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until　the　penalty　is　paid；　according　to　this　view；　not　even　a　letter　of　the

word　need　be　changed。



HERMOGENES：　　I　think；　Socrates；　that　we　have　said　enough　of　this　class　of

words。　　But　have　we　any　more　explanations　of　the　names　of　the　Gods；　like

that　which　you　were　giving　of　Zeus？　　I　should　like　to　know　whether　any

similar　principle　of　correctness　is　to　be　applied　to　them。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　indeed；　Hermogenes；　and　there　is　one　excellent　principle

which；　as　men　of　sense；　we　must　acknowledge；that　of　the　Gods　we　know

nothing；　either　of　their　natures　or　of　the　names　which　they　give

themselves；　but　we　are　sure　that　the　names　by　which　they　call　themselves；

whatever　they　may　be；　are　true。　　And　this　is　the　best　of　all　principles；

and　the　next　best　is　to　say；　as　in　prayers；　that　we　will　call　them　by　any

sort　or　kind　of　names　or　patronymics　which　they　like；　because　we　do　not

know　of　any　other。　　That　also；　I　think；　is　a　very　good　custom；　and　one

which　I　should　much　wish　to　observe。　　Let　us；　then；　if　you　please；　in　the

first　place　announce　to　them　that　we　are　not　enquiring　about　them；　we　do

not　presume　that　we　are　able　to　do　so；　but　we　are　enquiring　about　the

meaning　of　men　in　giving　them　these　names；in　this　there　can　be　small

blame。



HERMOGENES：　　I　think；　Socrates；　that　you　are　quite　right；　and　I　would　like

to　do　as　you　say。



SOCRATES：　　Shall　we　begin；　then；　with　Hestia；　according　to　custom？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes；　that　will　be　very　proper。



SOCRATES：　　What　may　we　suppose　him　to　have　meant　who　gave　the　name　Hestia？



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　another　and　certainly　a　most　difficult　question。



SOCRATES：　　My　dear　Hermogenes；　the　first　imposers　of　names　must　surely　have

been　considerable　persons；　they　were　philosophers；　and　had　a　good　deal　to

say。



HERMOGENES：　　Well；　and　what　of　them？



SOCRATES：　　They　are　the　men　to　whom　I　should　attribute　the　imposition　of

names。　　Even　in　foreign　names；　if　you　analyze　them；　a　meaning　is　still

discernible。　　For　example；　that　which　we　term　ousia　is　by　some　called　esia；

and　by　others　again　osia。　　Now　that　the　essence　of　things　should　be　called

estia；　which　is　akin　to　the　first　of　these　（esia　=　estia）；　is　rational

enough。　　And　there　is　reason　in　the　Athenians　calling　that　estia　which

participates　in　ousia。　　For　in　ancient　times　we　too　seem　to　have　said　esia

for　ousia；　and　this　you　may　note　to　have　been　the　idea　of　those　who

appointed　that　sacrifices　should　be　first　offered　to　estia；　which　was

natural　enough　if　they　meant　that　estia　was　the　essence　of　things。　　Those

again　who　read　osia　seem　to　have　inclined　to　the　opinion　of　Heracleitus；

that　all　things　flow　and　nothing　stands；　with　them　the　pushing　principle

（othoun）　is　the　cause　and　ruling　power　of　all　things；　and　is　therefore

rightly　called　osia。　　Enough　of　this；　which　is　all　that　we　who　know　nothing

can　affirm。　　Next　in　order　after　Hestia　we　ought　to　consider　Rhea　and

Cronos；　although　the　name　of　Cronos　has　been　already　discussed。　　But　I　dare

say　that　I　am　talking　great　nonsense。



HERMOGENES：　　Why；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　My　good　friend；　I　have　discovered　a　hive　of　wisdom。



HERMOGENES：　　Of　what　nature？



SOCRATES：　　Well；　rather　ridiculous；　and　yet　plausible。



HERMOGENES：　　How　plausible？



SOCRATES：　　I　fancy　to　myself　Heracleitus　repeating　wise　traditions　of

antiquity　as　old　as　the　days　of　Cronos　and　Rhea；　and　of　which　Homer　also

spoke。



HERMOGENES：　　How　do　you　mean？



SOCRATES：　　Heracleitus　is　supposed　to　say　that　all　things　are　in　motion　and

nothing　at　rest；　he　compares　them　to　the　stream　of　a　river；　and　says　that

you　cannot　go　into　the　same　water　twice。



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　true。



SOCRATES：　　Well；　then；　how　can　we　avoid　inferring　that　he　who　gave　the

names　of　Cronos　and　Rhea　to　the　ancestors　of　the　Gods；　agreed　pretty　much

in　the　doctrine　of　Heracleitus？　　Is　the　giving　of　the　names　of　streams　to

both　of　them　purely　accidental？　　Compare　the　line　in　which　Homer；　and；　as　I

believe；　Hesiod　also；　tells　of



'Ocean；　the　origin　of　Gods；　and　mother　Tethys　（Il。the　line　is　not　found

in　the　extant　works　of　Hesiod。）。'



And　again；　Orpheus　says；　that



'The　fair　river　of　Ocean　was　the　first　to　marry；　and　he　espoused　his　sister

Tethys；　who　was　his　mother's　daughter。'



You　see　that　this　is　a　remarkable　coincidence；　and　all　in　the　direction　of

Heracleitus。



HERMOGENES：　　I　think　that　there　is　something　in　what　you　say；　Socrates；　but

I　do　not　understand　the　meaning　of　the　name　Tethys。



SOCRATES：　　Well；　that　is　almost　self…explained；　being　only　the　name　of　a

spring；　a　little　disguised；　for　that　which　is　strained　and　filtered

（diattomenon；　ethoumenon）　may　be　likened　to　a　spring；　and　the　name　Tethys

is　made　up　of　these　two　words。



HERMOGENES：　　The　idea　is　ingenious；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　To　be　sure。　　But　what　comes　next？of　Zeus　we　have　spoken。



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　Then　let　us　next　take　his　two　brothers；　Poseidon　and　Pluto；

whether　the　latter　is　called　by　that　or　by　his　other　name。



HERMOGENES：　　By　all　means。



SOCRATES：　　Poseidon　is　Posidesmos；　the　chain　of　the　feet；　the　original

inventor　of　the　name　had　been　stopped　by　the　watery　element　in　his　walks；

and　not　allowed　to　go　on；　and　therefore　he　called　the　ruler　of　this　element

Poseidon；　the　epsilon　was　probably　inserted　as　an　ornament。　　Yet；　perhaps；

not　so；　but　the　name　may　have　been　originally　written　with　a　double　lamda

and　not　with　a　sigma；　meaning　that　the　God　knew　many　things　（Polla　eidos）。　

And　perhaps　also　he　being　the　shaker　of　the　earth；　has　been　named　from

shaking　（seiein）；　and　then　pi　and　delta　have　been　added。　　Pluto　gives

wealth　（Ploutos）；　and　his　name　means　the　giver　of　wealth；　which　comes　out

of　the　earth　beneath。　　People　in　general　appear　to　imagine　that　the　term

Hades　is　connected　with　the　invisible　（aeides）　and　so　they　are　led　by　their

fears　to　call　the　God　Pluto　instead。



HERMOGENES：　　And　what　is　the　true　derivation？



SOCRATES：　　In　spite　of　the　mistakes　which　are　made　about　the　power　of　this

deity；　and　the　foolish　fears　which　people　have　of　him；　such　as　the　fear　of

always　being　with　him　after　death；　and　of　the　soul　denuded　of　the　body

going　to　him　（compare　Rep。）；　my　belief　is　that　all　is　quite　consistent；　and

that　the　office　and　name　of　the　God　really　correspond。



HERMOGENES：　　Why；　how　is　that？



SOCRATES：　　I　will　tell　you　my　own　opinion；　but　first；　I　should　like　to　ask

you　which　chain　does　any　animal　feel　to　be　the　stronger？　and　which　confines

him　more　to　the　same　spot；desire　or　necessity？



HERMOGENES：　　Desire；　Socrates；　is　stronger　far。



SOCRATES：　　And　do　you　not　think　that　many　a　one　would　escape　from　Hades；　if

he　did　not　bind　those　who　depart　to　him　by　the　strongest　of　chains？



HERMOGENES：　　Assuredly　they　would。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　by　the　greatest　of　chains；　then　by　some　desire；　as　I

should　certainly　infer；　and　not　by　necessity？



HERMOGENES：　　That　is　clear。



SOCRATES：　　And　there　are　many　desires？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　therefore　by　the　greatest　desire；　if　the　chain　is　to　be　the

greatest？



HERMOGENES：　　Yes。



SOCRATES：　　And　is　any　desire　stronger　than　the　thought　that　you　will　be

made　better　by　associating　with　another？



HERMOGENES：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　And　is　not　that　the　reason；　Hermogenes；　why　no　one；　who　has　been

to　him；　is　willing　to　come　back　to　us？　　Even　the　Sirens；　like　all　the　rest

of　the　world；　have　been　laid　under　his　spells。　　Such　a　charm；　as　I　imagine；

is　the　God　able　to　infuse　into　his　words。　　And；　according　to　this　view；　he

is　the　perfect　and　accomplished　Sophist；　and　the　great　benefactor　of　the

inhabitants　of　the　other　world；　and　even　to　us　who　are　upon　earth　he　sends

from　below　exceeding　blessings。　　For　he　has　much　more　than　he　wants　down

there；　wherefore　he　is　called　Pluto　（or　the　rich）。　　Note　also；　that　he　will

have　nothing　to　do　with　men　while　they　are　in　the　body；　but　only　when　the

soul　is　liberated　from　the　desires　and　evils　of　the　body。　　Now　there　is　a

great　deal　of　philosophy　and　reflection　in　that；　for　in　their　liberated

state　he　can　bind　them　with　the　desire　of　virtue；　but　while　they　are

flustered　and　maddened　by　the　body；　not　even　father　Cronos　himself　would

suffice　to　keep　them　with　him　in　his　own　far…famed　chains。



HERMOGENES：　　There　is　a　deal　of　truth　in　what　you　say。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　Hermogenes；　and　the　legislator　called　him　Hades；　not　from

the　unseen　（aeides）far　otherwise；　but　from　his　knowledge　（eidenai）　of　all

noble　things。



HERMOGENES：　　Very　good；　and　what　do　we　say　of　Demeter；　and　Here；　and

Apollo；　and　Athene；　and　Hephaestus；　and　Ares；　and　the　other　deities？



SOCRATES：　　Demeter　is　e　didousa　meter；　who　gives　food　like　a　mother；　Here

is　the　lovely　one　（erate）for　Zeus；　according　to　tradition；　loved　and

married　her；　possibly　also　the　name　may　have　been　given　when　the　legislator

was　thinking　of　the　heavens；　and　may　be　only　a　disguise　of　the　air　（aer）；

putting　the　end　in　the　place　of　the　beginning。　　You　will　recognize　the

truth　of　this　if　you　repeat　the　letters　of　Here　several　times　over。　　People

dread　the　name　of　Pherephatta　as　they　dread　the　name　of　Apollo；and　with

as　little　reason；　the　fear；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　only　arises　from　their

ignorance　of　the　nature　of　names。　　But　they　go　changing　the　name　into

Phersephone；　and　they　are　terrified　at　this；　whereas　the　new　name　means

only　that　the　Goddess　is　wise　（sophe）；　for　seeing　that　all　things　in　the

world　are　in　motion　（pheromenon）；　that　principle　which　embraces　and　touches

and　is　able　to　follow　them；　is　wisdom。　　And　therefore　the　Goddess　may　be

truly　called　Pherepaphe　（Pherepapha）；　or　some　name　like　it；　because　she

touches　that　which　is　in　motion　（tou　pheromenon　ephaptomene）；　herein

showing　her　wisdom。　　And　Hades；　who　is　wise；　consorts　with　her；　because　she

is　wise。　　They　alter　her　name　into　Pherephatta　now…a…days；　beca