11
SOCRATES
When we hear any other speaker, even a very good one, he produces absolutely no effect upon us, or not much, whereas the mere fragments of you or your words, even at second hand, and however imperfectly repeated, amaze and possess the soul of every man woman and child who comes within hearing of them…my heart leaps within me more than that of the Corybantian reveler, and my eyes rain tears when I hear them…and I have felt as if I could not endure the life I am leading…for he makes me confess that I ought not to live as I do, neglecting the many wants of my own soul and busying myself with the concerns of the Athenians. (Symposium 215-216)
This what Alcibiades, a prominent Athenian and intimate of Socrates, says about him in Plato’s ...
Get Ancient Greek Philosophy, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
