Clay - 1994 - The Origins of Socratic Dialogue

7/28/2019 Clay - 1994 - The Origins of Socratic Dialogue

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[ ]

Te Origins of te

Scc Diaogue

rates-ratc, Pythagoras-Pyhagoean Pato-atonc, Epcuu-picean: some phlosophes have a way of coming adjectes and their foowes substantes In the transformtion frs ntoaectves and then nto susanves hee phosophes ae usuaytransformed nto a phophy or a shoo; ony rarey ae they ransformed nto a way of lfe. But none (so far as I know) exept rates,

has ent hs name o a genr of tratur that s he mmes of a phoophca feThe fis astaton of the adec K6S apas no n

the wtngs of he rati" u n Aoe who rfers to he K aong wh the mmes o ophron an Xenahus as aecognable yet namee genr of Greek ey (Pt 2 144711)Arstote's dulty that ee faled o eognze he genec tem

ra to the phosophe and o poey. mmess and nomer, s hera onept that grounds a desrption of th he

et and the poe foms ht mtate humans n aton, then somepros works ar the po subet of a arge theoy ommess whchwoud ncude h he of ophon and he genre Asote denfies as hat of he O/ and hes would ndedalong

in heof Pythagoran m lif (J dd by P R 0o

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Dkin Cly

wih musc, dance, an painting n a vasy extende theory of K as mmess. Greek was inaeque o Asoe's theory cause tdd no ecognze he mmes o Soprn and Xenachus or e Soki- gi as "eic, hat is, mmeic Like Sophon, he authos ofSkik wee 601o

But wa pecisely does the adjecive "Srac" mean? Were eelgi Sraic n tha ey esembled te kind of iscouse Saes gaves name to-tha s, te eusic mehod of uesion y someone whoprfesses to b asng more tan rhetorical uestons, and answers ysomeone wo migh o might not able o prouce a tsfacoy

snse This was ndee a eature of me of he Ski lgi, utAotle's concepion of etry as mimess and the emmimoi suggesta ager intepeaion of he adective: ust as he mmes of Sophrnrepesented he ien es and te vaiety of human typs engagd n er caracerstc pusuits, the autors of Sok lgi mae he characer o rates as he engagd n his characestimanne o conveaion and nerrogaion

But Aisotle's associaton o he Sicilian mme wit the imaions ofthe convestons of Sae seems o sugges even moe and at he

same ime to creae a probem for an assessmen of te erary caracter o he Sokiki gi. The fagmens of the mmes of Sophon(and e scan estmona for e mmes of Xenachus) eave absouteyno doub that his epresenaions o men and women were of ower

class men and women spaking n a Doc et o great neest oate grammarans, and, n Greek terms fundamentay omic caractes ey an i o repsent a ow epresenion o ow caace, or, n e words of he Tracaus Coinianus "e imiaon of

an acton tha is aughae and wthout any gandeu"2 Pesumaye mimesis o Socaes an is convestons by te witers of theSokik was on a higher eve h in he oet of its miatonand n its anguage Bu n search of te ons of he Soaic iaogueit s wel to keep n mnd Aristote's signican pairng of the Sophncmime and the Saic daloge fo this is the nnng of e tradon ta aaes Pato wth the Scan mime o Sopron.

Teewere Sraics and Sratcs I am inerestd in Pato and eassiates of rateswo compe Sk i, or e Atc mmes

2Ka { Ka1 o 3 a in the eiion ofR. Jnko, Ak Coy Tr R f (Berkeey ndLos Angl 984 p. 3 Mme re one eoy of dmt or "pci mim fo hTus n dmnuve suh s Iw (a u o lughe n 4- Arisote s of mdy h rpenn of men of he mee b on oe no nomps every nd of v o\ K). For n expoon f Arsote'sopiion ofho hter o e odin tht mthd h obj of hi mion G HedIaL5 n eeooy n h Poti;" TAPA 4 8: 976.

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O of S

ate' le ad cnvesatns. There we he "s whmaed m n anher medum-ta her dre, mane, andcnveatn We bee Are apped he adjectve atc terac dague a cmc e cned te verb t raze (KEi) r he we ate: hey aped e maner parae er ar gw g we hungy ued wah caed,' andcared wakng ck3 uch a rac wa Caeephn ad Au e ium (c 17d) wa h ew; Meedemu Erea ad Epceu ad Lucan' Demax Aen nume amngther dant decendan A ee wee ahu ma

ae ha they e n recrd he ugt te wre wdmeg ha de em rm he he at whwmwe are w egaged

M e ter rac h geat ad ma aated wtcae dug h etme and et memra h e aer hdeah and we are t rut anecdte even when e wa ave5 Hwahu hee rac were n he eray mtan crae adh cnvean an n quetn bu n even he m avd bgraher bgray anquy ca make hem u a Bwe

rae Dr Jhnn Ad we ae eted t ak hee racwere genune ac even ter natc wrng. Wee Xenphn' ad Anthee r H catc wrtg? rae apear n ne ee uafhcawrtng ecep by drectn n Xenn i) bu de haece duay ee wrg a ra Ate wud ueyave anwered ha de te me rean ha cate dd ntgre a an ect mtan the wre whe thught hemgt ave nueced

npLV JE yp ohct tv UJa


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e Mnor c

How many Soatic were hee, and how may of thee weSi In the ecnd, enlaged edion of Gabriele Giannanon' S Sm thee ar nw ente f omeeventy Satic. It s not urpring tha Pla and Xeoph aemng from th cllectio Tw f the the "majo Satc K6 n DL 247) Antshee ad Aechne ae nwepeeted (Aechne w mng om he t edn, endSa Rq. No one wod have lked f the comic poe

of ffh-cenuy Athen a m Rq but he enlagedS e Satcm Rq hey appea alng wih the damatic dage f Lcia n whch Sate and hi cmpnn etn o thetag a do he mo ffth-etuy Socc nw epened volme . There are alo the folwe f Phaed f E, Menedemu ofEea and Atipp f Cyee, who do not have epaae ene

We enconte e of he fr goupng f he cmpano fSrae in Plao b fre he acheved hi lang fame a hemt llant exnent f he Satic dalg Plato fge a amn Srac. At he momet f Sate death and f a generaon late he wa by no mean the knw f the t BtPat wa a peence dng Sate lfe e wa evdenly peen ct when Srae wa ted for impety; Srae cld nt t hima ne f he yng Athean he had not corped (Ap. 34a Platwhwa tweny-egh when Sae to ta named wh heethe yng Ahenan heo heage ad Alld andaccoded n pide of place eve y h own eckng He i cnpic

uoly aent om he gp of fahful compn wh gatheed po fo a lat me n the ay f Srae execn: Phaed f EliApolou t and hs on tol, Hemgene, EpigeneAechne, ad Anshene T th lit Phaedo add A hee weetepp f the deme f Paeana and Meeen ad othe Athen Plat, I hink, wa ck (P 5b. onng Smma, Oeand Phaednide m Thebe, Ecede and epn m Megaa,andArpp and emt wh wee detaind n Aega Plato mpy ne n a lge gup of atic eveteen of whm ae

nmed by Phaedo in h arative a ng peen n Sate at dayt Phaed Pat I hnk, wa ick make clear ha he cod eaonably exted among he ompann f Sae

n S h.1-3 1 -4 Gnnni gvs h gpgs he S h s n A/ 3. S h gung s gven in SR 5 (D.L2-47>



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Th of S D

Yaafer aes' death, when Xenophon composed h econd

apology or rae in Meal 1.2, Plao doe no even figue nXenophon' t of Sate aiae


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[ 28 ] Dkn Clyon he honor of invening the ty of diaogue in whih rates' convesatons ae dectly and "mmeally repesented; and t s qutappaen om Aehnes and Arsppus mysterousH hat Plao was no the f wi a naratve dalogue.

It s ao cear from he mee ties ofthe works of hs hee gatestas n he gene of he Srati dalogue that Platos lterary ambtons wee lmted to he dialogue form and for the most pr to theSatc dalogue or, to speak wh needed cauton, the dalogues nwhih Sraes is the man spaer. Fom the agmens of Antsthenesalone s very dffcult to see tha Sates played a geat part n the

dlogues ha were he mos sgnant ron of hs vas lierary prodution, and i woud seem tha Antisthen ehial mes wee noSatesbut Odysseus, Cyrus the Gea, and Heales Despte the anue prae of his devoton o the Srat genre,10 not abolutelyclear hat Sraes plyed a le n lof Aeschnes' ven dalogueXenophon wote n many other genres han he dalogue or hec diaogue

In a aer age, Plato ame to onsdee as one of he four majoSracs and he geatst of he, even rates had ome Pa

on and was nown as a phoopher mainly fm the Plaoni daloe Bu f we exe an effort of manaton and retu to themoment when Plato gan to we, whenever tha was, we realz thahe Srac daoe was aleady a recognzed gen Many of heompanions who gaherd together n Sraes pn on he day ofhseeuon wee credte wth diaogues, and some of the daogueswe Sratc daogues in hat they we-or pured o ords of Saes converaton u t s dfful o assess how manyof he Soratics we Srlogoi n

he strt nse gven ths ermn Arsoes -tha s, dmtc epnaons of Sates nconveaion and n acon. Of he egheen Sacs name y Phedoof Elis in Plaos nine mitated Srates n no wtng Satcdlogues nine mitaed Sorat n wrng Sac dalogues.

n he time of Dogenes aerus and in the mnd of Dogenes erus he mar of ing a lerary ratic was to write dalogue To revew the nne lierary ratc we now ft m Plos andhen m Dognes n ughly Phaeos order we can econsruc a

ate tradon of what mean o a leay Sratc. Fst Phaohmslf Platos memorlst for what was aid and done duringSrates ast day (f 8), s given two gnune dalogues y Dogenes ertus(105 SSR 3.a8), he Z and S HisNiwas dspued as were s othe Le the geat majorty of PlatosSrac diaogues he dalogs of Phao ae denfed y he name



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Th g of Soa [ 29]

of Srate' intertor rather ha by the uje o ther onve

ion Auus Geli knew of reade of hi daoge an igt aveead e hie He erily kew ha hey nvolved Sate (er-ones eiu e Srae adu eegates leguner, N 2.18 R3a3) The oly iaogue ever idenified y a quotaton Phaeo's Z-11 I gns wi a aaic ade o Sate: "Srates, eopleay tha the yonge on of e ng gave a ion cu as a gif to a fren(SSR 3a 1 ) It eary efet a hee oon aong he t gen-eraton of the Sraia asciatio with Pes an is epie

Paedo ae te Aenian X a preen at Sorate'

death, an ere were i othes he does no ae Tree of thoePhaeo nae wrote Srat ialogue: Crio, Aehne, ad Antthene. Pao, who wa il, ake eeven and for For Cro we have ofragent, oly itle Diogees ertus saks of a single voue contaiing eveteen dialogue Ony oe ha a peona nae a a ile

Tis is Th Stn D 22 SS 6.42) Tere isals te uriou deta n e Sda onernig Crito, "Te piloo-per: lymjE wKco\ uo)y, e woe a efen oSa-

tes SSR 6.3) Snce ere o defiite aicle, s ust eantat Cro was tought o ave write an alogy or Srae tii te cae, we igt have an epanaton for te perpexig plural nte onig of Xenophon 'sAg: yya


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diffiut ae. espite the evidene of prr names as titles fo hs dalogues an

an

and a Mw es' name s

hardy mentond n late aounsofis daogues; but we do ave hsS-


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n Clay

nor, ad, fay Simon, who, f e was ot dead, was workig a is lasti Aens. Ths Simo seems o ave ad a sop i te agora o acientAens Te shop as e eavaed ad Simon has en ideiiedas is proprietor, but we do ot have a sigle word fm ay o sdiaogues19 He seems o have recorded Sraes' coversaios in ao o dialogues ta he-or oherscalled Cobber' Ta (or rhapsCnvrsati Cbbler ) Platos Srates is noorous or hiseres cobers u noe of is dogus and oe of e Skwg except Xeoo's Mabilia 4.21) have ter setg at a colers sop

Diogees aerts els us virtualy al we ow o Simon and reserves te eared radition ta he was rst to record Sraes coversatios he orm o a dramatc daoge i s is he meaing othe crious epresso o bLEAX8 i 2123) is tirythree diaogues were contaed in a sige ro, ad ey mus ave en sortLe te works o may other Sraics, and lik the conversaions recorded i Xenoon s Mbilia, is dialogues were more easly descrid the subjec of e oversato recorded te treveor of he Sratc diaogue its urey mimetc ad damat

orm he seems to ave preferred the mmediay o e spoke word oth dr rtti vri tt to b rd eher y anoer or y Sraes imse

The "Inventn f the c Dge

here was o course a ones over te tile of e ivetor of te

Socraicdialogue as a iterary gere Diogees ertus recognizes ecaims o four contesants Three o these are Soraics Te ourth s a

1be acaeolgil evdence has creat quite a sti among aaeogit t notye among tdent of aen piphy he a a nm of fgmens of vnenting to the ativy of a fth pp 45-47he id are eed b H. A. homon, "Evations n te Athe Ago 93H 23 (954 -5 ad xcavationn the Ahean Agoa 95," H 24(55 54 and 2 (Ates, !62, p 2. he clix s o displyn 3 of he Agoa Muum (p) Oly tly a a suden of aent pipy hd hs dstnt evdene; f R S Bumagh "mon adSe" AP99 552 on F k, wtng i 976 o dien th he aheoeviee an onentate o the Cyni apprpation of Simon i the ra eer



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Th gis of e Sora Diague

mytery. One laim is ha of h cbbl Smn as w a js sn:

was h s is lad cd Scas' cnsans in uialoge m oho pobtdexioA.6ouo wKpco ( 2123 SSR 6..7 Ths adin sms cgnity h claim sm annmus wi s wi na-ativ Saic cnsans h scnd claiman cgnzd bDiog i Alanus Ts Th sa a Zn Ela was s wi dlgus. Bu Ais n f hs O Poe sasha i was Aamns Sa s M ahi is ans nhs Memaia. Bt in m iw Pla ug awadd h z

ii dsc and h au h gn snc hbg o i erion" (DL 380 Ahnaus s an ndic wi-nss is sam adin and h ducs a quan m Ass dialgu O oet ma a in agns Pa1 His x s d-icul, bu s sns is a Aamnus s was s wiic dialgus and a s w a m mmss slih mims Sn W nw a h cam cnimd and dsudb a ia a m Oxhnchus wh w ad a [Pa m-id Shn h

IJpin h dmaic caac is dia-

lgusand a wand agains h maicus caim Ais (in h his Pcs ha b Pla damac dalgus wom b Axmnss. ms his dssion o mi-msis d ulmal fm Sas' dun s cnaa n 3 h c 392d and h wll claim u a-nin la h las claiman is Xnhn wh Maba igns h s blcan h anscs Sascnans 28.

Sycusan Mimes and Sicilian Comedy

u h undamna usn sd b gn h Skko s n w caims h hn ang is innd i w lannhing m h answ Amnus Smn h cbblW shud as ah wh gn G lau Sk ogow md n n c as Scac dags h answ

"im mar a a Idal yn' RBS 17 1976 -5 ntrsngly t td f spl Simn t pyit pp rin ldin is w sp srpru i t Hmr t cpyis at i t sp f a atrwrr t rtan f Hmr; f. T. W. ln, H frd 912)5 1R714-1

t s a cy f igrars ma inr i agnr i ir c J. Farwatr "Fiio n igrp f nit ri An e 5 197 264-65

r 205



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[ 34] C

of he ancient critics who asked tis queston was cearly Sopon. Asole ad made te connecton etween the Solg ad teSyracsn mimes of Sopho and his son Xenachus log fo eaecdoa tadio connectng Plao and opon had come o ife, n e Pti (1 1447) and n s ealy dialogue Pt, weewe find a saemen of oe of he octos peseved for te owose i Ahenaeus) wo daws the folowg infeence: "Shold wenot e deny ta he socaed M of Soon, which ae not eveni meer a coveraios ad tha he imaons EL


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Th f th crac !

pros that ar not nara u a articulatd in uestion and an

sweror diaoue. Where hen, the ancient ctic ased did Plat ds-cove the mel fo them? e found his answer n he mmes ofSophon which are damatic imitaions o a varey o human charac-te types. This enealoy of the literary fom of he Plaonc diaoueis infored by the hisorical connecion of Plato with Syracuse and hecour of Dionysius and 6 ut this connetion pesents a curioushisorical polem Pao fs visted Scy and Syracuse in ca 338 His return o Ahens in 387 woud he dae of his nuionof the indenous mmes o Sophron o an Athenian audience27 Bu ithis is the cse, he woud have one wihou a model or any of he da-mtic diaoues he wroe dung the welve yeas afer Sates' deathThe anedotes of Plato and Sophon mae prety readin and difculiteary hisory. They have a hostie innin in Duis of Samos, but asliteary cticism hese anedotes neglet much more than they eplain f the Sicilian mmes of Sophrn povide a model fo Paos dra-maic dialogues, hey als mae 387 a ermnus s quem for dramaticdlogues such as the And this leray histoy eecs the fa

that Aeshines had already en wring dramatc dialouesAnecdota criicm also disegards the fac hat Sophon imiaedno contemaes but humble and herefoe comic ypes. Hismmes dvde into wo natural cteoes: mae and femae; and thertiles ar perhaps as eveaing of their characer as the famens col-lected under them We have evidence fo the folowin oHr) , W at h Imn Gm Th Tuna Fhrsand Th and h Fa These Siciian mimes stand a word apam the word apured and ealed in he kraJi g, sme of

which are named afte he contemrries of Srates who figure ash interoutors.

There are indeed pro names in Sophron and more of womenthan o men Rongka (no p 67 Mormolya (no p 77), Koikoano 23 , 8), and Physa no 31 p 92; ohons, he drunkd(no 55 p 101) and Boulas the orator (no 1 1, p. 12), are names fomen, as s Telon no 7 p. 1). t has en thouh tha Myrila(no 14 was a nickname fo the ahitect Demokops bu ths s cer

2& jOlanas Ul d f h anc ; 337 an 8;A 1 505C Hu) a p.-me E 9

27By h an an, Pa bg p h Spn wh fan f as n S a a th t hm to As; f L. 3.8Tz C -0 a -1 F th Pto shipAth fom SPhas a n f Pyhaan ngs a Tmas f Rgo av o> pp 6-7 an 9



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tainly not the case.28 The names in Sopro a the mes of ypes in

hs commeda dell'ateVery lte consectve tex suvves m his mmes The dalectntesed ae grammarans, ad er gasronomy provided a phlologca delctess fo Athenaeus we ae e wt he wod (no 10 p. 2), proverbs and words fo s sch as , no 7,p. ) Of he agmets from th the emle ad he male mmes,ony two show daoge (no 3, p 92 and no 3 p ), ad esehe sag par are dsrte as A ad B Ony one of ese o3 ) nvoves qestion and answer

The lieray judgment conveyed y e aecdoes conecg hePlatoic dalogue and te Scan mmes o Sophron and Xenarchsseds no lgt on he leray caacter o ee e Platonc daoge patular or the okri in genera, t i does veal wha adcut task t was fo ancient ctcs to dscove e teray ancesto ofe Sokatki i

here was al the radio takng the Patoc daoge bac o hecomedes o the Syracusan Epchams It ems o deive m Akms o Scly and Dogenes ets pucs a umbr o passages o

Epchams at uste the dtnal dendence of te Aenanhilspr n he Silia mi 29 Hr h ueso of Ltearygene does not ase; Alimus was nteresed ony i Platos pagasmWhat we know o h Epcarms ad e lae fogeres ha wennde s name maes m an mplause mel fo the aonc daogue o or he kik e s a comc poe, and lke a comces e s mmetc and damatc s style u he s metca adDoc e s ao geec, ad ome of s cmedes ave myolo plos

Thee s, as one wod epect, sme estion and answe, and fothis eason pchamus fgres n Rdol Hrzel's ut, asn the ase o Sophon, uesions and answes ms e divided anonymously between A and B Pao cealy knew pcharmus and he re-

Olv Fmi d cmmd t dl mmo nla S Colaa d d g 5 (Nal 96 2130-3

L. 39-17 = FGH F6 (ad Fr 3 -6 K). F Alku w av dy K. Gar " Pa d Al Dg (33-17"

Z Albm am m m luga aang aan rof D E. d try A ad Ut 973, 6179; ad H Drr Ptsm d AntU(SgaBad Ca, 187) 1:3818. M. G Ear PudEar at PP 8 (1953) 6-75 rovdd a vauabl tud ao' kowdg ofEaru

d "O, Dr" D. P ut v. 3 Pa- (Cardg Ma ad Ld 11) 37 15 5 vr 3639 ad a ad Prot, 61- Ov ( 1: 2-5)

in Eihh Vh (Lzg 195 v. : 20-26



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h oft Sa Dl 3 1s t h y na as Thaee 5d and G 505) h als

caly n Shn and h s t h y alsn as 5 45c ad ssly 1 F m ss hs ncs t Echams a f n gat s a k ad acad h cc B hs alss Sh a th attHs s als t Shn n h pblic dcav f lat's cct th chaact hs damatc dag s Sasvs m h tc f th tag f th ma gadas thtc h tag h mal gadas h dss hs ct nts h dvsn h Shc mim: ax b w v 6


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Here we have wha mus o fist example of he miton of

Skak gI comes fom Astophanes' C, whh was o

ded n he Greater Dionysa of 423 when Saes was at foryve bt whih we know fom is seond on and seondedion fo whih we have no dae. The harater of rstophanesepresentaion o Sat qesioning oheres with what we know of hehaate of hs onvesatons rendeed y the oatis who wroeate Saes operaes uesion and answe rahe han y ong eideit sehes; he efers paxuAoy(a and s onened with hequkness to earn and he memories of his wod-e assoiaes.33

Qesion and answer s a mode of douse that ontnes thoughou the aes s not aways s n the dominan oe o esione n C 37341 it s Srepsades who quesions Soraes athe dvnity of the ouds and in the rest of he dioge thee ae woate senes tha invove Sates and h pui Stepsiades n esionand answer One of the srkng feaues of ou firs ehi of theSk g on the omi sage N 48288) s hat hs nrogtion invoves no ony eson and answe t a a o harate nposing hs uestons o Stepsiades Sates s moe onerned whomng o an undesandng of Sreides haate han he s whfiding aswers to questios hat eely perpex im. ndd hsesons do no invove any isse lage han Stepsiades' memoy andvea aies n asng hese estons he is foowing the nstuions o he ods, who ask him o str his inteeuas and est hsharater: m o a-o Ja E (77Kenneth Dove has apty ed hs Sts' "ttoi meth.5 Theem apoa does not seem to u n just ths sense n the othe

S prfn for a dogu n whi h t quin and intrlr i nud n a in anwng m h "cmay p in Plao' Ap a an lurad in h if y ntgins Cala, Alo a Mltus (2a; 2 1b; 2 and 2427 a w ay oo ra ha m f h ju w vod to aqim (!) Th mann iutat mo ily in lato t ia I wo ano o 9 a inato Agaon 2 ndDiota v mar inrrog f (20d28) Th ho of qutina n or a lon a unitp pid dplay fr in 329ad 33a8a, G 8 nd a 33a Qukn o la and hpaty o tin wa n a th m qimn o h pphl ntf 5! M 88 R 6,868a an 49 a wl a L 4 ) an XnM 42

m n 5 whr St xami Spa o i diitin a ha wn gk a na n Stp aaly mma appli in h n Pa at f t ig (24ad n 23 wh ak f ho afr inr ion ffag in th

In in of rpha (Ofrd ag p 3



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T O oft Sa

rtcs tog ter re psges Aesies d Xeopo

t oosy sow Srtes iterogig iteruors crcerrter is owedge I to oug wo woud ve kowe C oy s tex or possiy i is secod pructio) te temcur i excy te ese o C 477 I te Th te yougTeeteus respods to Sres questiog y yig tt e eest Srtes is yig to est im d i e Q e yougts spods o te oder Potgors i mc e sme wy!6

I te C Srtes does o p oe I rto oud Cerepo d eir pup rtes d eepo

do o p g te comedies o Arisopes u tey re s-ke o is te comedes We ve otced redy e crcerz-tio o Srtes dsipes i 28o847 Ler i te uwsed res is o espied i mrs er e d o te Spodes were e cs sos up rom Hdes i te ier compy oerepo "te t 155355 d 564) Tee o metio oSric diogue ere ut i te F o ey dede te (405)Sric diogue reced or erps te s ime i Aisopes:

xa


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standig and sigifcat. The pcture of Srates, seaed o a c,peraps in a gymasum38 speakng to a sigle companon, s a faml one Te ldicous sbjects of Srates' conversaton a vageysggesed: e as rown over te and wegty maers of Aey tragedy ad of od Aea culu n gene ad asned to dle ad idoet coversato e pse by wch Arisophaes coveys the atre of is coversaio is pii (1497) and a erms famliar fom the CW and cogenal as descipios of rates tal;9 e oter term, obvously comc vesio ofnin ii ( 96 is dicl o dephe b it

mig mean "cce scratcig o, as W. B Saford wold ave ,verba scachfictos40An illustraton of the knd of wadde Saes egage i-as s

coveos wee epesed by a comc poe-omes from a ealie cee om te F, we Eupdes gis o defed is lam onDonyss consideraton as a tragc poet (9-79) H ad bogh hisAthea audiece o expose ther vryday lfe o sewd and eaig qestio. ad (JE'c ae hs cotribtos to teac art; for it ad not e phlosopical Aeylus has no df

cuty i ptg tese otritos ito comic erms

W w my p gn?W d w dMy hd f gg dW t p f yyW h r ysdy

77)

Stil oe comic poes were aware of the rc ena Srates provded fo a besque of nelleca fe i Atens of he 20 hesees poced ei pays e decade we te frst witers of lgi we od enoug to ated he damatc festivals of Atens Amos al of o fragments from e plays whc Sras eter appad on sage o was sken of by acto on sage come fom

e Asof Aenes bgis Srates aig ude uknownhi cvei t lbide: ihd Au

tO < &amv, p-Demet E 205 f. 1 Dim = 3 Parlel ud i Plt L 3b; EI 271a ad b, imid iA d E 97c

f N 39 n 8o ad (f upds' dde); d 76 d h 7 e desio e impressio h mi e yung ieutos

n i ii f e F dn 198) 1g4is 819 p by e r ransa of Rimd

m q r 12 6g

Material proido por derechos de ator


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Th O ft Sac Dial

Dogees Letius, who evdety had had a wok devoed to the

opic of Sorates K


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hey crated and in which hey wroe, he ovewhelming tempation so disrgard quesons of lierary mels or proy o dovery

and oconcentra on Socraes and he immdacy o hs conversations andconfonaions wih his contemporaes. In the dramaic dalogues oPao n pariuar we find ourelves seaed a a drama a deveopsimmdey and sntaneousy fore our eye. The ilusion tisdrama creaes was articulated n the symic orm o terary anec-does in antiuiy: Smon the obbler ook noes on Srtes' convertons at his shop, no as a stenograper ut soon afer they hadended (D.L 212 R 6b87); Aechnes oaned copes of a leas

some of Sraes conversons from hs wdow Xanthppe, andpassed hese o as is own 6o 6a Xenophon washe rst of he Srai to ae noes un and pubish Sraes conversations (L. 24). The terary judgment the taes convey is taof onverson recorded eiher by a memr o her audience or byone o her paricipans. Ths is precsy e impression we ge romhe four frame dalogues of e Paonic copus he P, te -pum te Theaetet and te Pa e formulas tha ntro-duce the shor dalogues rered n Xenophons Mb seem o

reinfore his impression OWV yp'W o Lu e a ys tht he"o ri nvetio nd his mnne of xprenghil d no men h hewhmlf \JOEa\v bxa33 cf 4..2 ut on the sge sion n he Mw when he records a onio he wh ts he ss not i he fi n ut o Xeophon, as hehad sn o hlf in he A (34-1. He ims tht he o had h ovestio Srae has wh tolu on houhold mnagmen bu he wa no Athes the short r tween the death o Cyru the Younger in 41 nd Sraesxuon 399 Oc nd 41819 (whe Cyru s o as having ded d I.4A Momigliao B Cbdge Mss 1971 p. 46



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h of o

narating his converston wth Albiads to an unnamd adinc,

and he is caref o giv stng of s daloge n place f not intme: "We wr sttng on th nches of he Lyceum where the o stge he contests (fr. 2 Dtmar SSR 6.a.3) Srates therefore as narator of on of s conversons s not new wh Plato, noris the setng of a daloge n plac or drmatzton of a diaoguey te ntroducon of a gstr such as cibiads putng hs ead onhs knees and wepng out of frstration fr 10 Dittmar 6a51)Or vdnc dos no allow s to deemne weer he Sratics alsodveloped the prely dramatc diaogue foe lato he xampe

of sns' e maes t cern hat a least one of hem ddnd e sclatons at he origins of the dstnctvely Sratic dalog n mmess and not naraive (LL and e nventons ofSimon and lamns as wl as tha of Xenophon wold lose theirmovaton f there had not n a prvilng sns n antqty that hnarrave dalog prcdd the dmatc dlogue

What hen dd lato add o a lirry form h fond alady wll dvelopd? T stng of e C gives s one answe: he sems to

hav nvented he soca etng fo ome of s diaogueswhicallows hm as an aho and hs eadea hs adence e rones ofhe agc damas The C opens wth Srts naratng oneof hs convesaons o an unknown companon

The vening oe we had ave rom he mpain a Piaea. Andwth joy in my ha aft long an aenc ud o my amiiahauns ntd th wsJng h o Taeas, h on st opsithe pecinct o the Queen and hee came n a considerabe cwd

Sm w stangs o m u most o th opl h w my qainances And when they saw me make my nexcted apcthey all spang up om whee they we ae to geet me And Chaee-phon, ng h msv n h s apt p fm h owd andacd up o m and, tang m y th hand, h asd m: "ras, hwd yo eape m he te wth yo le? ( 153a)

he setng o the Che and i cs of charctes eveal the damass concern for creating a conte of whch his acors n ave no

awareness and n whch her nwtting words and actons posess aarger sgncance I is meaningful tha Sates has rtrnd fomtle to dcuss elf-restrant o , wth wo thenans wohad remand in thns and a to fond in a wrstlng shool; theygow p to two of Thry yrns of40 and ther vge hraof for at th very end of the daloge 76c ns o the olent endof th ogachy n 3



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AJcibiades was murdeed y agent of he Tiy n 404. We do notknow when Antistenes, Aeschnes, Ecleides, Paedo, and Platowote hei diaoges wi his name as he e It s tre hat Ahenaes caims on the auoty o Satyrs) a Antishenes sad a ead fishand expeience of Alciades' chaacter and apaance,4u his caim does no gve us a dae fo his A What can camed oweve, s at any Aswten ae 40 (o even 15)wod a poenialy dfen daloge than one writen oe hspoanaon of the myseies o afer his demonc ee came to isbrtal end The sme caim can made or he Sow in gen

era I he woe foe aes eecio n 399 te aho o aSocaic dalogue cod no eplo e damaic iony o contemay Atic tragedy; i ae, he cod

Moe an any o he lieary Socais wo me eoe im o fol- owed im, Plato expoied te ionies of te agc e in his dramaizons o Srates conversations. L te tragic e, e wokedwit a myt we known o hs conemraies n he ourth cenyhe myh of Saes lie To epoi e tentities o tragic iony,Pato was aeful o povide is Saic diaoges wh a seting inime, as we as pce He was censd in aniquiy fo e anacronisms of es igs46 ese vey criicisms in o one of eeaes of he Socai doges o Pato a dsinguses hem fomhe wok of he oe Sraics. Pto cau to gve is diaoges asetng in place and n me, wen his srves his ppose

s whe aenicy is dspued) cearly se in a mewhen Peces is si ave and Aibades s no ye twenty c 18& and35d) A his ime, Acibiades ae was sl in dob, and Srates n

ter a dar popey In esponse o Aibiades yohful promis"From is day on I w pse justice Saes pies: If I oldhave my wis, yo wod end yo fe in h pui Bu I have adadful premoniionno se I do not have confdence in yocaaer u s I ea e mig o he iyhat his might welovewem t me and yo 35e) Saes mig ndeed ave hadsuch a premonion i was Plato who cod concude e dialogewh tis pophey m. To he Ponis who dots the Patonic auoshp oA 1 the are oher examples of this same

tragic rony in ohe Platonic dialogues Thee s Saes despion

45 .5 = 5g8. o e cc re ee ee; ey re colece by D-

ve e 8) pp 224. Ieely e ey l ppy o Xeopo e r e prove o m o o e oc gP prove r



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of Sor D

ofAcbiades' cr n Rl , 49-495c (whch oncy ncdes

ecrpon of Ptos reer s we) n hee e the mny nstnces when, n weened contexs res predcts hs own f.Sres ws overcome by the mght of Athens n 399 From t

n he uthor of Sw logou sver me for hs oues n tgdy, for Srtes ws no onger contempory fgurepod on the om stge, he w gc re rom the pst stkng the sge o trgey The myh of hs e n eh wee weknwn n Pto k orm of rony hovers over he gh rony oSes hmsf Po s not he ony Src who recnzes Sres

s prophe; n Xenophons A n he e of hs n ethSores prec the fte of the n of Anys one o hs ccsers291 An enophon nfms the uh o ths rophcy Bu sony n the crc u of Pto th tes wos ppy ohmef n possess sgnnce h he hmef coud not hve enw o

n Po the show of rtes' t n execton s cs over thev senes n whch he cts n sks We gmpse nmtons ofhs motty n the fte of the phsopher n he emc pos nthe G the M he , he R n even n teoue ke he S- ogue n whch Stes stns s sent psnce7 Perhs the most rfect n onnt exmpe ofPtos trc rny s o foun n he venh k of he Rlcwhen Ses hs ney competd hs pbe of the cve nd sksGucon queston: Wh woud hpn to he pisoner who h yme vne povence en free fm he ve shou he orco rturn o t rkness? "An f he prnes cou y he hns on

he rn who e o reese hem rom ther ns n e themupw, wou they no pt hm to deh hey woud, ndeec y', l 51)

Te Sc dogues of Po ow us to reze th f the comces of Ahens o mes or he erry crtcs whe Socrtesws ve8 the trc pe of Athens oer mes fo the drmcreprenton of Ses once he ws ed In deng wth hstoryhe lear Sa wh wte afe Scaes' deah cd exl

C G. 48 5o8 ad 57a M 4; 173d-3; &p 7 7P 2-3e the vr f Vla d h oug ra h ofhr S 2.

&h wrien dw ig -m grd nd vio Rstti " kaeror 3A.c.," e 9 (: 2 1-40; vd idrs ao d in "D lW Daog h Dah ? 14 1) 1-18, h h



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surce avaable to th the ragedan and the hstoran; he actors nhe een they narrae or dramatze were unwae of he ful mptons o ther words and actons Ths s partculary rue of Thucyddes and the Mean daogue, whch s ofen seen as a ffthenuryprooye of he Srac dogue.49

More han any of the terary Sratcs of the fourth century Patoook cre o prode some of hs Sratc dogues wth a sgnfcanhsor stng and cn pory asked whether Plto wroteSac daloges o he nd we know from Anhenes, Aeschnesstppus and Xenophon of the Ma.0 Pato also parts com

pny wh the oher erary Sratcs n refectng wthn hs tcdalogues on he esashd erary genres n terms of whch hs daogues were to b ndesto and agns whch thy wer snd nconras hs s he meanng, I ee of he rdde sed y Sratesa he end of the ymim: "Is t osse for one and the sme poeo comse h gdy and comdy? Neher Agathon nor Asophanes grasd he answer to ths rddle at once and t s an answerSraes could no hae gasd hmslf Pato s the ragc and comc

e of theymim

and he oject of hs mon s Sraes whomoves ween he sume and he rdcuous51 Po aso dws attenon to he literay chaacte o hs Satc does when he hasSrates ofer demantus a eson n terary ctsm n ok 3 of theR Srates has dscussd the sube mater o poetry (), andhe moes on o dsss s style 't R 3 32c Ther ae theepossbe styles of narrate (i: smpe mmetc, and medHomer works n the mxed stye and h spaks as the naraor(\ JL1' 33a and mronates one of hs characers For theeth pu of eduton the mmetc or dramtc sye itenay he ms dangerous for the student of etry rsks omng khe character who roe he akes 35c6 demantus mmdaey grasps he appcaton o he prey mmec stye to tragdy sSraes who remnds hm that t also appes to comedy 3) t iparadoca n ght of he dstnctons ha Srates and dman-

cnnecion exty dw C. Mcle "Fom nd Mein n te Meli aoueH 23 4): 385-40 rprt i (Ox 8) pp. 52-67. I cnden te ha co of e ch i Tucydd Macmid u: e ech . vit the tl utiy te eult o wicm o oly of elhemt b o tady. o ey v te ther fllty no e t tey ilumn im te nettion p s86)so Carl H. Ka Dd Plto Wre Src Dioue Q !):

so20. re i "Te nd Comi et o he u," A n 2 (197:

238-6 rprid i s A GeP . J. P tn d Peu bn !s 2 722



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T O f So logu [ 7 ]

tus shoud nay decae a peeene o te "pue mtato u s

peeence depends on he oje o the oes mtaton ov COU 4TV COV. 39dSates' esson n dsnctons o stye has a ong hsoy n Gee

teay ccsm, and a pc esu he Patonc dogues emseescame to descd as ee naae damac o "mmetco med Pocus, when e cassied the Rbli tse as a mxed diaoge dd no egste te act ta poey descd s enteydamatc snce Paos eade, he eads aoud and damacUy taeshe o Saes s naato5 ese dtnctons ae depoyed n

he tadon o the "st nento o he S and he categoy o he damac o mmetc seems o epesen e essenta omo ths gene We ae emnded nay ta Po's So logoi aetc mmes and tha Pato Scn maste Sohon s ans. he ojet o s mtaton s not an easy thng o compehend "especay o te moey cowd n a est o gateed n theaes s s the chaace a act wh deaon and cam and sways ey muc e se (o . qp646 ' K cXOV &n1O d o m Rep 10 6o4e5

5'f Plus I P am W Kl (Lipzg, a ) p 4 -162;L 3; nd Hl ( note 2)

' tnk te etor o s vom o h nton o wte t y n o c t w bng wttn n Cle n o t t nto o own npuled wok on n nt on wo vsos o wt ente don to tm l nt o t d o S Son n Atnn go

Clay - 1994 - The Origins of Socratic Dialogue

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