The Symposium [12]
steps in attendance lovingly hand in hand at every season of the life of man." So Walt Whitman, passim.
Or again, if it be sweet to win from willing hearts the things we seek for, I am persuaded that, by the eloquence of silence, I could win a kiss from yonder girl or boy more speedily than ever you could, O sage! by help of half a hundred subtle arguments.
Eh, bless my ears, what's that? (Socrates broke in upon this final flourish of the speaker). So beautiful you claim to rival me, you boaster?
Crit. Why, yes indeed, I hope so, or else I should be uglier than all the Silenuses in the Satyric drama.[33]
[33] The MSS. add ["to whom, be it noted, Socrates indeed bore a marked resemblance"]. Obviously a gloss. Cf. Aristoph. "Clouds," 224; Plat. "Symp." 215 B.
Good! (Socrates rejoined); the moment the programme of discussion is concluded,[34] please remember, we must obtain a verdict on the point of beauty. Judgment shall be given--not at the bar of Alexander, son of Priam--but of these[35] who, as you flatter yourself, have such a hankering to kiss you.
[34] Lit. "the arguments proposed have gone the round."
[35] i.e. "the boy and girl." Al. "the present company, who are so eager to bestow on you their kisses."
Oh, Socrates (he answered, deprecatingly), will you not leave it to the arbitrament of Cleinias?
Then Socrates: Will you never tire of repeating that one name? It is Cleinias here, there, and everywhere with you.
Crit. And if his name died on my lips, think you my mind would less recall his memory? Know you not, I bear so clear an image of him in my soul, that had I the sculptor's or the limner's skill, I might portray his features as exactly from this image of the mind as from contemplation of his actual self.
But Socrates broke in: Pray, why then, if you bear about this lively image, why do you give me so much trouble, dragging me to this and that place, where you hope to see him?
Crit. For this good reason, Socrates, the sight of him inspires gladness, whilst his phantom brings not joy so much as it engenders longing.
At this point Hermogenes protested: I find it most unlike you, Socrates, to treat thus negligently one so passion-crazed as Critobulus.
Socrates replied: Do you suppose the sad condition of the patient dates from the moment only of our intimacy?
Herm. Since when, then?
Soc. Since when? Why, look at him: the down begins to mantle on his cheeks,[36] and on the nape[37] of Cleinias' neck already mounts. The fact is, when they fared to the same school together, he caught the fever. This his father was aware of, and consigned him to me, hoping I might be able to do something for him. Ay, and his plight is not so sorry now. Once he would stand agape at him like one whose gaze is fixed upon the Gorgons,[38] his eyes one stony stare, and like a stone himself turn heavily away. But nowadays I have seen the statue actually blink.[39] And yet, may Heaven help me! my good sirs, I think, between ourselves, the culprit must have bestowed a kiss on Cleinias, than which love's flame asks no fiercer fuel.[40] So insatiable a thing it is and so suggestive of mad fantasy. [And for this reason held perhaps in higher honour, because of all external acts the close of lip with lip bears the same name as that of soul with soul in love.][41] Wherefore, say I, let every one who wishes to be master of himself and sound of soul abstain from kisses imprinted on fair lips.[42]
[36] Lit. "creeping down beside his ears." Cf. "Od." xi. 319:
{prin sphoin upo krotaphoisin ioulous anthesai pukasai te genus euanthei lakhne.}
"(Zeus destroyed the twain) ere the curls had bloomed beneath their temples, and darked their chins with the blossom of youth." --Butcher and Lang. Cf. Theocr. xv. 85: {praton ioulon apo krotaphon kataballon}, "with the first down upon his cheeks" (Lang); Aesch. "Theb." 534.
[37] {pros to opisthen}, perhaps = "ad posteriorem capitis partem," which would be more applicable to Critobulus, whose whiskers were just beginning
Or again, if it be sweet to win from willing hearts the things we seek for, I am persuaded that, by the eloquence of silence, I could win a kiss from yonder girl or boy more speedily than ever you could, O sage! by help of half a hundred subtle arguments.
Eh, bless my ears, what's that? (Socrates broke in upon this final flourish of the speaker). So beautiful you claim to rival me, you boaster?
Crit. Why, yes indeed, I hope so, or else I should be uglier than all the Silenuses in the Satyric drama.[33]
[33] The MSS. add ["to whom, be it noted, Socrates indeed bore a marked resemblance"]. Obviously a gloss. Cf. Aristoph. "Clouds," 224; Plat. "Symp." 215 B.
Good! (Socrates rejoined); the moment the programme of discussion is concluded,[34] please remember, we must obtain a verdict on the point of beauty. Judgment shall be given--not at the bar of Alexander, son of Priam--but of these[35] who, as you flatter yourself, have such a hankering to kiss you.
[34] Lit. "the arguments proposed have gone the round."
[35] i.e. "the boy and girl." Al. "the present company, who are so eager to bestow on you their kisses."
Oh, Socrates (he answered, deprecatingly), will you not leave it to the arbitrament of Cleinias?
Then Socrates: Will you never tire of repeating that one name? It is Cleinias here, there, and everywhere with you.
Crit. And if his name died on my lips, think you my mind would less recall his memory? Know you not, I bear so clear an image of him in my soul, that had I the sculptor's or the limner's skill, I might portray his features as exactly from this image of the mind as from contemplation of his actual self.
But Socrates broke in: Pray, why then, if you bear about this lively image, why do you give me so much trouble, dragging me to this and that place, where you hope to see him?
Crit. For this good reason, Socrates, the sight of him inspires gladness, whilst his phantom brings not joy so much as it engenders longing.
At this point Hermogenes protested: I find it most unlike you, Socrates, to treat thus negligently one so passion-crazed as Critobulus.
Socrates replied: Do you suppose the sad condition of the patient dates from the moment only of our intimacy?
Herm. Since when, then?
Soc. Since when? Why, look at him: the down begins to mantle on his cheeks,[36] and on the nape[37] of Cleinias' neck already mounts. The fact is, when they fared to the same school together, he caught the fever. This his father was aware of, and consigned him to me, hoping I might be able to do something for him. Ay, and his plight is not so sorry now. Once he would stand agape at him like one whose gaze is fixed upon the Gorgons,[38] his eyes one stony stare, and like a stone himself turn heavily away. But nowadays I have seen the statue actually blink.[39] And yet, may Heaven help me! my good sirs, I think, between ourselves, the culprit must have bestowed a kiss on Cleinias, than which love's flame asks no fiercer fuel.[40] So insatiable a thing it is and so suggestive of mad fantasy. [And for this reason held perhaps in higher honour, because of all external acts the close of lip with lip bears the same name as that of soul with soul in love.][41] Wherefore, say I, let every one who wishes to be master of himself and sound of soul abstain from kisses imprinted on fair lips.[42]
[36] Lit. "creeping down beside his ears." Cf. "Od." xi. 319:
{prin sphoin upo krotaphoisin ioulous anthesai pukasai te genus euanthei lakhne.}
"(Zeus destroyed the twain) ere the curls had bloomed beneath their temples, and darked their chins with the blossom of youth." --Butcher and Lang. Cf. Theocr. xv. 85: {praton ioulon apo krotaphon kataballon}, "with the first down upon his cheeks" (Lang); Aesch. "Theb." 534.
[37] {pros to opisthen}, perhaps = "ad posteriorem capitis partem," which would be more applicable to Critobulus, whose whiskers were just beginning