162

12.23.1 23. CONCERNING THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO JUDGE THE ODES MADE ACCORDING TO GOD

“I too concede at least this much to the many, that music ought to be judged by pleasure, not, however, that of just anyone, but that that muse is almost the most beautiful which delights the best and sufficiently educated men, 12.23.2 and especially that which delights the one man who is preeminent in virtue and education. For these reasons we say that the judges of these things need virtue, because they must be partakers of both other wisdom and indeed of courage. 12.23.3 For the true judge must not learn to judge from the theater, being struck with panic by the clamor of the crowd and his own lack of education, nor, on the other hand, though he knows better, through unmanliness and cowardice, from the same mouth with which he invoked the gods when he was about to judge, from this to speak falsely, rendering his judgment lightly; for the judge sits not as a pupil but rather as a teacher of the spectators, as is just, and he should oppose those spectators who award pleasure improperly and incorrectly.” 12.23.4 Among the Hebrews of old also, it was not for the multitude to judge the words uttered by the divine spirit and the inspired odes, but there were a few rare men, themselves also partakers of a divine spirit of discernment of the things said, to whom alone it was permitted to approve and consecrate the books of the prophets, and to reject those of men who were not such.

12.24.1 24. THAT ODES MUST BE ADOPTED ALSO AT BANQUETS, AS CERTAIN BANQUETING LAWS

“And that which the argument wished for in the beginning, to show that the aid to the chorus of Dionysus is well-spoken of, it has stated to the best of its ability. Let us then consider if this has turned out so. Such a gathering, of course, necessarily becomes ever more tumultuous as the drinking progresses, which we supposed at the beginning must necessarily happen in the matters now being discussed. Necessarily. 12.24.2 And every man is lifted up lighter than his usual self, and rejoices and is filled with frankness and disobedience to his neighbors in such a state, and he thinks he has become a capable ruler of himself and of others. Of course. 12.24.3 Did we not say, then, that when these things happen, the souls of the drinkers, becoming fiery like iron, become softer and younger, so that they happen to be tractable to him who is able and knows how both to educate and 12.24.4 and to mold them, just as when they were young? And this molder is the same one as then, the good lawgiver, whose laws must be banqueting laws, able to make that man who becomes hopeful and bold and more shameless than is proper, and unwilling to submit to order and the turn of silence and speech and drink and song, willing to do all things contrary to these; and to be able, with justice, to send in the noblest fear to fight against the ignoble boldness that is entering, which fear, reverence and shame, we have named divine fear. It is so. And of these laws, the guardians and their co-workers are the calm and sober.” 12.24.5 For this reason, therefore, it is fittingly handed down to us also to sing odes and hymns made to God at our banquets, with the guardians among us taking care of the proper order.

162

12.23.1 κγʹ. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ∆ΟΚΙΜΑΖΕΙΝ ΟΙΩΝ ΤΕ ΤΑΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΘΕΟΝ ΠΕΠΟΙΗΜΕΝΑΣ ΩΙ∆ΑΣ

«Συγχωρῶ γε τό γε τοσοῦτον καὶ ἐγὼ τοῖς πολλοῖς, δεῖν τὴν μουσικὴν ἡδονῇ κρίνεσθαι, μὴ μέντοι τῶν γε ἐπιτυχόντων, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν ἐκείνην εἶναι μοῦσαν καλλίστην, ἥτις τοὺς βελτίστους καὶ ἱκανῶς πεπαιδευμένους τέρπει, 12.23.2 μάλιστα δὲ ἥτις ἕνα τὸν ἀρετῇ τε καὶ παιδείᾳ διαφέροντα. διὰ ταῦτα δὲ ἀρετῆς φαμεν δεῖσθαι τοὺς τούτων κριτάς, ὅτι τῆς τε ἄλλης μετόχους αὐ12.23.3 τοὺς εἶναι δεῖ φρονήσεως καὶ δὴ καὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας. οὔτε γὰρ παρὰ θεάτρου δεῖ τόν γε ἀληθῆ κριτὴν κρίνειν μανθάνοντα καὶ ἐκπληττόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ θορύβου τῶν πολλῶν καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀπαιδευσίας οὔτ' αὖ γιγνώσκοντα δι' ἀνανδρίαν καὶ δειλίαν ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος, οὗπερ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπεκαλέσατο μέλλων κρίνειν, ἐκ τούτου ψευδόμενον ἀποφαίνεσθαι ῥᾳθύμως τὴν κρίσιν· οὐ γὰρ μαθητής, ἀλλὰ διδάσκαλος, ὥς γε τὸ δίκαιον, θεατῶν μᾶλλον ὁ κριτὴς καθίζει καὶ ἐναντιωσόμενος τοῖς τὴν ἡδονὴν μὴ προσηκόντως μηδὲ ὀρθῶς ἀποδιδοῦσι θεαταῖς.» 12.23.4 Καὶ παρ' Ἑβραίοις τὸ παλαιὸν οὐ τοῦ πλήθους ἦν τὸ κρίνειν τοὺς ἐκ θείου πνεύματος προφερομένους λόγους καὶ τὰς ἐνθέους ᾠδάς, ἀλλ' ἦσαν βραχεῖς καὶ σπάνιοι, μέτοχοι καὶ αὐτοὶ θείου πνεύματος διακριτικοῦ τῶν λεγομένων, οἷς καὶ μόνοις ἐξῆν ἐγκρίνειν καὶ ἀφιεροῦν τὰς τῶν προφητῶν βίβλους, τὰς δὲ τῶν μὴ τοιούτων ἀποδοκιμάζειν.

12.24.1 κδʹ. ΟΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΣΥΜΠΟΣΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΡΑΛΗΠΤΕΟΝ ΤΑΣ ΩΙ∆ΑΣ ΩΣΠΕΡ ΤΙΝΑΣ ΝΟΜΟΥΣ ΣΥΜΠΟΤΙΚΟΥΣ

«Καὶ ὅπερ ὁ λόγος ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἐβουλήθη, τὴν τῷ τοῦ ∆ιουνύσου χορῷ βοήθειαν ἐπιδεῖξαι καλῶς λεγομένην, εἰς δύναμιν εἴρηκε. σκοπώμεθα δὴ εἰ τοῦθ' οὕτω γέγονε. θορυβώδης μέν που ὁ ξύλλογος ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐξ ἀνάγκης προϊούσης τῆς πόσεως ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀεὶ ξυμβαίνει γινόμενος, ὅπερ ὑπεθέμεθα κατ' ἀρχὰς ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι γίνεσθαι περὶ τῶν νῦν λεγομένων. Ἀνάγκη. 12.24.2 Πᾶς δέ γε αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ κουφότερος αἴρεται καὶ γέγηθέ τε καὶ παρρησίας ἐμπίπλαται καὶ ἀνηκουστίας ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ τῶν πέλας, ἄρχων δ' ἱκανὸς ἀξιοῖ αὑτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων γεγονέναι. Τί μήν; 12.24.3 Οὐκοῦν ἔφαμεν, ὅταν γίνηται ταῦτα, καθάπερ τινὰ σίδηρον τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν πινόντων διαπύρους γινομένας μαλακωτέρας γίνεσθαι καὶ νεωτέρας, ὥστ' εὐαγώγους ξυμβαίνειν τῷ δυναμένῳ τε καὶ ἐπισταμένῳ παιδεύειν τε 12.24.4 καὶ πλάττειν, καθάπερ ὅτ' ἦσαν νέαι; τοῦτον δὲ εἶναι τὸν πλάστην τὸν αὐτὸν ὥσπερ τότε, τὸν ἀγαθὸν νομοθέτην, οὗ νόμους εἶναι δεῖ συμποτικούς, δυναμένους τὸν εὔελπιν καὶ θαρραλέον ἐκεῖνον γινόμενον καὶ ἀναισχυντότερον τοῦ δέοντος καὶ οὐ θέλοντα τάξιν καὶ τὸ κατὰ μέρος σιγῆς καὶ λόγου καὶ πόσεως καὶ μούσης ὑπομένειν ἐθέλειν ποιεῖν πάντα τούτοις τἀναντία καὶ εἰσιόντι τῷ μὴ καλῷ θάρρει τὸν κάλλιστον διαμαχόμενον φόβον εἰσπέμπειν οἵους τε εἶναι μετὰ δίκης, ὃν αἰδῶ τε καὶ αἰσχύνην θεῖον φόβον ὠνομάκαμεν. Ἔστι ταῦτα. Τούτων δέ γε τῶν νόμων εἶναι νομοφύλακας καὶ συνδημιουργοὺς αὐτοῖς τοὺς ἀθορύβους καὶ νήφοντας.» 12.24.5 Εἰκότως τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἐν τοῖς συμποσίοις ᾠδὰς καὶ ὕμνους εἰς θεὸν πεποιημένους ᾄδειν παραδέδοται, τοῦ προσήκοντος κόσμου τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν φυλάκων ἐπιμελομένων.