And he gladdens ({ganutai}) to hear his voice. (58)
This the poet says, meaning "he is pleased to listen to his words."
(54) Or, "I have a desire to romance a little," "for your benefit to
explain by legendary lore." Cf. Isocr. 120 C; Plat. "Rep." 392 B.
(55) e.g. Leda, Danae, Europa, Alcmena, Electra, Latona, Laodamia
(Zeune).
(56) See "Hunting," i.; "Hell." VI. iii. 6.
(57) See Plat. "Phaedr." 255 C; Cic. "Tusc." i. 26, "nec Homerum audio
... divina mallem ad nos," a protest against anthropomorphism in
religion.
(58) Not in "our" version of Homer, but cf. "Il." xx. 405, {ganutai de
te tois 'Enosikhthon}; "Il." xiii. 493, {ganutai d' ara te phrena
poimen}.
And again, in another passage he says:
Knowing deep devices ({medea}) in his mind, (59)
which is as much as to say, "knowing wise counsels in his mind." Ganymede, therefore, bears a name compounded of the two words, "joy" and "counsel," and is honoured among the gods, not as one "whose body," but "whose mind" "gives pleasure."
(59) Partly "Il." xxiv. 674, {pukina phresi mede' ekhontes}; and "Il."
xxiv. 424, {phila phresi medea eidos}. Cf. "Od." vi. 192; xviii.
67, 87; xxii. 476.
Furthermore (I appeal to you, Niceratus), (60) Homer makes Achilles avenge Patroclus in that brilliant fashion, not as his favourite, but as his comrade. (61) Yes, and Orestes and Pylades, (62) Theseus and Peirithous, (63) with many another noble pair of demigods, are celebrated as having wrought in common great and noble deeds, not because they lay inarmed, but because of the admiration they felt for one another.
(60) As an authority on Homer.
(61) Cf. Plat. "Symp." 179 E: "The notion that Patroclus was the
beloved one is a foolish error into which Aeschylus has fallen,"
etc. (in his "Myrmidons"). See J. A. Symonds, "The Greek Poets,"
2nd series, "Achilles," p. 66 foll.
(62) Concerning whom Ovid ("Pont." iii. 2. 70) says, "nomina fama
tenet."
(63) See Plut. "Thes." 30 foll. (Clough, i. p. 30 foll.); cf. Lucian,
xli. "Toxaris," 10.
Nay, take the fair deeds of to-day: and you shall find them wrought rather for the sake of praise by volunteers in toil and peril, than by men accustomed to choose pleasure in place of honour. And yet Pausanias, (64) the lover of the poet Agathon, (65) making a defence in behalf (66) of some who wallow in incontinence, has stated that an army composed of lovers and beloved would be invincible. (67) These, in his opinion, would, from awe of one another, have the greatest horror of destruction. A truly marvellous argument, if he means that men accustomed to turn deaf ears to censure and to behave to one another shamelessly, are more likely to feel ashamed of doing a shameful deed. He adduced as evidence the fact that the Thebans and the Eleians (68) recognise the very principle, and added: Though they sleep inarmed, they do not scruple to range the lover side by side with the beloved one in the field of battle. An instance which I take to be no instance, or at any rate one-sided, (69) seeing that what they look upon as lawful with us is scandalous. (70) Indeed, it strikes me that this vaunted battle-order would seem to argue some mistrust on their part who adopt it—a suspicion that their bosom friends, once separated from them, may forget to behave as brave men should. But the men of Lacedaemon, holding that "if a man but lay his hand upon the body and for lustful purpose, he shall thereby forfeit claim to what is beautiful and noble"—do, in the spirit of their creed, contrive to mould and fashion their "beloved ones" to such height of virtue, (71) that should these find themselves drawn up with foreigners, albeit no longer side by side with their own lovers, (72) conscience will make desertion of their present friends impossible. Self-respect constrains them: since the goddess whom the men of Lacedaemon worship is not "Shamelessness," but "Reverence." (73)