«Symposion» and «Philanthropia» in Plutarch - Bad Request ...

Plato’s Symposium and Plutarch’s AlcibiadesAlcibiades’ words at Smp. 215e, “For my heart leaps, and tears pour out underthe influence of his words” (ἥ τε καρδία πηδᾷ καὶ δάκρυα ἐκχεῖται ὑπὸ τῶνλόγων τῶν τούτου) 22 , but Plutarch has added στρεφόντων (“twisting”), whichgains particular force because of the wrestling metaphor which follows in 6.2(cf. also πιεζοῦντος in 4.3); it also looks back to the earlier story of Alcibiades’wrestling in 2.2-3: though in real wrestling Alcibiades could beat his opponentthrough a trick, emotionally and intellectually Socrates outwrestled him 23 .Plutarch has also added from the Republic the notion of Alcibiades’ εὐφυΐα,prominent already in ch. 4 (cf. Smp. 218a, μὴ ἀφυοῦς). Here, as in ch. 4, itprovides an explanation for why Socrates took such an interest in Alcibiades;it also explains why Socrates’ words had such an effect on Alcibiades: it was tohis credit that he allowed Socrates to master him.In ch. 4, when discussing the tough treatment Alcibiades received atSocrates’ hands, Plutarch had quoted a line of a lost play, probably by thetragedian Phrynichos, “a cock, he crouched down like a slave, lowering hiswing” 24 . The image is of a defeated bird in a cock-fight, which seems to havebeen called a δοῦλος (4.4) 25 . Now Plutarch presses the metaphor of slaveryfurther: “There were times”, he continues (6.1), “when Alcibiades surrenderedhimself to his flatterers too, who offered many pleasures, and he would slipaway from Socrates and like a runaway slave (δραπετεύων) would be quitesimply hunted down, only towards Socrates having the experience of shameand fear” (πρὸς μόνον ἐκεῖνον ἔχων τὸ αἰδεῖσθαι καὶ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι) (6.1). Thenotion of Alcibiades as a runaway slave draws on his speech in the Symposium,where he describes himself as “in a state of slavery” to Socrates (215e: ὡςἀνδραποδωδῶς διακειμένου), and as trying to avoid listening to him butto flee instead. When he is in Socrates’ presence, he admits his deficienciesand feels ashamed: “I experienced only with this man, what no-one wouldhave thought me capable of – shame before anyone. Only before him amI ashamed” 26 . But when he leaves Socrates’ presence he is “defeated by thehonour which comes from the multitude”. “So I run away from him and flee(δραπετεύω οὖν αὐτὸν καὶ φεύγω), and when I see him I am ashamed as Ithink of my former admissions” (216b-c) 27 . But whereas Plato left it vague22Noted by D. A. Russell, 1966, p. 40 (= repr. 1995, 196). Plutarch also paraphrases thispassage in Prof. in Virt. 84d, Quomodo adulat. 69f, and Cat. Ma. 7.123Στρέφω can be used of inflicting pain in general (e.g. Plato, Rep. 330e), but also of twistingan adversary in wrestling: e.g. Pollux 3.155; M. B. Poliakoff, 1982, pp. 140-1. ἀπωλίσθανε in6.1 (“used to slip away”) may suggest slipping out of an opponent’s grip in wrestling. The wordis frequent in Plutarch though otherwise always used literally, but cf. Epict. 3.25.1 (ἀνάλαβεκἀκεῖνα ὧν ἀπώλισθες).24Or, “he crouched down like a slave-cock . . .”: ἔπτηξ’ ἀλέκτωρ δοῦλος ὣς κλίνας πτερόν.25Cf. Ar., Birds 71-72, ὄρνις ἔγωγε δοῦλος, with N. Dunbar, 1995, p. 158. Its applicationto the young Alcibiades suggests both his strutting and preening (cf. 1.8; 16.1) and the totalityof his humiliation at Socrates’ hands. For cocks seen as symbolising strutting confidence, cf.Dem. 54.9.26πέπονθα δὲ πρὸς τοῦτον μόνον ἀνθρώπων, ὃ οὐκ ἄν τις οἴοιτο ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐνεῖναι, τὸαἰσχύνεσθαι ὁντινοῦν· ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτον μόνον αἰσχύνομαι.27D. A. Russell, 1966, p. 40 (= repr. 1995, p. 196) notes the parallels with 216b.43