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Indiana University Studies 



or draw a loud breath, — their leader then, as I said, discusses some 

 passage from the Holy Scriptures, or answers some question raised 

 by another, thinking nothing about display, for he is not straining 

 after reputation for cleverness in speaking, but only longs to under- 

 stand some point most accurately, and when he has seen a thing 

 himself not begrudging others if they do not see the thing with equal 

 clearness, but have at least a similar desire to learn. And so he 

 employs a slower method than usual of teaching, lingering over a 

 point now and then and going slowly with frequent recapitulations, 

 and thus able to engrave the thoughts deep in their souls. For the 

 minds of the listeners being unable to keep pace with the interpre- 

 tation of one who speaks rapidly and breathlessly would fall behind 

 and fail to grasp what is said. But the listeners fix their attention upon 

 the speaker, and, remaining in one and the same attitude, listen to 

 him intently, showing their understanding and comprehension by 

 nods and looks, and their praise of the speaker by their cheerful 

 countenance and by the gentle turning of their faces, while they show 

 their perplexity by a very gentle movement of the head, or by the 

 finger-tip of their right hand. The youths who stand about the tables 

 also give heed to what is said no less than those reclining on the 

 couches. 



The interpretation of the Holy Scriptures is by explaining the 

 meaning hidden in allegorical forms. For the whole body of the law 

 appears to these men to be like a living animal, whose body is the 

 literal commands (or precepts), and the unseen meaning lying 

 within the words is the soul. And in this thought the rational soul 

 begins especially to contemplate what belongs properly to itself, 

 beholding as if in a mirror the extraordinary beauties of the ideas 

 conveyed in the names. So on the one hand it unfolds and reveals the 

 (M. 484) symbols, and, on the other hand, it brings naked to the 

 light of day the real meaning to such who are able by a little exercise 

 of memory to see what is unseen by means of what is seen.^-^ 



^•^Heraclitus, Xenophanes, and Plato objected to immoral stories found 

 in Homer and Hesiod. In Fragment 119 (Fairbanks) HeracUtus says: 

 "Homer deserved to be cast out of the lists and flogged, and Archilochus 

 likewise." Xenophanes (Frag. 7, Fairbanks) reads: "Homer and Hesiod at- 

 tributed to the gods all things which are disreputable and worthy of blame 

 when done by men; and they told of them many lawless deeds, stealing, 

 adultery, and deception of each other." 



Of Plato, Zeller says (p. 511): "He will have the framing of myths and 

 the exercise of art in general placed under the guidance of public authorities, 

 — and all that is not in accordance with the moral aims of the State ejected. 

 He forbids in the Republic all myths which relate dishonorable things 

 concerning the gods and heroes. He wholly banishes from the State dramatic 



