ft, bore a huge bloody
dragon in his talons, still living and panting; nor had he yet resigned
the strife, for he bent back and smote the bird which carried him on the
breast by the neck, and he in pain let him fall from him to the ground
into the midst of the multitude. And the eagle, with a cry, was borne
afar on the wings of the wind (Il.).'

These are the sort of things which I should say that the prophet ought
to consider and determine.

ION: And you are quite right, Socrates, in saying so.

SOCRATES: Yes, Ion, and you are right also. And as I have selected from
the Iliad and Odyssee for you passages which describe the office of the
prophet and the physician and the fisherman, do you, who know Homer so
much better than I do, Ion, select for me passages which relate to the
rhapsode and the rhapsode's art, and which the rhapsode ought to examine
and judge of better than other men.

ION: All passages, I should say, Socrates.

SOCRATES: Not all, Ion, surely. Have you already forgotten what you were
saying? A rhapsode ought to have a better memory.

ION: Why, what am I forgetting?

SOCRATES: Do you not remember that you declared the art of the rhapsode
to be different from the art of the charioteer?

ION: Yes, I remember.

SOCRATES: And you admitted that being different they would have
different subjects of knowledge?

ION: Yes.

SOCRATES: Then upon your own showing the rhapsode, and the art of the
rhapsode, will not know everything?

ION: I should exclude certain things, Socrates.

SOCRATES: You mean to say that you would exclude pretty much the
subjects of the other arts. As he does not know all of them, which of
them will he know?

ION: He will know what a man and what a woman ought to say, and what
a freeman and what a slave ought to say, and what a ruler and what a
subject.

SOCRATES: Do you mean that a rhapsode will know better than the pilot
what the ruler of a sea-tossed vessel ought to say?

ION: No; the pilot will know best.

SOCRATES: Or will the rhapsode know better than the physician what the
ruler of a sick man ought to say?

ION: He will not.

SOCRATES: But he will know what a slave ought to say?

ION: Yes.

SOCRATES: Suppose the slave to be a cowherd; the rhapsode will know
better than the cowherd what he ought to say in order to soothe the
infuriated cows?

ION: No, he will not.

SOCRATES: But he will know what a spinning-woman ought to say about the
working of wool?