The Role of Exaíphnes in Early Greek Literature: Philosophical Transformation in Plato’s Dialogues and Beyond

259 Pages·2017·1.24 MB·English

by  Joseph Cimakasky

The Role of Exaíphnes in
Early Greek Literature
The Role of Exaíphnes in
Early Greek Literature
Philosophical Transformation in
Plato’s Dialogues and Beyond
Joe Cimakasky
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Acknowledgments
I have been thinking about Plato (and Socrates) since I was
introduced to philosophy by Professor John Rettura of
Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Professor
Rettura’s class still resonates with me today, and I am so
grateful for his willingness to entertain philosophical questions
outside of the classroom. I try to approximate as best I can his
approach to philosophy, both inside and outside the lecture hall,
now that I find myself teaching courses of my own.
There are several professors from the University of
Scranton, including John McGinley, William Rowe, Richard
Klonoski, Tim Casey, Ann Pang-White, and Father Patrick Mohr,
who I am thankful for having met, studied under, and
befriended. Also, I especially want to thank Bill Irwin from
nearby King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, for his
friendship and encouragement. There are many incredible
people in philosophy, and Bill is undoubtedly one of the best.
I am also grateful for my friends and professors from
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am especially
indebted to Ron Polansky. Professor Polansky—the Socrates of
Pittsburgh—taught me so many things that it’s impossible to
articulate the depth and breadth of his influence. Needless to
say, this book could not be written without him, and it makes
me very happy to call him my friend. Similarly, Patrick Lee Miller
inspired an enthusiasm for learning in all its forms, and without
whom I wouldn’t know what it really means to be an academic.
Both of these men remain for me the Platonic Idea of
professionalism and philosophical living. I would also like to
thank other friends and colleagues from Duquesne University,
especially: Joan Thompson, Sarah Alison Miller, Emily Nehl,
Dakota Eckenrode, Kristian Sheeley, Sarah Richards, Matthew
Valentine, Chelsea Harry, Craig Debban, Marco Acevedo, Tom
Sparrow, Robert Guerin, Ariana Ragusa, Chris “the mount-dog”
Mountenay, George Yancey, John Fritz, Chrissy Rawls, Matt
Lovett, Taine Duncan, David Hoinski, Heather Hoinski, Louis
Lovett, Taine Duncan, David Hoinski, Heather Hoinski, Louis
Butler, and Therese Bonin.
I owe a debt of gratitude to my colleagues and friends at
Cabrini University; in particular, Jenn Bulcock, Joe Romano,
Sharon Schwarze, Andrew “Andy” Owen, Tamarah Smith, Matt
Slutz, Nick Rademacher, Patti Stocker, Tony Tomasco, and Joe
Fitzgerald. They have made my short time in Radnor,
Pennsylvania, very rewarding. It is an honor to work with such
wonderful people.
Finally, I would very much like to thank Jana Hodges-Kluck,
Rachel Weydert, and Laura Chappell from Rowman & Littlefield.
This book would not be possible without their time, feedback,
and constant support.
Introduction:
The Role of Ἐξαιφνης in
Early Greek Literature
Philosophical Transformation in
Plato’s Dialogues and Beyond
Careful readers of Plato are well aware of the ancient Greek
philosopher’s playful and multilayered construction of his
dialogues. And yet, Plato’s skillful writing and structural
organization often leads readers to the same perplexed
condition of Socrates’ interlocutors. On the one hand, most of
the dialogues seem to conclude with no obvious answers or
agreement. On the other hand, certain themes and principles
begin to emerge as the dialogues are pored over and
scrutinized. Correlatively, in his Lives of Eminent Philosophers,
third-century biographer of Greek philosophers Diogenes
Laertius claims that special editions of Plato’s dialogues were
emblazoned with symbols that accented or highlighted various
doctrines, repeated idioms, and even editorial revisions. In fact,
Laertius states, “when the writings were first edited with critical
marks, their possessors charged a certain fee to anyone who
wished to consult them” (III, 65–66). Evidently, those ancient
readers who were willing to pay the requisite fee were provided
with a running symbolic commentary. Presumably, these
“critical marks” imparted guidance and facilitated a more
profound grasp of Plato’s philosophical project.
One can only speculate with respect to the extent and
significance of these symbolic annotations, but it stands to
reason that philosophical masterworks as subtle and full of
nuance as Plato’s dialogues would contain many esoteric
passages, turns of phrase, or even single words whose full
import and meaning might be illuminated by a carefully placed
sign or symbol. In effect, this symbolic commentary might
sign or symbol. In effect, this symbolic commentary might
approximate a contemporary philosophy professor’s exposition
of Plato’s dialogues. Because no critically-marked copies
survive, modern readers are left to wonder how handy these
symbols might have been with respect to understanding Plato’s
philosophy.
Nevertheless, shining a light on one of Plato’s repeated
idioms is what the following book is all about. The word that this
book examines is, in ancient Greek, ἐξαίφνης (exaíphnes).[1] In
Plato’s entire body of work, ἐξαίφνης appears precisely thirty-six
times. Usually translated as “all of a sudden” or simply
“suddenly,” ἐξαίφνης emerges in some of the most significant
passages of Plato’s dialogues. For instance, ἐξαίφνης appears
three times in the “allegory of the cave” in Republic vii, once
during the climactic moment of the “epistemological digression”
from the Seventh Letter, and immediately precedes the vision of
the Beautiful in Symposium. Translated in Parmenides as “the
instant,” ἐξαίφνης also surfaces in a crucial section of the
training exercise that constitutes the latter two-thirds of this
challenging dialogue. Examining Plato’s use of this term reveals
a pattern that lays bare the intentional use of ἐξαίφνης and
helps readers grasp an essential piece of his philosophical
project. It is evident that this term is highly significant, and I
demonstrate the connection obtaining between the thirty-six
scattered appearances of ἐξαίφνης in order to reveal the role it
plays in linking Plato’s theory of Ideas with philosophical
education.
While the word itself has been identified by scholars, a
sustained and comprehensive treatment of ἐξαίφνης in Plato’s
dialogues has yet to emerge. For the most part, those
commentators who recognize the phenomenon either quickly
dismiss it, or are at a loss to explain it. The venerable scholar
Francis Cornford, in his Plato and Parmenides (1957), offers a
typical summation of ἐξαίφνης in the dialogues: “I have not
been able to understand how Plato’s businesslike account of the
instant at which the various species of change occur can be
connected with the ‘sudden’ vision of the Beautiful and the
doctrine of anamnesis” (203). In contrast, I shall demonstrate
how the various appearances of ἐξαίφνης are indeed connected.
In short, I reveal how in several significant contexts throughout
the dialogues, Plato’s step-by-step, methodical approach to
philosophical education culminates with a dynamic capstone
signified by the appearance of ἐξαίφνης.[2]
In contemporary, everyday usage the phrase “all of a
sudden” usually indicates a sharp change or transition with
respect to an account or story. What appears suddenly is
unexpected and out of the ordinary. For example, “I was
standing in the auditorium when all of a sudden I realized that I
loved her.” Or, “Renee was driving down Prescott Avenue when
all of a sudden she had an epiphany.” The appearance of the
phrase symbolizes a disruption in the ordinary or typical course
of events, and signals the emergence of something rather
extraordinary or surprising. When an event happens “suddenly”
one can expect a change in narrative; and in contemporary
usage this sudden change is either dreadful or delightful, or at
the very least, interesting.
In extant Greek literature prior to or contemporaneous with
Plato, “all of a sudden” generally indicates a quick turn for the
worse. There are a total of fifty-nine instances of this term, and I
have collected them in appendix I. The earliest appearances are
in Homer’s Iliad.[3] Not surprisingly, Plato speaks highly of
Homer in the dialogues, calling him “the prince of epic poets”
(Laws, 680c6–7), and “the most profound of our poets” (Laws,
776e7). Furthermore, upon being sentenced to death in Plato’s
Apology, Socrates looks forward to spending time and
conversing with Homer, among other Greek poets and heroes
(41a-b). Homer’s influence upon Plato and contemporaneous
Greeks, and thus in all probability his words, carefully selected
and perhaps refined over centuries, carried much weight.
Consequently, it is Homer’s use of ἐξαίφνης that remains
decisive until Plato transforms it from the original Homeric
sense into a distinctive philosophical conception.
Twice ἐξαίφνης surfaces in the Iliad and both instances
involve the sudden emergence of a raging fire. The first
appearance occurs in book 17, which depicts the long struggle