Phaedo, 69c: why are the βάκχοι the true philosophers?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_16_4Keywords:
Plato, Phaedo, symbolic language, salvationAbstract
The paper analyses Phaedo, 69c, with the aim of answering two questions: 1) why socrates quote an Orphic text, specifying that it has a hidden meaning (αἰνίττεσθαι), and 2) how he comes to the conclusion that men called βάκχοι by the Orphics are the true philosophers. The repeated alusion to “risk” (κίνδυνος, κινδυνεύω) in the dialog is pointed out and the procedure of αἰνίττεσθαι (a sort of codifying poetic text) as a symbolic manner of referring to deep truth is analysed. On the other hand, it is highlighted how the philosopher considers that requirements for salvation in the τελεταί (to be μεμυημένος, κεκαθαρμένος, τετελεσμένος, βεβακχευμένος) can only be re-ally reached practising philosophy.
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