[601a]
himself knowing nothing of the cobbler's art, what appears to be a cobbler
to him and likewise to those who know nothing but judge only by forms and
colors1?”
“Certainly.” “And similarly, I suppose, we
shall say that the poet himself, knowing nothing but how to imitate, lays on
with words and phrases2
the colors of the several arts in such fashion that others equally ignorant,
who see things only through words,3 will deem his words most excellent,
1 For the association of χρώματα and σχήματα Cf. Phileb. 12 E. 47 A, 51 B, Laws 669 A, Soph. 251 A, Meno 75 A with Apelt's note, Cratyl. 431 C, Gorg. 465 B, Phaedo 100 D, Aristot.Poet. 1447 a 18-19.
2 Cf. Symp. 198 B, Apol. 17 C. The explicit discrimination of ὀνόματα as names of agents and ῥήματα as names of actions is peculiar to Soph. 262. But Cf. Cratyl. 431 B, 425 A, Theaet. 206 D. And in Soph. 257 Bῥήματι is used generally. See Unity of Plato's Thought, pp. 56-57. Cf. Euthydem. 304 E with Symp. 187 A, Phaedr. 228 D, 271 C and my note in Class. Phil. xvii. (1922) p. 262.
3 Cf. What Plato Said, p. 593 on Soph. 240 A.
Plato. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 5 & 6 translated by Paul Shorey. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1969.
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