Oath and divine invocations

Use in the book

The strongest obligation in the prologue is Socrates' oath to the Thracian. Having sworn, he says he must obey the teacher's instruction not to treat the head before the soul. The oath protects a condition of treatment against pressure from wealth, good birth, or beauty. Its force belongs to the reported medical arrangement; the text does not give the wording of a historical professional oath or identify it as the Hippocratic Oath.

Ordinary conversation is also punctuated by Zeus-invocations. Socrates, Charmides, and Critias use these formulas to insist, deny, recognize, or react. Their occurrence is not evidence that every following proposition has been solemnly proved. Socrates' “Heracles!” at 154d answers the extravagant praise of Charmides with an extravagant exclamation and the description of an invincible young man.

At 167a “the third time, for the Savior” introduces a renewed attempt to examine the proposed knowledge. The phrase draws on a familiar ritual-proverbial pattern of a third offering or cup to Zeus Soter. Its local point is a hopeful restart. Counting all earlier definitions and forcing them into exactly three stages would mistake the conversational formula for a formal table of contents.

“By the dog” at 172e accompanies Socrates' acknowledgment that his own doubts sound strange. The oath has close parallels in other Platonic dialogues, but the Charmides does not explain the dog as an Egyptian god, Rhadamanthine practice, or comic substitute for Zeus. Those are comparative ancient explanations. Here it marks characteristic Socratic speech at the transition toward the dream.

Across these uses, religious language supports constraint, excitement, assurance, and hope without supplying one uniform authority for the argument. The sworn medical commitment is specific; the Delphic interpretation is contested through examination; ordinary oaths accompany concessions that may later be withdrawn.

Places to read

1. 154b–d2Zeus and Heracles are invoked during recognition and praise of Charmides
2. 157b–c2Socrates says his sworn obligation requires compliance with the Thracian’s conditions
3. 161c–162b23Zeus-oaths punctuate the discussion of the borrowed definition
4. 167a–bThe third-for-the-Savior formula introduces renewed testing
5. 172eSocrates swears by the dog while acknowledging a troubling implication
6. 176aCharmides invokes Zeus while disclaiming knowledge of his own temperance

Translation in this edition

At 157c1 Burnet prints the perfect ὀμώμοκα while recording the aorist ὤμοσα in other witnesses. The perfect in the translation, “I have sworn,” suits the continuing obligation. The explanatory identification of the Savior with Zeus comes from the proverbial background; the local phrase does not spell out Zeus’ name.

Ἡρακλῆς

Attested: Ἡράκλεις (hērakleis). Heracles, invoked in an exclamation of amazement rather than introduced as an acting character. References: 154d. Lexical identification: lemma: Ἡρακλῆς. See Oath and divine invocations.

κύων

Attested: κύνα (kyna). Dog; the accusative in Socrates’ oath “by the dog,” uttered as he admits how strange his doubts about temperance’s benefit sound. References: 172e. Lexical identification: lemma: κύων. See Oath and divine invocations.

ὄμνυμι

Attested: ὀμώμοκα (omōmoka). Have sworn; Socrates presents himself as bound by an oath to the healer’s conditions. References: 157c. Lexical identification: lemma: ὄμνυμι. See Oath and divine invocations.

τὸ τρίτον τῷ σωτῆρι

Attested: τὸ τρίτον τῷ σωτῆρι (to triton tōi sōtēri). ‘The third to the Saviour’: a proverbial ritual invocation marking the renewed attempt at a definition. References: 167a. Lexical identification: expression / normalized lookup: τὸ τρίτον τῷ σωτῆρι. See Oath and divine invocations.