406–407
Socrates
Socrates. You ask great things of me, son of Hipponicus. You see there is both a serious and a facetious account of the form of the name of these deities. You will have to ask others for the serious one; but there is nothing to hinder my giving you the facetious account, for the gods also have a sense of humor. Dionysus, the giver (διδούς) of wine (οἶνος), might be called in jest Didoinysus, and wine, because it makes most drinkers think (οἴεσθαι) they have wit (νοῦς) when they have not, might very justly be called Oeonus (οἰόνους). As for Aphrodite, we need not oppose Hesiod; we can accept his derivation of the name from her birth out of the foam (ἀφροῦ).
Hermogenes
Hermogenes. But surely you, as an Athenian, will not forget Athena, nor Hephaestus and Ares.
Socrates
Socrates. That is not likely.
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Hermogenes
Hermogenes. No.
Socrates
Socrates. It is easy to tell the reason of one of her two names.
Hermogenes
Hermogenes. What name?
Socrates
Socrates. We call her Pallas, you know.
Hermogenes
Hermogenes. Yes, of course.
10
Socrates
Socrates. Those of us are right, I fancy, who think this name is derived from armed dances, for lifting oneself or anything else from the ground or in the hands is called shaking (πάλλειν) and being shaken, or dancing and being danced.
Hermogenes
Hermogenes. Yes, certainly.
Socrates
Socrates. So that is the reason she is called Pallas.
Hermogenes
Hermogenes. And rightly called so. But what can you say of her other name?
Socrates
Socrates. You mean Athena?
Hermogenes
Hermogenes. Yes.
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