iful and good. Now in what way is the lover to be
distinguished from the non-lover? Let us note that in every one of us
there are two guiding and ruling principles which lead us whither they
will; one is the natural desire of pleasure, the other is an acquired
opinion which aspires after the best; and these two are sometimes in
harmony and then again at war, and sometimes the one, sometimes the
other conquers. When opinion by the help of reason leads us to the best,
the conquering principle is called temperance; but when desire, which
is devoid of reason, rules in us and drags us to pleasure, that power of
misrule is called excess. Now excess has many names, and many members,
and many forms, and any of these forms when very marked gives a name,
neither honourable nor creditable, to the bearer of the name. The desire
of eating, for example, which gets the better of the higher reason and
the other desires, is called gluttony, and he who is possessed by it
is called a glutton; the tyrannical desire of drink, which inclines the
possessor of the desire to drink, has a name which is only too obvious,
and there can be as little doubt by what name any other appetite of the
same family would be called;--it will be the name of that which happens
to be dominant. And now I think that you will perceive the drift of
my discourse; but as every spoken word is in a manner plainer than the
unspoken, I had better say further that the irrational desire which
overcomes the tendency of opinion towards right, and is led away to the
enjoyment of beauty, and especially of personal beauty, by the desires
which are her own kindred--that supreme desire, I say, which by leading
conquers and by the force of passion is reinforced, from this very
force, receiving a name, is called love (erromenos eros).'

And now, dear Phaedrus, I shall pause for an instant to ask whether you
do not think me, as I appear to myself, inspired?

PHAEDRUS: Yes, Socrates, you seem to have a very unusual flow of words.

SOCRATES: Listen to me, then, in silence; for surely the place is holy;
so that you must not wonder, if, as I proceed, I appear to be in a
divine fury, for already I am getting into dithyrambics.

PHAEDRUS: Nothing can be truer.

SOCRATES: The responsibility rests with you. But hear what follows, and
perhaps the fit may be averted; all is in their hands above. I will go
on talking to my youth. Listen:--

Thus, my friend, we have declared and defined the