Dreams, horn and ivory

Use in the book

Socrates introduces the hypothesis of a life wholly governed by expertise as his dream, asking whether it has passed through horn or ivory. The allusion is to Penelope's account in Odyssey 19.560–567: dreams through horn are fulfilled, whereas those through ivory deceive. The phrase signals that the attractive vision requires examination. Socrates is not claiming prophetic certainty or reporting that he actually dreamed during the night.

The hypothesis temporarily grants the proposed supervisory knowledge all the capacities earlier questioned: pretended experts are exposed, true practitioners supply reliable services, and even genuine prophets may be distinguished from impostors. The resulting life is knowledgeably organized. Its goodness and happiness remain precisely what is to be tested.

The allusion therefore has a disciplined argumentative role. It permits imaginative generosity while withholding assent to the vision's final promise. The material contrast of horn and ivory does not itself specify which premise is false or establish that all technical knowledge is deceptive. Its force is to keep the vivid scenario provisional.

Because medicine, seamanship, generalship, and crafts provide recognizably desirable results, readers can feel the dream's attraction before Socrates asks what particular knowledge makes such a life happy. The poetic frame supports this alternation of invitation and doubt. The formal argument of the hypothesis should be followed independently of any attempt to decode every Homeric detail.

Places to read

1. 173a–d2Socrates calls the fully expert life a dream and introduces the horn/ivory uncertainty

Translation in this edition

“Ivory” is correct here; “elephant” would miss the Homeric reference. The edition explains the absent gate-image in a note rather than inserting a developed retelling into Socrates' speech.

ἐλέφας

Attested: ἐλέφαντος (elephantos). Ivory; one of the two materials in the Homeric allusion to dream-gates, not the elephant as an animal here. References: 173a. Lexical identification: lemma: ἐλέφας. See Dreams, horn and ivory.

κέρας

Attested: κεράτων (keratōn). Horn; Socrates asks whether his dream has come through horn or ivory, invoking the Homeric distinction between truthful and deceptive dreams. References: 173a. Lexical identification: lemma: κέρας. See Dreams, horn and ivory.

ὄναρ

Attested: ὄναρ (onar). Dream; introduces a conjectural vision of life wholly organized by knowledge rather than an established conclusion. References: 173a. Lexical identification: lemma: ὄναρ. See Dreams, horn and ivory.