Ion (533)

Soc.

Now have you ever found anybody who is skilled in pointing out the successes and failures among the works of Polygnotus [*] son of Aglaophon, but unable to do so with the works of the other painters;

and who, when the works of the other painters are exhibited, drops into a doze, and is at a loss, and has no remark to offer; but when he has to pronounce upon Polygnotus or any other painter you please, and on that one only, wakes up and attends and has plenty to say?

Ion.

No, on my honor, I certainly have not.

Soc.

Or again, in sculpture, have you ever found anyone who is skilled in expounding the successes of Daedalus [*] son of Metion, or Epeius [*] son of Panopeus,

or Theodorus [*] of Samos, or any other single sculptor, but in face of the works of the other sculptors is at a loss and dozes, having nothing to say?

Ion.

No, on my honor, I have not found such a man as that either.

Soc.

But further, I expect you have also failed to find one in fluting or harping or minstrelsy or rhapsodizing who is skilled in expounding the art of Olympus [*]

or Thamyras, [*] or Orpheus, [*] or Phemius, [*] the rhapsode of Ithaca, but is at a loss and has no remark to offer on the successes or failures in rhapsody of Ion of Ephesus.

Ion.

I cannot gainsay you on that, Socrates: but of one thing I am conscious in myself—that I excel all men in speaking on Homer and have plenty to say, and everyone else says that I do it well; but on the others I am not a good speaker. Yet now, observe what that means.

Soc.

I do observe it, Ion, and I am going to point out to you

what I take it to mean. For, as I was saying just now, this is not an art in you, whereby you speak well on Homer, but a divine power, which moves you like that in the stone which Euripides named a magnet, [*] but most people call Heraclea stone. For this stone not only attracts iron rings, but also imparts to them a power whereby they in turn are able to do the very same thing as the stone, and attract other rings; so that sometimes there is formed quite a long chain of bits of iron and rings, suspended one from another; and they all depend for this power on that one stone. In the same manner also the Muse inspires men herself, and then by means of these inspired persons the inspiration spreads to others, and holds them in a connected chain.