　a
  quarter　of　a　mile　lower　down；　where　you　cross　to　the　temple　of
  Artemis；　and　there　is；　I　think；　some　sort　of　an　altar　of　Boreas　at　the
  place。
  Phaedr。　I　have　never　noticed　it；　but　I　beseech　you　to　tell　me；
  Socrates；　do　you　believe　this　tale？
  Soc。　The　wise　are　doubtful；　and　I　should　not　be　singular　if；　like
  them；　I　too　doubted。　I　might　have　a　rational　explanation　that　Orithyia
  was　playing　with　Pharmacia；　when　a　northern　gust　carried　her　over
  the　neighbouring　rocks；　and　this　being　the　manner　of　her　death；　she
  was　said　to　have　been　carried　away　by　Boreas。　There　is　a
  discrepancy；　however；　about　the　locality；　according　to　another　version
  of　the　story　she　was　taken　from　Areopagus；　and　not　from　this　place。
  Now　I　quite　acknowledge　that　these　allegories　are　very　nice；　but　he　is
  not　to　be　envied　who　has　to　invent　them；　much　labour　and　ingenuity
  will　be　required　of　him；　and　when　he　has　once　begun；　he　must　go　on　and
  rehabilitate　Hippocentaurs　and　chimeras　dire。　Gorgons　and　winged
  steeds　flow　in　apace；　and　numberless　other　inconceivable　and
  portentous　natures。　And　if　he　is　sceptical　about　them；　and　would
  fain　reduce　them　one　after　another　to　the　rules　of　probability；　this
  sort　of　crude　philosophy　will　take　up　a　great　deal　of　time。　Now　I　have
  no　leisure　for　such　enquiries；　shall　I　tell　you　why？　I　must　first　know
  myself；　as　the　Delphian　inscription　says；　to　be　curious　about　that
  which　is　not　my　concern；　while　I　am　still　in　ignorance　of　my　own　self；
  would　be　ridiculous。　And　therefore　I　bid　farewell　to　all　this；　the
  common　opinion　is　enough　for　me。　For；　as　I　was　saying；　I　want　to
  know　not　about　this；　but　about　myself：　am　I　a　monster　more　complicated
  and　swollen　with　passion　than　the　serpent　Typho；　or　a　creature　of　a
  gentler　and　simpler　sort；　to　whom　Nature　has　given　a　diviner　and
  lowlier　destiny？　But　let　me　ask　you；　friend：　have　we　not　reached　the
  plane…tree　to　which　you　were　conducting　us？
  Phaedr。　Yes；　this　is　the　tree。
  Soc。　By　Here；　a　fair　resting…place；　full　of　summer　sounds　and
  scents。　Here　is　this　lofty　and　spreading　plane…tree；　and　the　agnus
  cast　us　high　and　clustering；　in　the　fullest　blossom　and　the　greatest
  fragrance；　and　the　stream　which　flows　beneath　the　plane…tree　is
  deliciously　cold　to　the　feet。　Judging　from　the　ornaments　and　images；
  this　must　be　a　spot　sacred　to　Achelous　and　the　Nymphs。　How
  delightful　is　the　breeze：…so　very　sweet；　and　there　is　a　sound　in　the
  air　shrill　and　summerlike　which　makes　answer　to　the　chorus　of　the
  cicadae。　But　the　greatest　charm　of　all　is　the　grass；　like　a　pillow
  gently　sloping　to　the　head。　My　dear　Phaedrus；　you　have　been　an
  admirable　guide。
  Phaedr。　What　an　incomprehensible　being　you　are；　Socrates：　when　you
  are　in　the　country；　as　you　say；　you　really　are　like　some　stranger
  who　is　led　about　by　a　guide。　Do　you　ever　cross　the　border？　I　rather
  think　that　you　never　venture　even　outside　the　gates。
  Soc。　Very　true；　my　good　friend；　and　I　hope　that　you　will　excuse