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Περὶ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν Μουσῶν ὅσα λέγεται μὴ κοινῶς.

[1] ἐκ τούτου σπονδὰς ἐποιησάμεθα ταῖς Μούσαις, καὶ τῷ Μουσηγέτῃ Ἀπόλλωνι παιανίσαντες 20 συνῄσαμεν τῷ Ἐράτωνι πρὸς τὴν λύραν ἐκ τῶν 743d Ἡσιόδου τὰ περὶ τὴν τῶν Μουσῶν γένεσιν. μετὰ δὲ τὴν ᾠδὴν Ἡρώδης ὁ ῥήτωρ ἀκούετʼ¹ ἔφη ὑμεῖς οἱ τὴν Καλλιόπην ἀποσπῶντες ἡμῶν, σὺν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν αὐτὴν παρεῖναί φασιν², οὐκ ἀναλύουσι³ δήπου συλλογισμοὺς οὐδʼ ἐρωτῶσι μεταλλάττοντας⁴, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πράττουσιν ἃ ῥητόρων ἐστὶ καὶ πολιτικῶν 5 ἔργα. τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἥ τε Κλειὼ τὸ ἐγκωμιαστικὸν προσάγεται· κλέα γὰρ ἐκάλουν τοὺς ἐπαίνους· ἥ τε Πολύμνια τὸ ἱστορικὸν ἔστι γὰρ μνήμη πολλῶν· ἐνιαχοῦ δὲ καὶ πάσας⁵·, ὥσπερ ἐν λείῳ⁶, τὰς Μούσας Μνείας καλεῖσθαι λέγουσιν. ἐγὼ δὲ μεταποιοῦμαὶ 10 743e τι καὶ τῆς Εὐτέρπης⁷· εἴπερ, ὥς φησι Χρύσιππος, αὕτη⁸ τὸ⁹ περὶ τὰς ὁμιλίας ἐπιτερπὲς εἴληχε καὶ κεχαρισμένον. ὁμιλητικὸς¹⁰ γὰρ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ δικανικὸς ὁ ῥήτωρ καὶ συμβουλευτικός· αἱ γὰρ ἕξεις ἔχουσι¹¹ καὶ εὐμενείας καὶ συνηγορίας καὶ ἀπολογίας· 15 πλείστῳ δὲ τῷ ἐπαινεῖν χρώμεθα καὶ τῷ ψέγειν, ἐν τούτοις οὐ¹² φαύλων οὐδὲ μικρῶν τυγχάνοντες, ἂν τεχνικῶς τοῦτο πράττωμεν ἂν δʼ ἀπείρως καὶ ἀτεχνῶς, ἀστοχοῦντες· τὸ γάρ

ὦ πόποι, ὡς ὅδε πᾶσι φίλος καὶ τίμιός ἐστιν¹³ 20

ἀνθρώποις

¹⁴ δὲ μᾶλλον, ὡς τὸ περὶ¹⁵ τὰς ὁμιλίας εὐάρμοστον ἔχουσι, πειθὼ¹⁶ καὶ χάριν οἶμαι προσήκειν.

[2] 743f καὶ ὁ Ἀμμώνιος οὐκ ἄξιον ἔφη σοι νεμεσᾶν, ὦ Ἡρώδη, καὶ πλείῃ¹⁷ χειρὶ τῶν Μουσῶν ἐπιδραττομένῳ· 5 κοινὰ¹⁸ γὰρ τὰ φίλων. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πολλὰς ἐγέννησε Μούσας ὁ Ζεύς, ὅπως ᾖ πᾶσιν ἀρύσασθαι τῶν καλῶν ἀφθόνως· οὔτε γὰρ κυνηγίας πάντες οὔτε στρατείας οὔτε ναυτιλίας οὔτε βαναυσουργίας, παιδείας δὲ καὶ λόγου δεόμεθα 10 πάντες

εὐρυεδοῦς ὅσοι καρπὸν αἰνύμεθα¹⁹ χθονός

²⁰ ὅθεν Ἀθηνᾶν μίαν καὶ Ἄρτεμιν καὶ Ἥφαιστον ἕνα, 744a Μούσας δὲ πολλὰς ἐποίησεν. ὅτι δʼ ἐννέα²¹ καὶ οὐκ ἐλάττους οὐδὲ πλείους, ἆρʼ ἂν²² ἡμῖν φράσειας; οἶμαι 15 δέ σε πεφροντικέναι φιλόμουσον οὕτω καὶ πολύμουσον ὄντα. τί δὲ τοῦτο σοφόν; εἶπεν ὁ Ἡρώδης· πᾶσι γὰρ διὰ στόματός ἐστι καὶ πάσαις ὑμνούμενος ὁ²³ τῆς ἐννεάδος ἀριθμός, ὡς πρῶτος ἀπὸ πρώτου περισσοῦ τετράγωνος ὢν καὶ περισσάκις περισσός, 20 744b ἅτε δὴ τὴν διανομὴν εἰς τρεῖς ἴσους λαμβάνων περισσούς. καὶ ὁ Ἀμμώνιος ἐπιμειδιάσας ἀνδρικῶς²⁴ ταυτὶ διεμνημόνευσας· καὶ πρόσθες αὐτοῖς ἔτι τοσοῦτον, τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐκ δυεῖν τῶν πρώτων κύβων²⁵ συνηρμόσθαι μονάδος καὶ ὀγδοάδος, καὶ καθʼ ἑτέραν αὖ πάλιν σύνθεσιν ἐκ δυεῖν τριγώνων, τριάδος καὶ ἑξάδος ὧν ἑκάτερος καὶ τέλειός ἐστιν. ἀλλὰ τί 5 ταῦτα ταῖς Μούσαις μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις θεοῖς; προσῆκεν, ὅτι Μούσας ἔχομεν ἐννέα, Δήμητρας δὲ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ Ἀρτέμιδας οὐκ ἔχομεν; οὐ γὰρ δήπου καὶ σὲ πείθει τὸ Μούσας γεγονέναι τοσαύτας, 744c ὅτι τοὔνομα τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῶν ἐκ τοσούτων 10 γραμμάτων ἐστίν. γελάσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἡρώδου καὶ σιωπῆς γενομένης, προὔτρεπεν ἡμᾶς ἐπιχειρεῖν ὁ Ἀμμώνιος.

[3] εἶπεν οὖν ὁ ἀδελφός, ὅτι τρεῖς ᾔδεσαν οἱ παλαιοὶ Μούσας· καὶ τούτου λέγειν ἀπόδειξιν ὀψιμαθές 15 ἐστι καὶ ἄγροικον ἐν τοσούτοις καὶ τοιούτοις ἀνδράσιν. αἰτία δʼ οὐχ ὡς ἔνιοι λέγουσι τὰ μελῳδούμενα γένη, τὸ διάτονον καὶ τὸ χρωματικὸν καὶ τὸ ἐναρμόνιον οὐδʼ οἱ τὰ διαστήματα παρέχοντες ὅροι, νήτη καὶ μέση καὶ ὑπάτη· καίτοι Δελφοί γε 20 τὰς Μούσας οὕτως ὠνόμαζον, οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἑνὶ²⁶ μαθήματι, μᾶλλον δὲ μορίῳ μαθήματος ἑνὸς τοῦ μουσικοῦ 744d , τῷ γʼ ἁρμονικῷ²⁷, προστιθέντες. ἁπάσας δʼ ὡς ἐγὼ νομίζω τὰς διὰ λόγου περαινομένας ἐπιστήμας καὶ τέχνας οἱ παλαιοὶ καταμαθόντες ἐν τρισὶ γένεσιν 25 οὔσας, τῷ φιλοσόφῳ καὶ τῷ ῥητορικῷ καὶ τῷ μαθηματικῷ, τριῶν ἐποιοῦντο δῶρα καὶ χάριτας θεῶν ἃς²⁸ Μούσας ὠνόμαζον. ὓστερον δὲ καὶ καθʼ Ἡσίοδον ἤδη μᾶλλον ἐκκαλυπτομένων τῶν δυνάμεων²⁹, διαιροῦντες εἰς καὶ εἴδη τρεῖς πάλιν ἑκάστην ἔχουσαν ἐν αὑτῇ διαφορὰς ἑώρων ὦν³⁰ ἐν μὲν τῷ³¹ μαθηματικῷ τὸ περὶ μουσικήν ἐστι καὶ τὸ³² περὶ 5 ἀριθμητικὴν³³ καὶ τὸ περὶ³⁴ γεωμετρίαν, ἐν τῷ φιλοσόφῳ τὸ λογικὸν καὶ τὸ ἠθικὸν καὶ τὸ φυσικόν, 744e ἐν τῷ ῥητορικῷ τὸ ἐγκωμιαστικὸν πρῶτον γεγονέναι λέγουσι, δεύτερον τὸ συμβουλευτικόν, ἔσχατον δὲ τὸ δικανικόν. ὧν μηδὲν ἄθεον μηδʼ ἄμουσον 10 εἶναι ἄμοιρον κρείττονος καὶ ἡγεμονίας ἀξιοῦντες, εἰκότως ἰσαρίθμους τὰς Μούσας οὐκ ἐποίησαν ἀλλʼ οὔσας ἀνεῦρον. ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ ἐννέα διαίρεσιν εἰς τρεῖς λαμβάνει τριάδας, ὧν ἑκάστη πάλιν εἰς μονάδας διαιρεῖται τοσαύτας· οὕτως 15 ἓν μέν ἐστι καὶ κοινὸν ἡ τοῦ λόγου περὶ τὸ κύριον ὀρθότης, νενέμηνται σύντρεις εἰς³⁵ τῶν τριῶν γενῶν ἕκαστον· εἶτα πάλιν αὖ μοναδικῶς ἑκάστη 744f μίαν περιέπει λαχοῦσα καὶ κοσμεῖ δύναμιν. οὐ οἶμαι τοὺς ποιηματικοὺς³⁶ καὶ τοὺς ἀστρολογικοὺς 20 ἐγκαλεῖν ἡμῖν ὡς παραλείπουσι³⁷· τὰς τέχνας αὐτῶν, εἰδότας οὐδὲν ἧττον ἡμῶν ἀστρολογίαν γεωμετρίᾳ ποιητικὴν δὲ μουσικῇ συννεμομένην.

[4] ὡς δὲ ταῦτʼ ἐρρήθη³⁸, τοῦ ἰατροῦ Τρύφωνος εἰπόντος τῇ δʼ, ἡμετέρᾳ³⁹ τέχνῃ τί παθὼν τὸ Μουσεῖον ἀποκέκλεικας; ὑπολαβὼν Διονύσιος ὁ Μελιτεὺς πολλούς ἔφη συμπαρακαλεῖς⁴⁰ ἐπὶ τὴν κατηγορίαν· καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ γεωργοὶ τὴν Θάλειαν οἰκειούμεθα,· 745a φυτῶν καὶ σπερμάτων εὐθαλούντων καὶ 5 βλαστανόντων ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτῇ καὶ σωτηρίαν ἀποδιδόντες. ἀλλʼ οὐ δίκαια ἔφην ἐγὼ ποιεῖτε· καὶ γὰρ ὑμῖν ἔστι Δημήτηρ ἀνησιδώρα καὶ Διόνυσος

δενδρέων νομὸν⁴¹ πολυγαθὴς αὐξάνων,

ἁγνὸν φέγγος ὀπώρας

10 ὡς Πίνδαρός φησι· καὶ τοὺς ἰατροὺς Ἀσκληπιὸν ἔχοντας ἴσμεν ἡγεμόνα καὶ Ἀπόλλωνι Παιᾶνι χρωμένους πάντα, Μουσηγέτῃ μηθέν⁴². πάντες γάρ ἄνθρωποι θεῶν χατέουσι⁴³ καθʼ Ὅμηρον, οὐ πάντες δὲ 745b πάντων. ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο θαυμάζω, πῶς ἔλαθε Λαμπρίαν 15 τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ Δελφῶν. λέγουσι γάρ οὐ φθόγγων⁴⁴ οὐδὲ χορδῶν ἐπωνύμους γεγονέναι τὰς Μούσας παρʼ αὐτοῖς· ἀλλά, τοῦ κόσμου τριχῇ πάντα νενεμημένου, πρώτην μὲν εἶναι τὴν τῶν ἀπλανῶν μερίδα, δευτέραν δὲ τὴν τῶν πλανωμένων, ἐσχάτην 20 δὲ τὴν τῶν ὑπὸ σελήνην συνηρτῆσθαι δὲ πάσας καὶ συντετάχθαι κατὰ λόγους ἐναρμονίους, ὧν ἑκάστης φύλακα Μοῦσαν εἶναι, τῆς μὲν πρώτης ὑπάτην τῆς δʼ ἐσχάτης Νεάτην, Μέσην δὲ τὴν μεταξὺ συνέχουσαν ἅμα καὶ συνεπιστρέφουσαν, ὡς ἀνυστὸν⁴⁵ 25 ἐστι, τὰ θνητὰ τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ τὰ περίγεια τοῖς 745c οὐρανίοις· ὡς καὶ Πλάτων⁴⁶ ᾐνίξατο τοῖς τῶν Μοιρῶν ὀνόμασι τὴν μὲν Ἄτροπον τὴν δὲ Κλωθὼ⁴⁷ τὴν δὲ Λάχεσιν προσαγορεύσας· ἐπεὶ ταῖς γε τῶν ὀκτὼ σφαιρῶν περιφοραῖς Σειρῆνας οὐ Μούσας ἰσαρίθμους 5 ἐπέστησεν⁴⁸.

[5] ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Μενέφυλος ὁ Περιπατητικὸς τὰ μὲν Δελφῶν εἶπεν ἁμωσγέπως⁴⁹ μετέχει πιθανότητος· ὁ δὲ Πλάτων ἄτοπος, ταῖς μὲν ἀιδίοις καὶ θείαις⁵⁰ περιφοραῖς ἀντὶ τῶν Μουσῶν τὰς Σειρῆνας 10 ἐνιδρύων, οὐ πάνυ φιλανθρώπους οὐδὲ χρηστὰς δαίμονας· τὰς δὲ Μούσας ἢ παραλείπων παντάπασιν ἢ τοῖς τῶν Μοιρῶν ὀνόμασι προσαγορεύων καὶ καλῶν θυγατέρας Ἀνάγκης. ἄμουσον γὰρ ἡ Ἀνάγκη μουσικὸν δʼ ἡ Πειθώ, καὶ

Μούσαις⁵¹ φιλοδαμοῦσα⁵²

15 745d πολὺ μᾶλλον οἶμαι τῆς Ἐμπεδοκλέους⁵³ Χάριτος

στυγέει δύστλητον ἀνάγκην.

[6] πάνυ μὲν οὖν ὁ Ἀμμώνιος ἔφη τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀκούσιον αἰτίαν καὶ ἀπροαίρετον ἡ δʼ ἐν θεοῖς ἀνάγκη δύστλητος οὔκ ἐστʼ οἶμαι δʼ οὐδὲ⁵⁴ δυσπειθὴς 20 οὐδὲ βιαία, πλὴν τοῖς κακοῖς, ὥς ἐστι νόμος⁵⁵ ἐν πόλει τοῖς βελτίστοις τὸ βέλτιστον αὐτῆς⁵⁶, ἀπαράτρεπτον καὶ ἀπαράβατον οὐ τῷ μὲν⁵⁷ ἀδυνάτῳ τῷ δʼ ἀβουλήτῳ τῆς μεταβολῆς⁵⁸. αἵ γε μὲν δὴ⁵⁹ Ὁμήρου⁶⁰ Σειρῆνες οὐ κατὰ λόγον ἡμᾶς; τῷ μύθῳ φοβοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνος ὀρθῶς ᾐνίττετο⁶¹ τὴν τῆς μουσικῆς αὐτῶν δύναμιν οὐκ ἀπάνθρωπον οὐδʼ ὀλέθριον 745e οὖσαν ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀπιούσαις ἐκεῖ ψυχαῖς, 5 ὡς ἔοικε, καὶ πλανωμέναις μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν ἔρωτα πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια καὶ θεῖα λήθην δὲ τῶν θνητῶν ἐμποιοῦσαν κατέχειν καὶ κατᾴδειν⁶² θελγομένας· αἱ δʼ ὑπὸ χαρᾶς ἕπονται καὶ συμπεριπολοῦσιν. ἐνταῦθα δὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀμυδρά τις οἷον ἠχὼ τῆς μουσικῆς 10 ἐκείνης ἐξικνουμένη διὰ λόγων ἐκκαλεῖται καὶ ἀναμιμνήσκει τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν τότε· τὰ δʼ ὦτα τῶν⁶³ μὲν πλείστων⁶⁴ περιαλήλιπται καὶ καταπέπλασται σαρκίνοις 745f ἐμφράγμασι καὶ πάθεσιν⁶⁵, οὐ κηρίνοις⁶⁶· ἣ⁶⁷ δὲ διʼ⁶⁸ εὐφυΐαν αἰσθάνεται καὶ μνημονεύει, καὶ τῶν⁶⁹ 15 ἐμμανεστάτων ἐρώτων οὐδὲν ἀποδεῖ τὸ πάθος αὐτῆς, γλιχομένης καὶ ποθούσης λῦσαί τε⁷⁰ μὴ δυναμένης ἑαυτὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος. οὐ μὴν ἔγωγε παντάπασι συμφέρομαι τούτοις· ἀλλά μοι δοκεῖ Πλάτων ὡς ἀτράκτους καὶ ἠλακάτας τοὺς ἄξονας, σφονδύλους 20 δὲ τοὺς ἀστέρας, ἐξηλλαγμένως ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὰς Μούσας Σειρῆνας ὀνομάζειν⁷¹ εἰρούσας⁷² τὰ θεῖα καὶ λεγούσας ἐν Ἅιδου, καθάπερ Σοφοκλέους Ὀδυσσεὺς φησι Σειρῆνας εἰσαφικέσθαι Φόρκου κόρας, θροοῦντε⁷³ τοὺς Ἅιδου νόμους⁷⁴ 746a Μοῦσαι δʼ εἰσὶν⁷⁵ ὀκτὼ καὶ⁷⁶ συμπεριπολοῦσι ταῖς ὀκτὼ σφαίραις, μία δὲ τὸν περὶ γῆν εἴληχε τόπον. αἱ μὲν οὖν ὀκτὼ περιόδοις ἐφεστῶσαι τὴν τῶν πλανωμένων 5 ἄστρων πρὸς τὰ ἀπλανῆ καὶ πρὸς ἄλληλα συνέχουσι καὶ διασῴζουσιν ἁρμονίαν⁷⁷· μία δὲ τὸν μεταξὺ γῆς καὶ σελήνης τόπον ἐπισκοποῦσα καὶ περιπολοῦσα, τοῖς θνητοῖς, ὅσον αἰσθάνεσθαι καὶ δέχεσθαι πέφυκε, χαρίτων καὶ ῥυθμοῦ καὶ ἁρμονίας ἐνδίδωσι, 10 διὰ λόγου καὶ ᾠδῆς πειθὼ πολιτικῆς καὶ κοινωνητικῆς συνεργὸν ἐπάγουσα παραμυθουμένην καὶ κηλοῦσαν ἡμῶν τὸ ταραχῶδες καὶ τὸ πλανώμενον ὥσπερ 746b ἐξ ἀνοδίας ἀνακαλουμένην ἐπιεικῶς καὶ καθιστᾶσαν⁷⁸.

ὅσσα⁷⁹ δὲ μὴ πεφίληκε

⁸⁰

Ζεύς, ἀτύζονται βοὰν⁸¹ 15

Πιερίδων ἀίοντα⁸²

κατὰ Πίνδαρον.

[7] τούτοις ἐπιφωνήσαντος τοῦ Ἀμμωνίου τὰ τοῦ Ξενοφάνους⁸³ ὥσπερ εἰώθει 20

ταῦτα δεδοξάσθαι⁸⁴ μὲν ἐοικότα τοῖς ἐτύμοισι

καὶ παρακαλοῦντος ἀποφαίνεσθαι καὶ λέγειν τὸ δοκοῦν ἕκαστον, ἐγὼ μικρὸν διασιωπήσας ἔφην ὅτι καὶ Πλάτων αὐτὸς ὥσπερ ἴχνεσι τοῖς ὀνόμασι τῶν θεῶν ἀνευρίσκειν οἴεται τὰς δυνάμεις· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμοίως μὲν τιθῶμεν ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ περὶ τὰ οὐράνια μίαν τῶν Μουσῶν·, ἣ Οὐρανία φαίνεται· καὶ εἰκὸς ἐκεῖνα μὴ πολλῆς μηδὲ ποικίλης κυβερνήσεως 5 746c δεῖσθαι, μίαν ἔχοντα καὶ ἁπλῆν αἴτιον⁸⁵ φύσιν· ὅπου δὲ πολλαὶ πλημμέλειαι πολλαὶ δʼ ἀμετρίαι καὶ παραβάσεις, ἐνταῦθα τὰς ὀκτὼ μετοικιστέον, ἄλλην ἄλλο κακίας καὶ ἀναρμοστίας εἶδος ἐπανορθουμένας⁸⁶. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ βίου τὸ μὲν σπουδῇ τὸ δὲ παιδιᾷ⁸⁷ μέρος 10 ἐστί, καὶ δεῖται τοῦ μουσικῶς καὶ μετρίως, τὸ μὲν σπουδάζον ἡμῶν ἥ τε Καλλιόπη καὶ ἡ Κλειὼ καὶ ἡ Θάλεια⁸⁸, τῆς περὶ θεοὺς ἐπιστήμης καὶ θέας ἡγεμὼν οὖσα, δόξουσιν ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ συγκατορθοῦν· αἱ δὲ λοιπαὶ τὸ μεταβάλλον ἐφʼ ἡδονὴν καὶ παιδιὰν 15 ὑπʼ ἀσθενείας μὴ περιορᾶν ἀνιέμενον ἀκολάστως 746d καὶ θηριωδῶς, ἀλλʼ ὀρχήσει καὶ ᾠδῇ καὶ χορείᾳ ῥυθμὸν ἐχούσῃ καὶ ἁρμονίᾳ καὶ λόγῳ κεραννύμενον εὐσχημόνως καὶ κοσμίως ἐκδέχεσθαι καὶ παραπέμπειν. ἐγὼ μέντοι, τοῦ Πλάτωνος ἐν 20 ἑκάστῳ δύο⁸⁹ πράξεων ἀπολείποντος⁹⁰ ἀρχάς, τὴν μὲν ἔμφυτον ἐπιθυμίαν ἡδονῶν τὴν δʼ ἐπείσακτον δόξαν ἐφιεμένην τοῦ ἀρίστου, καὶ τὸ μὲν λόγον τὸ δὲ πάθος ἔστιν ὅτε⁹¹ καλοῦντος, ἑτέρας δʼ αὖ πάλιν τούτων ἑκατέρου διαφορὰς⁹² ἔχοντος, ἑκάστην ὁρῶ 25 μεγάλης καὶ θείας ὡς ἀληθῶς παιδαγωγίας δεομένην. αὐτίκα τοῦ λόγου τὸ μέν ἐστι πολιτικὸν καὶ βασιλικόν, ἐφʼ ᾧ τὴν Καλλιόπην τετάχθαι φησὶν ὁ Ἡσίοδος⁹³· τὸ φιλότιμον δʼ ἡ Κλειὼ μάλιστα κυδαίνειν καὶ συνεπιγαυροῦν εἴληχεν ἡ δὲ Πολύμνια 5 746e τοῦ φιλομαθοῦς ἐστι καὶ μνημονικοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς· διὸ καὶ Σικυώνιοι⁹⁴ τῶν τριῶν Μουσῶν⁹⁵ μίαν Πολυμάθειαν καλοῦσιν. Εὐτέρπῃ⁹⁶ δὲ πᾶς ἄν τις ἀποδοίη τὸ θεωρητικὸν τῆς περὶ φύσιν ἀληθείας, οὔτε καθαρωτέρας οὔτε καλλίους ἑτέρῳ γένει παραλιπὼν εὐπαθείας 10 καὶ τέρψεις. τῆς δʼ ἐπιθυμίας τὸ μὲν περὶ ἐδωδὴν καὶ πόσιν ἡ Θάλεια κοινωνητικὸν ποιεῖ καὶ 746f συμποτικὸν ἐξ ἀπανθρώπου⁹⁷ καὶ θηριώδους· διὸ τοὺς φιλοφρόνως καὶ ἱλαρῶς συνόντας⁹⁸ ἀλλήλοις ἐν οἴνῳ θαλιάζειν λέγομεν, οὐ τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας καὶ παροινοῦντας· 15 ταῖς δὲ περὶ συνουσίαν σπουδαῖς⁹⁹ ἡ Ἐρατὼ παροῦσα μετὰ πειθοῦς¹⁰⁰ λόγον ἐχούσης καὶ καιρὸν ἐξαιρεῖ¹⁰¹ καὶ κατασβέννυσι τὸ μανικὸν¹⁰² τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ οἰστρῶδες, εἰς φιλίαν καὶ πίστιν οὐχ ὕβριν οὐδʼ¹⁰³ ἀκολασίαν τελευτώσης. οἵδε¹⁰⁴ καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν ἡδονήν¹⁰⁵, 20 εἶδος εἴτε τῷ λόγῳ μᾶλλον εἴτε τῷ πάθει προσῆκον εἴτε κοινὸν ἀμφοῖν ἐστιν, αἱ λοιπαὶ δύο, Μελπομένη 747a καὶ Τερψιχόρη, παραλαβοῦσαι κοσμοῦσιν· ὥστε τὴν μὲν¹⁰⁶ εὐφροσύνην μὴ κήλησιν εἶναι, τὸ δὲ μὴ γοητείαν ἀλλὰ τέρψιν.

Quaestiones Convivales. Plutarch. ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs. Leipzig. 1892.

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. IV. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1892.)

Translations (1)

Symposiacs Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. III. Goodwin, William W., editor; Creech, Thomas, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 9.14 focus

Question XIV.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF THE MUSES, NOT COMMONLY KNOWN.
HERODES, AMMONIUS, LAMPRIAS, TRYPHON, DIONYSIUS, MENEPHYLUS, PLUTARCH.

[1] THIS discourse ended, we poured out our offerings to the Muses, and together with a hymn in honor of Apollo, the patron of the Muses, we sung with Erato, who played upon the harp, the generation of the Muses out of Hesiod. After the song was done, Herod the rhetorician said: Pray, sirs, hearken. Those that will not admit Calliope to be ours say that she keeps company with kings, not such, I suppose, as are busied in resolving syllogisms or disputing, but such who do those things that belong to rhetoricians and statesmen. But of the rest of the Muses, Clio abets encomiums, for praises are called κλέα; and Polymnia history, for her name signifies the remembrance of many things; and it is said that all the Muses were somewhere called Remembrances. And for my part, I think Euterpe hath some relation to us too, if (as Chrysippus says) her lot be agreeableness in discourse and pleasantness in conversation. For it belongs to an orator to converse, as well as plead or give advice; since it is his part to gain the favor of his auditors, and to defend or excuse his client. To praise or dispraise is the commonest theme; and if we manage this artfully, it will turn to considerable account; if unskilfully, we are lost. For that saying,

Gods! how he is honored and beloved by all,¹

chiefly, in my opinion, belongs to those men who have a pleasing and persuasive faculty in discourse.

[2] Then said Ammonius to Herod: We have no reason to be angry with you for grasping all the Muses, since the goods that friends have are common, and Jove hath begotten a great many Muses, that every man may be plentifully supplied; for we do not all need skill in hunting, military arts, navigation, or any mechanical trades; but learning and instruction is necessary for every one that

Eats the fruits of the spacious earth.²

And therefore Jove made but one Minerva, one Diana, one Vulcan, but many Muses. But why there should be nine, and no more nor less, pray acquaint us; for you, so great a lover of, and so well acquainted with, the Muses, must certainly have considered this matter. What difficulty is there in that? replied Herod. The number nine is in every body’s mouth, as being the first square of the first odd number; and as doubly odd, since it may be divided into three equal odd numbers. Ammonius with a smile subjoined: Boldly said; and pray add, that this number is composed of the first two cubes, one and eight, and according to another composition of two triangles, three and six, each of which is itself perfect. But why should this belong to Muses more than any other of the Gods? For we have nine Muses, but not nine Cereses, nine Minervas or Dianas. For I do not believe you take it for a good argument, that the Muses must be so many, because their mother’s name (Mnemosyne) consists of just so many letters. Herod smiling, and every body being silent, Ammonius desired our opinions.

[3] My brother said, that the ancients celebrated but three Muses, and that to bring proofs for this assertion would be pedantic and uncivil in such a company. The reason of this number was (not as some say) the three different sorts of music, the diatonic, the chromatic, and harmonic, nor those stops that make the intervals nete, mese, and hypate; though the Delphians gave the Muses this name erroneously, in my opinion, appropriating it to one science, or rather to a part of one single science, the harmoniac part of music. But, as I think, the ancients, reducing all arts and sciences which are practised and performed by reason or discourse to three heads, philosophy, rhetoric, and mathematics, accounted them the gifts of three Gods, and named them the Muses. Afterwards, about Hesiod’s time, the sciences being better and more thoroughly looked into, men subdividing them found that each science contained three different parts. In mathematics are comprehended music, arithmetic, and geometry; in philosophy are logic, ethics, and physics. In rhetoric, they say the first part was demonstrative or encomiastic, the second deliberative, the third judicial. None of all which they believed to be without a God or a Muse or some superior power for its patron, and did not, it is probable, make the Muses equal in number to these divisions, but found them to be so. Now, as you may divide nine into threes, and each three into as many units; so there is but one rectitude of reason, which is employed about the supreme truth, and which belongs to the whole in common, while each of the three kinds of science has three Muses assigned to it, and each of these has her separate faculty assigned to her, which she disposes and orders. And I do not think the poets and astrologers will find fault with us for passing over their professions in silence, since they know, as well as we, that astrology is comprehended in geometry, and poetry in music.

[4] As soon as he had said this, Trypho the physician subjoined: How hath our art offended you, that you have shut the Museum against us? And Dionysius of Melite added: Sir, you have a great many that will side with you in the accusation; for we farmers think Thalia to be ours, assigning her the care of springing and budding seeds and plants. But I interposing said: Your accusation is not just; for you have bountiful Ceres, and Bacchus who (as Pindar phraseth it) increaseth the trees, the chaste beauty of the fruits; and we know that Aesculapius is the patron of the physicians, and they make their address to Apollo as Paean, but never as the Muses’ chief. All men (as Homer says) stand in need of the Gods, but all stand not in need of all. But I wonder Lamprias did not mind what the Delphians say in this matter; for they affirm that the Muses amongst them were not named so either from the strings or sounds in music; but the universe being divided into three parts, the first portion was of the fixed stars, the second of the planets, the third of those things that are under the concave of the moon; and all these are ordered according to harmonical proportions, and of each portion a Muse takes care; Hypate of the first, Nete of the last, and Mese in the middle, combining as much as possible, and turning about mortal things with the Gods, and earthly with heavenly. And Plato intimates the same thing under the names of the Fates, calling one Atropos, the other Lachesis, and the other Clotho. For he committed the revolutions of the eight spheres to so many Sirens, and not Muses.

[5] Then Menephylus the Peripatetic subjoined: The Delphians’ opinion hath indeed somewhat of probability in it; but Plato is absurd in committing the eternal and divine revolutions not to the Muses but to the Sirens, Daemons that neither love nor are benevolent to mankind, wholly passing by the Muses, or calling them by the names of the Fates, the daughters of Necessity. For Necessity is averse to the Muses; but Persuasion being more agreeable and better acquainted with them, in my opinion, than the grace of Empedocles,

Intolerable Necessity abhors.

[6] No doubt, said Ammonius, as it is in us a violent and involuntary cause; but in the Gods Necessity is not intolerable, uncontrollable, or violent, unless it be to the wicked: as the law in a commonwealth to the best men is its best good, not to be violated or transgressed, not because they have no power, but because they have no will, to change it. And Homer’s Sirens give us no just reason to be afraid; for he in that fable rightly intimates the power of their music not to be hurtful to man, but delightfully charming, and detaining the souls which pass from hence thither and wander after death; working in them a love for divine and heavenly things, and a forgetfulness of every thing on earth; and they extremely pleased follow and attend them. And from thence some imperfect sound, and as it were echo of that music, coming to us by the means of reason and good precepts, rouseth our souls, and restores the notice of those things to our minds, the greatest part of which lie encumbered with and entangled in disturbances of the flesh and distracting passions. But the generous soul hears and remembers, and her affection for those pleasures riseth up to the most ardent passion, whilst she eagerly desires but is not able to free herself from the body.

It is true, I do not approve what he says; but Plato seems to me, as he hath strangely and unaccountably called the axes spindles and distaffs, and the stars whirls, so to have named the Muses Sirens, as delivering divine things to the ghosts below, as Ulysses in Sophocles says of the Sirens,

I next to Phorcus’s daughters came,

Who fix the sullen laws below.

Eight of the Muses take care of the spheres, and one of all about the earth. The eight who govern the motions of the spheres maintain the harmony of the planets with the fixed stars and one another. But that one who looks after the place betwixt the earth and moon and takes care of mortal things, by means of speech and song introduceth persuasion, assisting our natural consent to community and agreement, and giveth men as much harmony, grace, and order as is possible for them to receive; introducing this persuasion to smooth and quiet our disturbances, and as it were to recall our wandering desires out of the wrong way, and to set us in the right path. But, as Pindar says,

Whom Jove abhors, he starts to hear

The Muses sounding in his ear.

[7] To this discourse Ammonius, as he used to do, subjoined that verse of Xenophanes,

This fine discourse seems near allied to truth,

and desired every one to deliver his opinion. And I, after a short silence, said: As Plato thinks by the name, as it were by tracks, to discover the powers of the Gods, so let us place in heaven and over heavenly things one of the Muses, Urania. And it is likely that those require no distracting variety of cares to govern them, since they have the same single nature for the cause of all their motions. But where are a great many irregularities and disorders, there we must place the eight Muses, that we may have one to correct each particular irregularity and miscarriage. There are two parts in a man’s life, the serious and the merry; and each must be regulated and methodized. The serious part, which instructs us in the knowledge and contemplation of the Gods, Calliope, Clio, and Thalia seem chiefly to look after and direct. The other Muses govern our weak part, which changes presently into wantonness and folly; they do not neglect our brutish and violent passions and let them run their own course, but by apposite dancing, music, song, and orderly motion mixed with reason, bring them down to a moderate temper and condition. For my part, since Plato admits two principles of every action, the natural desire after pleasure, and acquired opinion which covets and wishes for the best, and calls one reason and the other passion, and since each of these is manifold, I think that each requires a considerable and, to speak the truth, a divine direction. For instance, one faculty of our reason is said to be political or imperial, over which Hesiod says Calliope presides; Clio’s province is the noble and aspiring; and Polymnia’s that faculty of the soul which inclines to attain and keep knowledge (and therefore the Sicyonians call one of their three Muses Polymathia); to Euterpe everybody allows the searches into nature and physical speculations, there being no greater, no sincerer pleasure belonging to any other sort of speculation in the world. The natural desire to meat and drink Thalia reduceth from brutish and uncivil to be sociable and friendly; and therefore we say θαλιάζειν of those that are friendly, merry, and sociable over their cups, and not of those that are quarrelsome and mad. Erato, together with Persuasion, that brings along with it reason and opportunity, presides over marriages; she takes away and extinguisheth all the violent fury of pleasure, and makes it tend to friendship, mutual confidence, and endearment, and not to effeminacy, lust, or discontent. The delight which the eye or ear receives is a sort of pleasure, either appropriate to reason or to passion, or common to them both. This the two other Muses, Terpsichore and Melpomene, so moderate, that the one may only cheer and not charm, the other only please and not bewitch.

Notes on the current edition

Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία

1. ἀούειν mei

2. φασιν] φησιν sc. Ἡσίοδος Madvigius. cf. Theog. 80: ἡ γὰρ καὶ βασιλεῦσιν ἅμ’ αἰδοίοισιν ὀπηδεῖ

3. ἀναλυουσι] ἀναλογοῦσι mei

4. μεταλλάττοντας W: μεγάλα εἰπόντας

5. πάσας] πλάσας mei

6. ἐν λείῳ] ἓν τέλειον Doehnerus. Mihi in mentem venit ἐν Δίῳ, aliis alia, sed nihil certum

7. τῆς Εὐτέρπης] τῆς τερπῆς (aut τῇ lac. 3 τερπὴς Vd) mei

8. αὕτη Grafius

9. τὸ Turnebus: τὶ vel τι

10. ὁμιλητικὸς] ὁμιλητὴν· καὶ mei

11. αἱ γὰρ λέξεις ἔχουσι (malim ἔχουσί τι) καὶ συμβουλίας καὶ συνηγορίας W

12. οὐ] ὧν mei

13. Hom. κ 38

14. lac. indicavit W quam ipse supplet verbis οὐ βασιλεῦσι ῥήτορσι; malim: οὐδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων (aut οὐ βασιλεῦσι) δημηγόρΟΙΣ (aut πολιτιΚΟΙΣ)

15. τὸ περὶ] τῷ ἀέρι mei

16. καὶ πειθὼ W

17. καὶ πλείῃ *: καὶ πειε aut καὶ παίειν cf. Hom. λ 359

18. κοινὰ κἑ] vid. p. 644c

19. ib. ἀννύμεθα mei

20. Bergk. 3 p. 388 vs. 17

21. ὅτι δ’ ἐννέα] 'continuavi cum prioribus. Vulgo bis verbis initium fit Problem XIV' W

22. ἆρ’ ἂν *: ἄρα

23. ὁ M

24. post ἀνδρικῶς add. vid. ἔφη

25. κύβων] addidi post πρώτων

26. ἑνὶ Leonicus: ἐν

27. Turnebus: τῷ γὰρ μονικῷ

28. ἃς Basileensis: τὰς

29. ἐκκαμπτομένων τῶν δυναμένων mei

30. ὧν W

31. τῷ] τὸ τῶ (vel τῶι) mei

32. τὸ prius Basileensis: τὰ

33. ἀριθμητικην] γραμματικὴν mei, nisi quod γρ in rasura scr. m. pr. Vd

34. περὶ] πέρας mei

35. εἰς Duebnerus

36. malim τοὺς ποιητικοὺς

37. παραλειπούσας mei

38. *: ἐρρέθη

39. ἡμετέρᾳ] ἑτέραν aut ἑτέρᾳ mei

40. M: συμπαρακαλεῖ

41. νομὸν Duebnerus: νόμον cf. Bergk. 1 p. 433

42. μηδέν] malim δὲ μηδέν

43. χατέουσι] κατέχουσι mei cf. Hom. γ 48

44. φθογγῶν mei

45. ἀνυστόν] ἂν ὕστερος mei

46. Πλάτων] Rep. p. 617b

47. τὴν δὲ Κλωθὼ] inserui post Ἀτροπον

48. X: ἐπέστησαν

49. Cobetus: ἄλλως γέ πως

50. θείαις *: θείοις

51. fort. κἀν Μούσαις

52. ἐμφιλοδαμοῦσα W. ἐμφιληδονοῦσα Mullach. 1 p. 62 ut Plutarchi vocabulum sit

53. Ἐμπεδοκλέους] Mullach 1 vs. 299

54. ἔστ’ οἶμαι δ’ οὐδὲ ἔσομαι δὲ cf. p. 620f

55. νόμος] μόνος mei; scr. vid. ὁ νόμος

56. αὐτῆς καὶ W

57. μὲν] del. W.

58. μεταβουλῆς mei

59. αἵ γε μὲν δὴ] ἄγομεν δὲ mei

60. Ὁμήρου] μ 39 sq.

61. ᾐνίττετο] ἠνιᾶτο mei

62. em. Leonicus: ἐμποιοῦσα κατέχει καὶ κατᾴδει

63. τὰ δ’ ὧτα τῶν W

64. μὲν πλείστων idem: μὲν πλεῖστον

65. καὶ πάθεσιν] τοῖς πάθεσιν Grafius

66. κηρίνοις W: κηρινοῖς

67. ἣ Basileensis: οἱ aut ἡ

68. διʼ] om. mei

69. καὶ τῶν] malim τῶν ut apodosis incipiat

70. τε] δὲ M

71. Basileensis: ὀνομάζεις aut ὀνομάζει

72. εἰρούσας *: ἐρεούσας cf. p. 1029 b: αὖται (sc. Sirenes) δ’ ἀνιέμεναι τὰ θεῖα εἴρουσι

73. θροοῦντε Lobeckius: αἰθροῦντος

74. Nauck. p. 313

75. εἰσὶν] ἔπεισιν Grafius coll. Plat. Rep. p. 617b

76. καὶ] αἲ Doehnerus

77. ἁρμονίαι mei

78. M: καθιστᾶσα cf. p. 1029c

79. ὅσσα idem: ὅσα

80. Pind. Pyth. 1, 25

81. βοᾶν mei

82. ἀϊδοντα mei

83. Ξενοφάνους] Mullach. 1 p. 103 vs. 15

84. δεδόξασται Karstenius

85. αἰτίαν Turnebus. ἀίδιον M

86. ἐπανορθούμενος mei

87. σπουδὴ - παιδιὰ M. malim σπουδῆς - παιδιᾶς

88. Θαλία mei hic et infra

89. scr. vid. δυεῖν

90. ἀπολείποντας mei

91. ὅτε] οὔτε mei

92. W: διαφορὰν

93. Ἡσίοδος] Theog. 80

94. Σικυώνιος mei

95. Μουσῶν Basileensis: ουσῶν

96. εὐτερπῆ mei

97. Leonicus: ἀνθρώπου

98. W: συνιόντες aut συνιόντας

99. Kaltwasserus: σπονδαῖς

100. πειθοῦς W: πειθοῦς ὡς

101. Duebnerus: ἐξαίρει

102. ib. W: μαλακὸν

103. οὐδʼ] οἱ δὲ aut οἱ δὲ mei

104. οἴδε] τελευταῖον τὸ δι’ ὤτων W. τὸ δὲ δι’ ὤτων Emperius. Fort. εἰ δὲ [ καὶ τὴν δι’ ὤτων εἰδέναι βούλει] καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν cett.

105. ἡδονῆς W

106. τὴν μὲν] τὸ μὲν?

Plutarch Quaestiones Convivales 9.14

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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Περὶ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν Μουσῶν ὅσα λέγεται μὴ κοινῶς.

Current edition Perseus

Question XIV.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF THE MUSES, NOT COMMONLY KNOWN.
HERODES, AMMONIUS, LAMPRIAS, TRYPHON, DIONYSIUS, MENEPHYLUS, PLUTARCH.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Περὶ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν Μουσῶν ὅσα λέγεται μὴ κοινῶς.

Current edition Perseus

Question XIV. SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF THE MUSES, NOT COMMONLY KNOWN. HERODES, AMMONIUS, LAMPRIAS, TRYPHON, DIONYSIUS, MENEPHYLUS, PLUTARCH.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Question XIV.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF THE MUSES, NOT COMMONLY KNOWN.
HERODES, AMMONIUS, LAMPRIAS, TRYPHON, DIONYSIUS, MENEPHYLUS, PLUTARCH.