{
    "schema": "prokopton42-public-passage-v1",
    "id": "plato.ion",
    "canonical_url": "https://prokopton42.com/en/works/plato/ion/reference-541/",
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Ion",
    "author": "Plato",
    "date": "c. 399-390 BCE",
    "summary": "Socrates questions Ion, a rhapsode specializing in Homer, about the source of his talent. The exchange opposes a craft grounded in explainable knowledge to inspiration passing through poet, performer, and audience like a magnetic chain.",
    "learning": "Distinguish craft, knowledge, and inspiration, analyze the chain of poetic performance, and test the limits of Ion’s specialization.",
    "long_summary": "Ion claims he can interpret Homer better than any other poet but struggles to identify the proper object of his expertise. Passages on war, navigation, or medicine appear to belong to corresponding practitioners rather than the reciter.\n\nSocrates then offers divine inspiration as a flattering and destabilizing account of performance. The dialogue does not simply choose between genius and ignorance. It asks what knowledge interpreters possess, how emotion travels, and whether artistic success can explain its own reasons.",
    "historical_context": "The corpus manifests do not yet establish the precise place and circumstances of composition. The images below document the author’s world or the text’s transmission. They do not claim to show the exact scene of writing.",
    "material_world_label": "Classical Greek world, 5th century BCE",
    "material_world": {
        "technology": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water.",
        "science": "Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments.",
        "medicine": "Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common.",
        "transport": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies.",
        "agriculture": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war.",
        "communication": "Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media.",
        "clothing": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes."
    },
    "material_world_scenes": [
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-01.webp",
            "title": "Technology, science, and care",
            "description": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water. Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments. Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common."
        },
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-02.webp",
            "title": "Travel and communication",
            "description": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies. Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media."
        },
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-03.webp",
            "title": "Farming and food",
            "description": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war."
        },
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-04.webp",
            "title": "Clothing, women and men",
            "description": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes."
        }
    ],
    "intellectual_tradition": {
        "id": "platonism",
        "label": "Socratic and Platonic thought"
    },
    "period": {
        "id": "ancient",
        "label": "Antiquity"
    },
    "languages": [
        "grc",
        "en",
        "fr"
    ],
    "manifestations": [
        {
            "coverage": "complete",
            "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/ion/representations/grc.ndjson",
            "language": "grc",
            "records": 13,
            "role": "original",
            "sha256": "5a01c1f06fc90615306d753271cd8df85157faa4e13cd48ee917e57fd2ee08a5",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-ion-grc"
        },
        {
            "coverage": "complete",
            "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/ion/representations/en.ndjson",
            "language": "en",
            "records": 13,
            "role": "historical_translation",
            "sha256": "fc17d86a34e127ed845f14ceef8a2f9fd81481de46307c41600fbc99842d58f2",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-ion-en"
        },
        {
            "coverage": "complete",
            "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/ion/representations/fr.ndjson",
            "language": "fr",
            "records": 13,
            "role": "historical_translation",
            "sha256": "b6a7c4fdfae61758e5d179da2796a35ac9503497518b7d05a3c3275de382f01c",
            "source_id": "wikisource-cousin-ion-fr-01"
        }
    ],
    "concepts": [
        {
            "id": "anger",
            "label": "Anger"
        },
        {
            "id": "care_of_soul",
            "label": "Care of the soul"
        },
        {
            "id": "dialectic",
            "label": "Dialectic"
        },
        {
            "id": "education",
            "label": "Education"
        },
        {
            "id": "family",
            "label": "Family"
        },
        {
            "id": "forms",
            "label": "Intelligible forms"
        },
        {
            "id": "god",
            "label": "God"
        },
        {
            "id": "justice",
            "label": "Justice"
        },
        {
            "id": "justice_and_care",
            "label": "Justice and care for the vulnerable"
        },
        {
            "id": "knowledge",
            "label": "Knowledge"
        },
        {
            "id": "messiah",
            "label": "Messiah"
        },
        {
            "id": "reason",
            "label": "Reason"
        },
        {
            "id": "sin",
            "label": "Sin"
        },
        {
            "id": "time",
            "label": "Time"
        },
        {
            "id": "truth",
            "label": "Truth"
        },
        {
            "id": "war_and_peace",
            "label": "War and peace"
        }
    ],
    "source_work_ids": [
        "plato.ion"
    ],
    "passages": 13,
    "word_count": 5399,
    "word_counts_by_language": {
        "en": 5399,
        "fr": 5150,
        "grc": 4046
    },
    "editorial_status": "gpt_5_6_semantic_draft_v1",
    "structure": {
        "citation_scheme": "plato-stephanus-page-v1",
        "kind": "native",
        "levels": [
            {
                "key": "stephanus_page",
                "label_fr": "Page Stephanus",
                "label_en": "Stephanus page"
            }
        ],
        "leaf_fr": "Passage",
        "leaf_en": "Passage"
    },
    "canonical_passage_id": "passage:plato.ion:541",
    "canonical_ref": "541",
    "canonical_parent_ref": null,
    "canonical_parent_id": null,
    "representations": [
        {
            "language": "grc",
            "text": "ΣΩ. πῶς; οὐδὲν λέγεις διαφέρειν; μίαν λέγεις τέχνην εἶναι τὴν ῥαψῳδικὴν καὶ τὴν στρατηγικὴν ἢ δύο; ΙΩΝ. μία ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ. ΣΩ. ὅστις ἄρα ἀγαθὸς ῥαψῳδός ἐστιν, οὗτος καὶ ἀγαθὸς στρατηγὸς τυγχάνει ὤν; ΙΩΝ. μάλιστα, ὦ Σώκρατες. ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν καὶ ὅστις ἀγαθὸς στρατηγὸς τυγχάνει ὤν, ἀγαθὸς καὶ ῥαψῳδός ἐστιν. ΙΩΝ. οὐκ αὖ μοι δοκεῖ τοῦτο. ΣΩ. ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο μὴν δοκεῖ σοι, ὅστις γε ἀγαθὸς ῥαψῳδός, καὶ στρατηγὸς ἀγαθὸς εἶναι; ΙΩΝ. πάνυ γε. ΣΩ. οὐκοῦν σὺ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἄριστος ῥαψῳδὸς εἶ; ΙΩΝ. πολύ γε, ὦ Σώκρατες. ΣΩ. ἦ καὶ στρατηγός, ὦ Ἴων, τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἄριστος εἶ; ΙΩΝ. εὖ ἴσθι, ὦ Σώκρατες· καὶ ταῦτά γε ἐκ τῶν Ὁμήρου μαθών. ΣΩ. τί δή ποτʼ οὖν πρὸς τῶν θεῶν, ὦ Ἴων, ἀμφότερα ἄριστος ὢν τῶν Ἑλλήνων, καὶ στρατηγὸς καὶ ῥαψῳδός, ῥαψῳδεῖς μὲν περιιὼν τοῖς Ἕλλησι, στρατηγεῖς δʼ οὔ; ἢ ῥαψῳδοῦ μὲν δοκεῖ σοι χρυσῷ στεφάνῳ ἐστεφανωμένου πολλὴ χρεία εἶναι τοῖς Ἕλλησι, στρατηγοῦ δὲ οὐδεμία; ΙΩΝ. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἡμετέρα, ὦ Σώκρατες, πόλις ἄρχεται ὑπὸ ὑμῶν καὶ στρατηγεῖται καὶ οὐδὲν δεῖται στρατηγοῦ, ἡ δὲ ὑμετέρα καὶ ἡ Λακεδαιμονίων οὐκ ἄν με ἕλοιτο στρατηγόν· αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴεσθε ἱκανοὶ εἶναι. ΣΩ. ὦ βέλτιστε Ἴων, Ἀπολλόδωρον οὐ γιγνώσκεις τὸν Κυζικηνόν; ΙΩΝ. ποῖον τοῦτον; ΣΩ. ὃν Ἀθηναῖοι πολλάκις ἑαυτῶν στρατηγὸν ᾕρηνται ξένον ὄντα· καὶ Φανοσθένη τὸν Ἄνδριον καὶ Ἡρακλείδην τὸν Κλαζομένιον, οὓς ἥδε ἡ πόλις ξένους ὄντας, ἐνδειξαμένους ὅτι ἄξιοι λόγου εἰσί, καὶ εἰς στρατηγίας καὶ εἰς τὰς ἄλλας ἀρχὰς ἄγει· Ἴωνα δʼ ἄρα τὸν Ἐφέσιον οὐχ αἱρήσεται στρατηγὸν καὶ τιμήσει, ἐὰν δοκῇ ἄξιος λόγου εἶναι; τί δέ; οὐκ Ἀθηναῖοι μέν ἐστε οἱ Ἐφέσιοι τὸ ἀρχαῖον, καὶ ἡ Ἔφεσος οὐδεμιᾶς ἐλάττων πόλεως; ἀλλὰ γὰρ σύ, ὦ Ἴων, εἰ μὲν ἀληθῆ λέγεις ὡς τέχνῃ καὶ ἐπιστήμῃ οἷός τε εἶ Ὅμηρον ἐπαινεῖν, ἀδικεῖς, ὅστις ἐμοὶ ὑποσχόμενος ὡς πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ περὶ Ὁμήρου ἐπίστασαι καὶ φάσκων ἐπιδείξειν, ἐξαπατᾷς με καὶ πολλοῦ δεῖς ἐπιδεῖξαι, ὅς γε οὐδὲ ἅττα ἐστὶ ταῦτα περὶ ὧν δεινὸς εἶ ἐθέλεις εἰπεῖν, πάλαι ἐμοῦ λιπαροῦντος,",
            "edition": "perseus-plato-ion-grc",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-ion-grc",
            "translation_type": "original"
        },
        {
            "language": "en",
            "text": "Soc. What, no difference, do you say? Do you mean that the art of the rhapsode and the general is one, not two? Ion. It is one, to my mind. Soc. So that anyone who is a good rhapsode is also, in fact, a good general? Ion. Certainly, Socrates. Soc. And again, anyone who happens to be a good general is also a good rhapsode. Ion. No there I do not agree. Soc. But still you agree that anyone who is a good rhapsode is also a good general? Ion. To be sure. Soc. And you are the best rhapsode in Greece ? Ion. Far the best, Socrates. Soc. Are you also, Ion, the best general in Greece ? Ion. Be sure of it, Socrates and that I owe to my study of Homer. Soc. Then how, in Heaven’s name, can it be, Ion, that you, who are both the best general and the best rhapsode in Greece , go about performing as a rhapsode to the Greeks, but not as a general? Or do you suppose that the Greeks feel a great need of a rhapsode in the glory of his golden crown, but of a general none at all? Ion. It is because my city, Socrates, is under the rule and generalship of your people, and is not in want of a general; whilst you and Sparta would not choose me as a general, since you think you manage well enough for yourselves. Soc. My excellent Ion, you are acquainted with Apollodorus of Cyzicus , are you not? Ion. What might he be? Soc. A man whom the Athenians have often chosen as their general, though a foreigner; and Phanosthenes of Andros , and Heracleides of Clazomenae, whom my city invests with the high command and other offices although they are foreigners, because they have proved themselves to be competent. And will she not choose Ion of Ephesus as her general, and honor him, if he shows himself competent? Why, you Ephesians are by origin Athenians, are you not, and Ephesus is inferior to no city? But in fact, Ion, if you are right in saying it is by art and knowledge that you are able to praise Homer, you are playing me false: you have professed to me that you know any amount of fine things about Homer, and you promise to display them; but you are only deceiving me, and so far from displaying the subjects of your skill, you decline even to tell me what they are, for all my entreaties.",
            "translator": "Benjamin Jowett",
            "edition": "perseus-plato-ion-en",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-ion-en",
            "translation_type": "historical_human_translation"
        },
        {
            "language": "fr",
            "text": "[541a] SOCRATE. Comment dis-tu que cela importe peu ? L’art du rapsode est-il le même, à ton avis, que l’art de la guerre ? ou sont-ce deux arts ? ION. Selon moi, c’est le même art. SOCRATE. Ainsi quiconque est bon rapsode est aussi bon général d’armée ? ION. Oui, Socrate. SOCRATE. Par la même raison, quiconque est bon général d’armée, est aussi bon rapsode ? ION. Pour cela, je ne le crois pas. SOCRATE. Tu crois du moins qu’un excellent [541b] rapsode est aussi un excellent capitaine ? ION. Assurément. SOCRATE. N’es-tu pas le meilleur rapsode de toute la Grèce ? ION. Sans comparaison, Socrate. SOCRATE. Et es-tu aussi le plus grand général de toute la Grèce ? ION. N’en doute pas, Socrate ; j’en ai appris le métier dans Homère. SOCRATE. Au nom des dieux, Ion, pourquoi donc, étant le meilleur général et le meilleur rapsode de la Grèce, vas-tu de ville en ville récitant des vers, et ne commandes-tu pas les armées ? Penses-tu [541c] que les Grecs aient grand besoin d’un rapsode portant une couronne d’or, et qu’ils n’aient point affaire d’un général ? ION. Notre ville, Socrate, est sous votre domination ; vous commandez à ses troupes, et il ne lui faut point de général. Quant à la vôtre et à Lacédémone, elles ne me choisiront pas non plus pour conduire leurs armées : vous vous croyez en état de les conduire vous-mêmes. SOCRATE. Mon cher Ion, ne connais-tu pas Apollodore de Cyzique ? ION. Quel Apollodore ? SOCRATE. Celui que les Athéniens ont si souvent mis à la tête de leurs troupes, [541d] quoique étranger, ainsi que Phanosthène d’Andros, et Héraclide de Clazomène, que notre ville a élevés au grade de général et aux autres charges, tout étrangers qu’ils sont, parce qu’ils ont donné des preuves de leur mérite. Et elle ne choisira pas pour commander ses armées, elle ne comblera pas d’honneurs Ion d’Éphèse, si elle l’en juge digne ! Quoi donc ! n’êtes-vous pas Athéniens d’origine, vous autres Éphésiens ? et Éphèse [541e] n’est-elle pas une ville qui ne le cède à nulle autre ? Si tu dis la vérité, Ion, si c’est à l’art et à la science que tu dois de parler si bien d’Homère, tu en agis mal avec moi ; car, après t’être vanté de savoir une infinité de belles choses sur Homère, et m’avoir promis de m’en faire part, tu me trompes, et non-seulement tu ne m’en fais point part, mais tu ne veux pas même me dire quelles sont les connaissances où tu excelles, quoique je t’en prie depuis long-temps, et, semblable à Protée, tu te tournes en tous sens, tu prends toutes sortes de figures, tu finis même, pour m’échapper, par te transformer en général,",
            "translator": "Victor Cousin",
            "edition": "wikisource-cousin-ion-fr-01",
            "source_id": "wikisource-cousin-ion-fr-01",
            "translation_type": "historical_human_translation"
        }
    ],
    "content_checksum": "ad1c40e17297be38dc9362f6da92bd60645092c3dc998740c5f350de3de5ce05"
}