DOCSLIB.ORG

The Image of Achilles in Plato's Symposium

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Image of Achilles in Plato's Symposium The Image of Achilles in Plato’s Symposium Elizabeth Belfiore 1 Introduction: Images for Socrates Alcibiades begins his speech in Plato’s Symposium by saying that he will praise Socrates ‘by means of images [eikonôn]’ (215a4–5).1 Socrates is most like, most the image of (eioikenai: 215b4), a silenus-figure that opens up to reveal images (agalmata) of the gods, or of virtue (215a6–b3, 221d2–222a6), or like the satyr Marsyas (215b3–d1). Socrates, he says, is like Marsyas in form (eidos: 215b5), and in other respects, especially in being hybristic (215b6–7). Alcibiades returns to the image of the silenus-statue at the end of his speech, saying that Socrates’ words are also most like these statues, for they appear laughable at first, like the skin of an hybristic satyr, but when opened up are found to be most divine, and filled with images (agalmata) of virtue (221d7–222a6). The image of Socrates as satyr has received considerable attention. Another kind of imagery, however, has not been sufficiently studied, that used to char- acterize Socrates as unlike heroic models. The two kind of images are closely related, for Alcibiades says that he must resort to the satyr image because of Socrates’ strangeness (atopia: 215a2, 221d2).2 This strangeness makes the usual comparisons to heroic models impossible. ‘With a man such as Achilles was’, says Alcibiades, ‘one might compare [ἀπεικάσειεν] Brasidas, and others, and with such a man as Pericles … one might compare [ἀπεικάζοι] Nestor and Antenor’, but Socrates is so strange that he can be compared with no other human, ancient or modern (221c6–d4). The word I have translated as ‘com- pare’ is apeikazein, literally, ‘to make an image’, cognate with eikôn, ‘image’, as Brisson’s translation nicely brings out: ‘de ce que fut Achille on peut trouver une image chez Brasidas’.3 Thus, what Alcibiades says is that Socrates is not the image of anyone else, and, in particular, that he is not the image of Achilles, who is first on Alcibiades’ list of heroic figures. Achilles, as he is represented in Homer’s Iliad, the story of the destructive wrath of this hero (Iliad 1.1–2), is not presented in the Symposium as a positive model for Socrates, but, instead, 1 This passage is further discussed by Ford, in this volume. Unless otherwise noted, all transla- tions are my own, and for the Symposium I follow the text of Burnet (1901). 2 On Socrates’ strangeness and resemblance to a satyr see Belfiore (2012), 161–168, 187–196, with bibliography. 3 Brisson (1998), 175. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2017 | doi: 10.1163/9789004345010_004 30 belfiore as a negative heroic prototype. That is, Plato’s Socrates is an image of Homer’s Achilles, not in the way in which a likeness (eikôn) resembles its object, but in the way in which a reflection in a mirror resembles the object reflected, with right and left sides reversed. Socrates is the reverse, or mirror-image of Achilles. 2 Mirror Images Achilles is mentioned by name five times in the Symposium: 179e1, 180a4, 180b4, 208d3, and 221c6.4 The first three mentions occur in the speech of Phaedrus, where Achilles is said to have been honored by the gods for dying in order to ‘help’ (βοηθήσας: 179e5) his lover Patroclus (179e1–180b5). The fourth men- tion of Homer’s hero appears in Diotima’s speech, where his act of dying after Patroclus is given as an example of love of honor (philotimia: 208c2–d4), and the fifth mention occurs in Alcibiades’ speech, in the passage discussed in the Introduction (221c6–d4). This last passage, in which Alcibiades explicitly states that Socrates is not an image of Achilles, invites the audiences, internal and external, to test this statement by comparing (apeikazein) for themselves the Socrates of Alcibiades’ speech with the figure of Achilles in the other four pas- sages in which the epic hero is mentioned by name. It further encourages them to compare other significant words and actions of Socrates in the Symposium with those of Achilles in the Iliad.5 These comparisons, I contend, reveal that Socrates is indeed not an image of Achilles in the sense of a likeness.6 He is, on the contrary, an Achilles in reverse, whose words and deeds, in similar situations, are just the opposite of those of Achilles.That is, he is a mirror-image of Achilles, in the sense of an image that is 4 According to Brandwood (1976). 5 Labarbe (1987) provides detailed data on some 150 fragments from Homer used in the dialogues that proves how familiar Plato was with Homeric epic (see especially 395–409). Clay (2010) argues that Plato had similar expectations for his readers concerning Homer and other poets: ‘when Plato quotes from a poet he often has in mind and expects his readers to have in mind the full context of the passage he quotes’ (328). On the extensive knowledge of poetry among educated Greeks of Plato’s society see Halliwell (2000), especially 95–96. 6 Important sources for Plato’s concept of the image are Soph. 236b–c, where he discusses two kinds of image-making (εἰδωλοποιική): likeness-making (εἰκαστική) and appearance-making (φανταστική); Rep. x.598–599 on mimesis as the making of eidola, and 596d–e on mimesis as mirror, and Laws 2.669a–b. On the terminology (eikôn, eidolon, phantasma, etc.) see Patterson (1985), 30–31, “mirror images” in index, and Appendix 2, 171–179, on the views of Allen (1965) and Lee (1966). The concepts of eikôn and phantasma in Rep. and Soph. are discussed by Van Riel in this volume..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Homer – the Iliad
    HOMER – THE ILIAD Homer is the author of both The Iliad and The Odyssey. He lived in Ionia – which is now modern day Turkey – between the years of 900-700 BC. Both of the above epics provided the framework for Greek education and thought. Homer was a blind bard, one who is a professional story teller, an oral historian. Epos or epic means story. An epic is a particular type of story; it involves one with a hero in the midst of a battle. The subject of the poem is the Trojan War which happened approximately in 1200 BC. This was 400 years before the poem was told by Homer. This story would have been read aloud by Homer and other bards that came after him. It was passed down generation to generation by memory. One can only imagine how valuable memory was during that time period – there were no hard drives or memory sticks. On a tangential note, one could see how this poem influenced a culture; to be educated was to memorize a particular set of poems or stories which could be cross-referenced with other people’s memory of those particular stories. The information would be public and not private. The Iliad is one of the greatest stories ever told – a war between two peoples; the Greeks from the West and the Trojans from the East. The purpose of this story is to praise Achilles. The two worlds are brought into focus; the world of the divine order and the human order. The hero of the story is to bring greater order and harmony between these two orders.
    [Show full text]
  • Achilles in the Underworld: Iliad, Odyssey, and Aethiopis Anthony T
    EDWARDS, ANTHONY T., Achilles in the Underworld: "Iliad, Odyssey", and "Aethiopis" , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 26:3 (1985:Autumn) p.215 Achilles in the Underworld: Iliad, Odyssey, and Aethiopis Anthony T. Edwards I HE ACTION of Arctinus' Aethiopis followed immediately upon T the Iliad in the cycle of epics narrating the war at Troy. Its central events were the combat between Achilles and the Ama­ zon queen Penthesilea, Achilles' murder of Thersites and subsequent purification, and Achilles' victory over the Ethiopian Memnon, lead­ ing to his own death at the hands of Apollo and Paris. In his outline of the Aethiopis, Proclus summarizes its penultimate episode as fol­ lows: "Thetis, arriving with the Muses and her sisters, mourns her son~ and after this, snatching (allap1Tauao-a) her son from his pyre, Thetis carries him away to the White Island (AevK7) "1iuo~)." Thetis removes, or 'translates', Achilles to a distant land-an equivalent to Elysium or the Isles of the Blessed - where he will enjoy eternally an existence similar to that of the gods.! Unlike the Aethiopis, the Iliad presents no alternative to Hades' realm, not even for its hero: Achil­ les, who has learned his fate from his mother (9.410-16),foresees his arrival there (23.243-48); and in numerous references elsewhere to Achilles' death, the Iliad never arouses any alternative expectation.2 1 For Proclus' summary see T. W. Allen, ed., Homeri Opera V (Oxford 1946) 105f, esp. 106.12-15. On the identity of the AEVKT, ~(J'o<; with Elysium and the Isles of the Blessed see E.
    [Show full text]
  • Ap Latin Summer Assignment
    AP LATIN SUMMER ASSIGNMENT: Cardinal Gibbons High School Magistra Crabbe: 2018/2019 Assignment: Read and prepare for a test on Books I, II, IV, VI, VIII, and XII of Virgil’s Aeneid. Directions: ● Carefully read the introduction to the Aeneid written by Bernard Knox, and fill out the corresponding reflection questions. These questions will be collected and graded in August. Content from the introduction will be represented on the test in August. ● Carefully read the English Portions of the Syllabus from Virgil’s Aeneid. This is the entirety of Books I, II, IV, VI, VIII, and XII of Virgil’s Aeneid. Students should read the Revised Penguin Edition by David West. Hard copies of this book are available from Mrs. Crabbe in room 211. ● Fill out the corresponding study questions for each book. In August, these study questions will be collected and graded. ● Students will take a test on these readings before beginning the Latin portion of the AP Syllabus. Index of This Document: Introduction to the Aeneid by Bernard Knox: pp 1­26 Reading Questions for Introduction: pp 27­34 Book I Reading Questions: pp 35­43 Book II Reading Questions: pp 44­49 Book IV Reading Questions: pp 50­56 Book VI Reading Questions: pp 57­64 Book VIII Reading Questions: pp 65­68 Book XII Reading Questions: pp 69­74 Suggested Reading Schedule: May 28th­ June 1st: Relax this week and recover from your finals. Drink lots of water. Get plenty of sleep. Spend time outside and do something fun with your friends. Help your parents around the house.
    [Show full text]
  • Scanned Using Book Scancenter 5022
    The Trojan War Literature and Legends from the Bronze Age to the Present Second Edition D ia n e P. T h o m p s o n McFarland &. Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London 8. Transmission o f Troy Stories to the M iddle Ages 103 8 Transmission of Troy Stories to the Middle Ages In the gradual transition from the classical pagan world of Augustus and Virgil to the solidly Christian world of the European Latin Middle Ages, two major world-historical events affected the continuing tradition of Troy stories. The first event was the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire in 312 CE. Christians hated the pagan gods and Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey were full of pagan gods, so Homer’s version of the Trojan War did not appeal to an increasingly Christian civilization. The second event Rome, Constantinople and Troy was the division of the Roman Empire into the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West in 395 CE. This split of the Roman Empire left the Greek East still reading Homer as or junior emperor, who was his adopted son and heir apparent. This system of four rulers part of their own cultural heritage, while Virgil’s Aeneid and a so-called eyewitness account was called the Tetrarchy. In 324 CE Constantine eliminated his co-emperor Licinius and of the Trojan War by Dares became the main versions of the Troy story transmitted in the became the single ruler of both East and West (Millar 175-77; Chuvin 23).
    [Show full text]
  • The Government of Troy: Politics in the Iliad William Merritt Sale
    The Government of Troy: Politics in the "Iliad" Sale, William Merritt Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Spring 1994; 35, 1; ProQuest pg. 5 The Government of Troy: Politics in the Iliad William Merritt Sale N RECENTLY PUBLISHED STUDIES of Homeric formulae I have I called attention, on the basis of statistical evidence, to two facts about Homer's Trojans in the Iliad: (1) The nominative proper-name formulae used by the poet to refer to them display a remarkable lacuna: there are no frequently occurring, 'regular', formulae. 1 The other characters and peoples who are mentioned anything like as often as the Trojans all have regular formulae, usually more than one. We give the term 'regular formula' a quantitative definition, "exactly repeated six times or more," but the phenomenon is not mere­ ly quantitative; there are certain qualities that regular formulae have and that infrequently occurring formulae tend to lack. Most notable of these are their noun-epithet form (nominative proper-name noun-verb formulae all occur infrequently) and the occurrence of the formula in a major colon:2 frequently oc­ curring formulae are noun-epithet and occupy major cola; infre­ quent formulae fall in minor cola, and the less frequently they occur, the more likely they are to fall in minor cola and to be noun-verbal in syntax. Hence the distinction between regular and infrequent formulae is qualitative, and the Trojans in the nominative lack something they ought to have, noun-epithet formulae used regularly to fill metrical spaces that the other characters have formulae to fill. A lack of regular formulae is significant; and the significance is statistically demonstrable.3 1 w.
    [Show full text]
  • Livy, Folklore, and Magic: a Reappraisal of Rome's Foundational Mythology
    LIVY, FOLKLORE, AND MAGIC: A REAPPRAISAL OF ROME'S FOUNDATIONAL MYTHOLOGY Jeremy Leonard Albrecht A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2020 Committee: Casey Stark, Advisor Amilcar Challu James Pfundstein © 2020 Jeremy Albrecht All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Casey Stark, Advisor This paper argues for an additional manner in which the social and cultural history of Rome can be both examined and understand through the implementation of folkloric practices. While folklore and history are two distinct academic traditions, there exists a certain amount of overlap between the fields and this overlap is worth exploring in more detail. In the course of this paper, it is argued that many aspects of Roman social and cultural history can be understood and examined through folkloric means. In chapter one, a working definition of folklore is established and shown to apply to the foundational mythology of Rome as portrayed by Livy in his Ab Urbe Condita. Chapter two continues to examine Livy and provides an argument that, in the process of his writing, Livy himself was more concerned with a folkloric interpretation of Rome’s history than he was in staying firmly within the bounds of historical accuracy. Finally, chapter three branches off from Livy and focuses on the arcane and magical traditions which were prevalent in Rome to show that not only were folkloric traditions present in Rome’s traditional mythology, but can also be seen throughout the Republic and even into the early Empire.
    [Show full text]
  • Greek Tragedy and the Epic Cycle: Narrative Tradition, Texts, Fragments
    GREEK TRAGEDY AND THE EPIC CYCLE: NARRATIVE TRADITION, TEXTS, FRAGMENTS By Daniel Dooley A dissertation submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Baltimore, Maryland October 2017 © Daniel Dooley All Rights Reserved Abstract This dissertation analyzes the pervasive influence of the Epic Cycle, a set of Greek poems that sought collectively to narrate all the major events of the Trojan War, upon Greek tragedy, primarily those tragedies that were produced in the fifth century B.C. This influence is most clearly discernible in the high proportion of tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides that tell stories relating to the Trojan War and do so in ways that reveal the tragedians’ engagement with non-Homeric epic. An introduction lays out the sources, argues that the earlier literary tradition in the form of specific texts played a major role in shaping the compositions of the tragedians, and distinguishes the nature of the relationship between tragedy and the Epic Cycle from the ways in which tragedy made use of the Homeric epics. There follow three chapters each dedicated to a different poem of the Trojan Cycle: the Cypria, which communicated to Euripides and others the cosmic origins of the war and offered the greatest variety of episodes; the Little Iliad, which highlighted Odysseus’ career as a military strategist and found special favor with Sophocles; and the Telegony, which completed the Cycle by describing the peculiar circumstances of Odysseus’ death, attributed to an even more bizarre cause in preserved verses by Aeschylus. These case studies are taken to be representative of Greek tragedy’s reception of the Epic Cycle as a whole; while the other Trojan epics (the Aethiopis, Iliupersis, and Nostoi) are not treated comprehensively, they enter into the discussion at various points.
    [Show full text]
  • The Missing Speech of Bacchylides' Dithyramb 15
    The Missing Speech of Bacchylides’ Dithyramb 15 Bacchylides 15, one of the so-called dithyrambs mentioned by Servius, takes us to a moment of pre-Trojan War negotiation: the embassy of Menelaus and Odysseus to request the return of Helen. The papyrus contains alternate tiles: “Sons of Antenor” and “The Demand for Helen’s Restitution.” Had no more of the papyrus survived than this we would nevertheless have a pretty clear idea what the poem was about, since the embassy is discussed in some detail during the teichoskopeia of the Iliad, where Antenor, who served as host for the ambassadors, describes their speeches before the assembled Trojans. Such a scene could have formed part of the Cypria, which treated the story prior to the beginning of the war, or of another poem known to Bacchylides. Nevertheless, there is no evidence for this. Moreover, Poem 15, like the reminiscences of Antenor, is largely focused on the demand for restitution. For this reason it seems most reasonable to conclude that the text Bacchylides engages with here is the Iliad. I accept that conclusion and will argue that this poem assumes that its audience is familiar with Book 3 of the Iliad and subtly re-tells the story to affirm the characterization of sublime Odyssean speech as “like snowflakes on a winter’s day” (3.222), marking his rhetorical style as impressive but beyond the limits of poetic representation. There are two major differences between Homer’s scene on the walls and Bacchylides 15. First of all, in Homer the speech of Antenor affirms and expands on the remark of Helen that Odysseus knows pantoios te doulous kai medea pukna, “all manner of tricks and cunning devices (3.202).
    [Show full text]
  • Livy on the Founding of Rome
    Livy on the Founding of Rome Section on the Founding of Rome From Livy's History of Rome (1904), translated by John Henry Freese, Alfred John Church, and William Jackson Brodribb Founding of Rome Sections of Livy Book I Aeneas Leaves Troy To begin with, it is generally admitted that, after the taking of Troy, while all the other Trojans were treated with severity, in the case of two, Aeneas and Antenor, the Greeks forbore to exercise the full rights of war, both on account of an ancient tie of hospitality, and because they had persistently recommended peace and the restoration of Helen: and then Antenor, after various vicissitudes, reached the inmost bay of the Adriatic Sea, accompanied by a body of the Eneti, who had been driven from Paphlagonia by civil disturbance, and were in search both of a place of settlement and a leader, their chief Pylamenes having perished at Troy; and that the Eneti and Trojans, having driven out the Euganei, who dwelt between the sea and the Alps, occupied these districts. In fact, the place where they first landed is called Troy, and from this it is named the Trojan canton. The nation as a whole is called Veneti. It is also agreed that Aeneas, an exile from home owing to a like misfortune, but conducted by the fates to the founding of a greater empire, came first to Macedonia, that he was then driven ashore at Sicily in his quest for a settlement, and sailing thence directed his course to the territory of Laurentum. This spot also bears the name of Troy.
    [Show full text]
  • Divine Riddles: a Sourcebook for Greek and Roman Mythology March, 2014
    Divine Riddles: A Sourcebook for Greek and Roman Mythology March, 2014 E. Edward Garvin, Editor What follows is a collection of excerpts from Greek literary sources in translation. The intent is to give students an overview of Greek mythology as expressed by the Greeks themselves. But any such collection is inherently flawed: the process of selection and abridgement produces a falsehood because both the narrative and meta-narrative are destroyed when the continuity of the composition is interrupted. Nevertheless, this seems the most expedient way to expose students to a wide range of primary source information. I have tried to keep my voice out of it as much as possible and will intervene as editor (in this Times New Roman font) only to give background or exegesis to the text. All of the texts in Goudy Old Style are excerpts from Greek or Latin texts (primary sources) that have been translated into English. Ancient Texts In the field of Classics, we refer to texts by Author, name of the book, book number, chapter number and line number.1 Every text, regardless of language, uses the same numbering system. Homer’s Iliad, for example, is divided into 24 books and the lines in each book are numbered. Hesiod’s Theogony is much shorter so no book divisions are necessary but the lines are numbered. Below is an example from Homer’s Iliad, Book One, showing the English translation on the left and the Greek original on the right. When citing this text we might say that Achilles is first mentioned by Homer in Iliad 1.7 (i.7 is also acceptable).
    [Show full text]
  • Greek Mythology Link (Complete Collection)
    Document belonging to the Greek Mythology Link, a web site created by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology Characters • Places • Topics • Images • Bibliography • Español • PDF Editions About • Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. This PDF contains portions of the Greek Mythology Link COMPLETE COLLECTION, version 0906. In this sample most links will not work. THE COMPLETE GREEK MYTHOLOGY LINK COLLECTION (digital edition) includes: 1. Two fully linked, bookmarked, and easy to print PDF files (1809 A4 pages), including: a. The full version of the Genealogical Guide (not on line) and every page-numbered docu- ment detailed in the Contents. b. 119 Charts (genealogical and contextual) and 5 Maps. 2. Thousands of images organized in albums are included in this package. The contents of this sample is copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. To buy this collection, visit Editions. Greek Mythology Link Contents The Greek Mythology Link is a collection of myths retold by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology, published in 1993 (available at Amazon). The mythical accounts are based exclusively on ancient sources. Address: www.maicar.com About, Email. Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. ISBN 978-91-976473-9-7 Contents VIII Divinities 1476 Major Divinities 1477 Page Immortals 1480 I Abbreviations 2 Other deities 1486 II Dictionaries 4 IX Miscellanea Genealogical Guide (6520 entries) 5 Three Main Ancestors 1489 Geographical Reference (1184) 500 Robe & Necklace of
    [Show full text]
  • An Iliad Based on Homer’S the Iliad, Translated by Robert Fagles Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott September 12–October 3, 2021 TABLE of CONTENTS
    A NOISE WITHIN'S THEATRE SEASON AUDIENCE GUIDE Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s An Iliad Based on Homer’s The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott September 12–October 3, 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS Character Maps: An Iliad and The Iliad ................. 3 Synopsis ........................................... 5 About the Author: Homer ............................ 6 About the Adaptors: Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson ... 7 History of The Iliad: A Timeline ....................... 9 The Backdrop To The Iliad: Ancient Greece ............ 10 Ancient Oral Poetic Tradition ......................... 11 Greek Mythology: The Role of the Muses .............. 12 Gods, Monsters, and Men in Greek Mythology ......... 13 The Hero’s Journey ................................. 14 Themes ............................................ 16 The Trojan War: Fact or Fiction? ...................... 17 Additional Resources ............................... 18 A NOISE WITHIN’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY: Ann Peppers Foundation The Green Foundation Capital Group Companies Kenneth T. and Michael J. Connell Eileen L. Norris Foundation Foundation Ralph M. Parsons Foundation The Dick and Sally Roberts Steinmetz Foundation Coyote Foundation Dwight Stuart Youth Fund The Jewish Community Foundation Cover Image: Geoff Elliott in An Illiad. Photo by Craig Schwartz. 3 A NOISE WITHIN 2021/22 SEASON | Fall 2021 Study Guide An Illiad CHARACTER MAP AN ILIAD Poet A storyteller and a traveler. Plays all of the below roles as he tells the story of the Trojan War. Hermes Greek god, son of Zeus. Appears as a messenger for the Gods. GREEKS TROJANS Agamemnon Priam Hecuba Leader of the Achaean (Greek) army. King of Troy. Father Queen of Troy. Brother to Menelaus and of Hector and Paris. Mother of Hector and brother-in-law to Helen.
    [Show full text]