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sensible non…lover； and that in making such a choice he was giving
himself up to a faithless； morose； envious； disagreeable being；
hurtful to his estate； hurtful to his bodily health； and still more
hurtful to the cultivation of his mind； than which there neither is
nor ever will be anything more honoured in the eyes both of gods and
men。 Consider this； fair youth； and know that in the friendship of the
lover there is no real kindness； he has an appetite and wants to
feed upon you：
As wolves love lambs so lovers love their loves。
But I told you so； I am speaking in verse； and therefore I had
better make an end； enough。
Phaedr。 I thought that you were only halfway and were going to
make a similar speech about all the advantages of accepting the
non…lover。 Why do you not proceed？
Soc。 Does not your simplicity observe that I have got out of
dithyrambics into heroics； when only uttering a censure on the
lover？ And if I am to add the praises of the non…lover； what will
become of me？ Do you not perceive that I am already overtaken by the
Nymphs to whom you have mischievously exposed me？ And therefore will
only add that the non…lover has all the advantages in which the
lover is accused of being deficient。 And now I will say no more； there
has been enough of both of them。 Leaving the tale to its fate； I
will cross the river and make the best of my way home； lest a worse
thing be inflicted upon me by you。
Phaedr。 Not yet； Socrates； not until the heat of the day has passed；
do you not see that the hour is almost noon？ there is the midday sun
standing still； as people say； in the meridian。 Let us rather stay and
talk over what has been said； and then return in the cool。
Soc。 Your love of discourse； Phaedrus； is superhuman； simply
marvellous； and I do not believe that there is any one of your
contemporaries who has either made or in one way or another has
compelled others to make an equal number of speeches。 I would except
Simmias the Theban； but all the rest are far behind you。 And now； I do
verily believe that you have been the cause of another。
Phaedr。 That is good news。 But what do you mean？
Soc。 I mean to say that as I was about to cross the stream the usual
sign was given to me；…that sign which always forbids； but never
bids； me to do anything which I am going to do； and I thought that I
heard a voice saying in my car that I had been guilty of impiety； and。
that I must not go away until I had made an atonement。 Now I am a
diviner； though not a very good one； but I have enough religion for my
own use； as you might say of a bad writer…his writing is good enough
for him； and I am beginning to see that I was in error。 O my friend；
how prophetic is the human soul！ At the time I had a sort of
misgiving； and； like Ibycus； 〃I was troubled； I feared that I might be
buying honour from men at the price of sinning against the gods。〃
Now I recognize my error。
Phaedr。 What error？
Soc。 That was a dreadful speech which you brought with you； and
you made me utter one as bad。
Phaedr。 How so？
Soc。 It was foolish； I say；…to a certain extent； impious； can
anything be more dreadful？
Phaedr。 Nothing； if the speech was really such as you describe。
Soc。 Well； and is not Eros the son of Aphrodite； and a god？
Phaedr。 So men say。
Soc。 But that was not acknowledged by Lysias in his speech； nor by
you in that other speech which you by a charm drew from my lips。 For
if love be； as he surely is； a divinity； he cannot be evil。 Yet this
was the error of both the speeches。 There was also a simplicity
about them which was refreshing； having no truth or honesty in them；
nevertheless they pretended to be something； hoping to succeed in
deceiving the manikins of earth and gain celebrity among them。
Wherefore I must have a purgation。 And I bethink me of an ancient
purgation of mythological error which was devised； not by Homer； for
he never had the wit to discover why he was blind； but by Stesichorus；
who was a philosopher and knew the reason why； and therefore； when
he lost his eyes； for that was the penalty which was inflicted upon
him for reviling the lovely Helen； he at once purged himself。 And
the purgation was a recantation； which began thus；…
False is that word of mine…the truth is that thou didst not embark
in ships； nor ever go to the walls of Troy；
and when he had completed his poem； which is called 〃the recantation；〃
immediately his sight returned to him。 Now I will be wiser than either
Stesichorus or Homer； in that I am going to make my recantation for
reviling love before I suffer； and this I will attempt； not as before；
veiled and ashamed； but with forehead bold and bare。
Phaedr。 Nothing could be more agreeable to me than to hear you say
so。
Soc。 Only think； my good Phaedrus； what an utter want of delicacy
was shown in the two discourses； I mean； in my own and in that which
you recited out of the book。 Would not any one who was himself of a
noble and gentle nature； and who loved or ever had loved a nature like
his own； when we tell of the petty causes of lovers' jealousies； and
of their exceeding animosities； and of the injuries which they do to
their beloved； have imagined that our ideas of love were taken from
some haunt of sailors to which good manners were unknown…he would
certainly never have admitted the justice of our censure？
Phaedr。 I dare say not； Socrates。
Soc。 Therefore； because I blush at the thought of this person； and
also because I am afraid of Love himself； I desire to wash the brine
out of my ears with water from the spring； and I would counsel
Lysias not to delay； but to write another discourse； which shall prove
that ceteris paribus the lover ought to be accepted rather than the
non…lover。
Phaedr。 Be assured that he shall。 You shall speak the praises of the
lover； and Lysias shall be compelled by me to write another
discourse on the same theme。
Soc。 You will be true to your nature in that； and therefore I
believe you。
Phaedr。 Speak； and fear not。
Soc。 But where is the fair youth whom I was addressing before； and
who ought to listen now； lest； if he hear me not； he should accept a
non…lover before he knows what he is doing？
Phaedr。 He is close at hand； and always at your service。
Soc。 Know then； fair youth； that the former discourse was the word
of Phaedrus； the son of Vain Man； who dwells in the city of Myrrhina
（Myrrhinusius）。 And this which I am about to utter is the
recantation of Stesichorus the son of Godly Man （Euphemus）； who
comes from the town of Desire （Himera）； and is to the following
effect： 〃I told a lie when I said〃 that the beloved ought to accept
the non…lover when he might have the lover； because the one is sane；
and the other mad。 It might be so if madness were simply an evil；
but there is also a madness which is a divine gift； and the source
of the chiefest blessings granted to men。 For prophecy is a madness；
and the prophetess at Delphi and the priestesses at Dodona when out of
their senses have conferred great benefits on Hellas； both in public
and private life； but when in their senses few or none。 And I might
also tell you how the Sibyl and other inspired persons have given to
many an one many an intimation of the future which has saved them from
falling。 But it would be tedious to speak of what every one knows。
There will be more reason in appealing to the ancient inventors of
names； who would never have connected prophecy （mantike） which
foretells the future and is the noblest of arts； with madness
（manike）； or called them both by the same name； if they had deemed
madness to be a disgrace or dishonour；…they must have thought that
there was an inspired madness which was a noble thing； for the two
words； mantike and manike； are really the same； and the letter t is
only a modern and tasteless insertion。 And this is confirmed by the
name which was given by them to the rational investigation of
futurity； whether made by the help of birds or of other signs…this；
for as much as it is an art which supplies from the reasoning
faculty mind （nous） and information （istoria） to human thought
（oiesis） they originally termed oionoistike； but the word has been
lately altered and made sonorous by the modern introduction of the
letter Omega （oionoistike and oionistike）； and in proportion
prophecy （mantike） is more pe