Dialogues

xml:lang="grc">ἄρρεν) and manliness, or if you please, from his hard and unchangeable nature, which is the meaning of ἄρρατος: the latter is a derivation in every way appropriate to the God of war. Hermogenes Very true. Socrates And now, by the Gods, let us have no more of the Gods, for I am afraid of them; ask about anything but them, and thou shalt see how the steeds of Euthyphro can prance. Hermogenes Only one more God! I should like to know about Hermes, of whom I am said not to be a true son. Let us make him out, and then I shall know whether there is any meaning in what Cratylus says. Socrates I should imagine that the name Hermes has to do with speech, and signifies that he is the interpreter (ἑρμηνεὺς), or messenger, or thief, or liar, or bargainer; all that sort of thing has a great deal to do with language; as I was telling you, the word εἴρειν is expressive of the use of speech, and there is an often-recurring Homeric word ἐμήσατο, which means “he contrived”⁠—out of these two words, εἴρειν and μήσασθαι, the legislator formed the name of the God who invented language and speech;37 and we may imagine him dictating to us the use of this name: “O my friends,” says he to us, “seeing that he is the contriver of tales or speeches, you may rightly call him Εἰρέμης.” And this has been improved by us, as we think, into Hermes. Iris also appears to have been called from the verb “to tell” (εἴρειν), because she was a messenger. Hermogenes Then I am very sure that Cratylus was quite right in saying that I was no true son of Hermes (Ἑρμογένης), for I am not a good hand at speeches. Socrates There is also reason, my friend, in Pan being the double-formed son of Hermes. Hermogenes How do you make that out? Socrates You are aware that speech signifies all things (πᾶν), and is always turning them round and round, and has two forms, true and false? Hermogenes Certainly. Socrates Is not the truth that is in him the smooth or sacred form which dwells above among the Gods, whereas falsehood dwells among men below, and is rough like the goat of tragedy; for tales and falsehoods have generally to do with the tragic or goatish life, and tragedy is the place of them? Hermogenes Very true. Socrates Then surely Pan, who is the declarer of all things (πᾶν) and the perpetual mover (ἀεὶ πολῶν) of all things, is rightly called αἰπόλος (goatherd), he being the two-formed son of Hermes, smooth in his upper part, and rough and goatlike in his lower regions. And, as the son of Hermes, he is speech or the brother of speech, and that brother should be like brother is no marvel. But, as I was saying, my dear Hermogenes, let us get away from the Gods. Hermogenes From these sort of Gods, by all means, Socrates. But why should we not discuss another kind of Gods⁠—the sun, moon, stars, earth, aether, air, fire, water, the seasons, and the year? Socrates You impose a great many tasks upon me. Still, if you wish, I will not refuse. Hermogenes You will oblige me. Socrates How would you have me begin? Shall I take first of all him whom you mentioned first⁠—the sun? Hermogenes Very good. Socrates The origin of the sun will probably be clearer in the Doric form, for the Dorians call him ἅλιος, and this name is given to him because when he rises he gathers (ἁλίζοι) men together or because he is always rolling in his course (ἀεὶ εἰλεῖν ἰὺν) about the earth; or from αἰολεὼν, of which the meaning is the same as ποικίλλειν (to variegate), because he variegates the productions of the earth. Hermogenes But what is σελήνη (the moon)? Socrates That name is rather unfortunate for Anaxagoras. Hermogenes How so? Socrates The word seems to forestall his recent discovery, that the moon receives her light from the sun. Hermogenes Why do you say so? Socrates The two words σέλας (brightness) and φῶς (light) have much the same meaning? Hermogenes Yes. Socrates This light about the moon is always new (νέον) and always old (ἔνον), if the disciples of Anaxagoras say truly. For the sun in his revolution always adds new light, and there is the old light of the previous month. Hermogenes Very true. Socrates The moon is not unfrequently called σελανὰία. Hermogenes True. Socrates And as she has a light which is always old and always new (ἔνον νέον ἀεὶ) she may very properly have the name σελαενονεοάεια; and this when hammered into shape becomes σελανὰία. Hermogenes A real dithyrambic sort of name that, Socrates. But what do you say of the month and the stars? Socrates Μεὶς (month) is called from μειοῦσθαι (to lessen), because suffering diminution; the name of ἄστρα (stars) seems to be derived from ἀστραπὴ, which is an improvement on ἀναστρωπὴ, signifying the upsetting of the eyes (ἀναστρέφειν ὧπα). Hermogenes What do you say of πῦρ (fire) and ὕδωρ (water)? Socrates I am at a loss how to explain πῦρ; either the muse of Euthyphro has deserted me, or there is some very great difficulty in the word. Please, however, to note the contrivance which I adopt whenever I am in a difficulty of this sort. Hermogenes What is it? Socrates I will tell you; but I should like to know first whether you can tell me what is the meaning of the πῦρ? Hermogenes Indeed I cannot. Socrates Shall I tell you what I suspect to be the true explanation of this and several other words?⁠—My belief is that they are of foreign origin.