Phaedrus by Plato. - HTML preview

88

Phaedrus

Now what is that sort of thing but a regular piece is he not thought by posterity, when they see his of authorship?

compositions, and does he not think himself, while he is yet alive, to be a god?

PHAEDRUS: True.

PHAEDRUS: Very true.

SOCRATES: And if the law is finally approved, then the author leaves the theatre in high delight; but SOCRATES: Then do you think that any one of if the law is rejected and he is done out of his this class, however ill-disposed, would reproach speech-making, and not thought good enough to Lysias with being an author?

write, then he and his party are in mourning.

PHAEDRUS: Not upon your view; for according PHAEDRUS: Very true.

to you he would be casting a slur upon his own favourite pursuit.

SOCRATES: So far are they from despising, or rather so highly do they value the practice of writing.

SOCRATES: Any one may see that there is no disgrace in the mere fact of writing.

PHAEDRUS: No doubt.

PHAEDRUS: Certainly not.

SOCRATES: And when the king or orator has the power, as Lycurgus or Solon or Darius had, of SOCRATES: The disgrace begins when a man attaining an immortality or authorship in a state, writes not well, but badly.