Dialogue

 1   Ion|         about the exact words of Homer, but very idiotic themselves.’ (
 2   Ion|     company of good poets and of Homer, who is the prince of them.
 3   Ion|       his skill is restricted to Homer, and that he knows nothing
 4   Ion|        up and is wide awake when Homer is being recited, but is
 5   Ion|      reason why some poets, like Homer, are restricted to a single
 6   Ion|       hear his embellishments of Homer. Socrates asks whether he
 7   Ion|         well about everything in Homer. ‘Yes, indeed he can.’ ‘
 8   Ion|        can interpret anything in Homer. But, rejoins Socrates,
 9   Ion|           rejoins Socrates, when Homer speaks of the arts, as for
10   Ion|     which is derived by him from Homer, just as the sophist professes
11   Ion|         to his embellishments of Homer, in which he declares himself
12   Ion|         poets; and especially of Homer, who is the best and most
13   Ion|       myself able to speak about Homer better than any man; and
14   Ion|          had as good ideas about Homer as I have, or as many.~SOCRATES:
15   Ion|         how exquisitely I render Homer. I think that the Homeridae
16   Ion|    Hesiod and Archilochus, or to Homer only?~ION: To Homer only;
17   Ion|        or to Homer only?~ION: To Homer only; he is in himself quite
18   Ion|     there any things about which Homer and Hesiod agree?~ION: Yes;
19   Ion|        you interpret better what Homer says, or what Hesiod says,
20   Ion|        divination, of which both Homer and Hesiod have something
21   Ion|         to have this skill about Homer only, and not about Hesiod
22   Ion|        the other poets? Does not Homer speak of the same themes
23   Ion|        these the themes of which Homer sings?~ION: Very true, Socrates.~
24   Ion|       but not in the same way as Homer.~SOCRATES: What, in a worse
25   Ion|         far worse.~SOCRATES: And Homer in a better way?~ION: He
26   Ion|       SOCRATES: And you say that Homer and the other poets, such
27   Ion|        Ion is equally skilled in Homer and in other poets, since
28   Ion|         any other poet; but when Homer is mentioned, I wake up
29   Ion|         to see that you speak of Homer without any art or knowledge.
30   Ion|       and have more to say about Homer than any other man. But
31   Ion|       speaking excellently about Homer is not an art, but, as I
32   Ion|     yourself when speaking about Homer, they do not speak of them
33   Ion|        are possessed and held by Homer. Of whom, Ion, you are one,
34   Ion|        one, and are possessed by Homer; and when any one repeats
35   Ion|          one recites a strain of Homer you wake up in a moment,
36   Ion|        by art or knowledge about Homer do you say what you say,
37   Ion|       you, Ion, when the name of Homer is mentioned have plenty
38   Ion|        answer is that you praise Homer not by art but by divine
39   Ion|        persuade me that I praise Homer only when I am mad and possessed;
40   Ion|          to ask. On what part of Homer do you speak well?—not surely
41   Ion|       Surely not about things in Homer of which you have no knowledge?~
42   Ion|        ION: And what is there in Homer of which I have no knowledge?~
43   Ion|          SOCRATES: Why, does not Homer speak in many passages about
44   Ion|     which you were reciting from Homer, you or the charioteer?~
45   Ion|     medicine.~SOCRATES: And when Homer says,~‘And she descended
46   Ion|     assign different passages in Homer to their corresponding arts,
47   Ion|      fisherman, do you, who know Homer so much better than I do,
48   Ion|        To be sure, Socrates; and Homer was my master.~SOCRATES:
49   Ion| knowledge you are able to praise Homer, you do not deal fairly
50   Ion|       many glorious things about Homer, and promises that you would
51   Ion|   promise that you would exhibit Homer, you are not dealing fairly
52   Ion|      these beautiful words about Homer unconsciously under his
53   Ion|        to you in your praises of Homer inspiration, and not art.~