Great Dialogues of Plato

Great Dialogues of PLATO
INTRODUCTORY NOTEThis is a dialogue between Socrates and the rhapsode or reciter, Ion of Ephesus, who declares himself unequalled as a reciter and exponent of Homer. The rhapsodes ( song-stitchers ) were men who made a living by giving public recitations from the great epic poets, chiefly Homer. The most successful held large audiences spellbound and moved them to amazement, laughter or tears. They also lectured or taught.Socrates suggests to Ion that his skill as a reciter and his hold on his audiences are due to divine inspiration passed down to him through the poet, and shows up as absurd the claims of the reciters to teach practical rules of conduct from Homer.The dialogue foreshadows the views on art as a whole which are explained in the Republic (see pp. 481 482).SOCRATES: Good morning, Ion. Where have you now come from in your travels? From home, from Ephesus?ION: Oh no, Socrates, from Epidauros; I have been at the feast of Asclepios.SOCRATES:Do the Epidaurians hold a contest of reciters of poetry in honour of the god?ION: Yes, of course, and in other fine arts also.SOCRATES: Well! and did you compete, please? And how did your contest go?ION: First prize is what I won, Socrates.SOCRATES: Well done! Now then, we must win the Panathenaia too!ION: So we will, please God.SOCRATES: I have often envied you reciters that art of yours, Ion. You have to dress in all sorts of finery, and make yourselves as grand as you can, to live up to your art! And you are, at the same time, bound to spend your time on no end of good poets, especially Homer, the best and most divine of all poets; you have to learn his meaning thoroughly, not only his verses, another enviable thing. For no one could be a good reciter unless he understood what the poet says. Yes, the reciter must be the interpreter of the poet s mind to the audience; and to do this, if he does not understand what the poet says, is impossible. So all that very properly makes one envy.ION: Very