The Musical StructureOf Plato's dialogues

Introduction and Overview

Part I

• 'Plato's Forms, Pythagorean Mathematics, and Stichometry', Apeiron, 2010

• The Musical Structure of Plato's Dialogues, Acumen, forthcoming, Spring 2011

• Online debate

• Anticipations

Main Claims

• Plato was stichometrist (hexameter lines)

• Symbolic Passages Mark Locations (3/4, 2/3)

• Embedded Musical 'Scale'

• Explains Narrative Structure of Dialogues

• Affinity with Pythagoreanism

Structure in Symp.

• Embedded scale: 12 notes with quarternotes

• Passages about 'harmony' mark the notes

• Theory of Relative Consonance: explains narrative structure

• 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 are consonant; 5, 7, 10, 11 are dissonant -- content varies accordingly

Music/Math Terms Btwn Notes 2,3:Histogram (Resp)

Symbols in Frame

• Recollected episode ends at 1/4: scale used as outline

• Laws: music is harmony of fast/slow (tempo) and of high/ low (pitch)

• At each quarter-tone: motion and harmony between

Context, Evidence, Methodology

Part II

Historical Context

• Stichometry routine in classical period (Ohly)

• Pythagoreans known for 'symbolism' (Burkert)

• Circles around Socrates Debate Symbolism

• Derveni Papyrus: guide to symbolism

Plausibility Arguments• Aporetic Endings: What is Plato's view?

• Problem of Platonic Anonymity

• Reports in Academy of Plato's Pythagoreanism

• Many followers say Plato is symbolic writer: neo-Pythagoreans, neo-Platonists, Ficino

• Evidence that Theon/Thrasyllus saw musical structure

Motivation

• Symbolism, Allegory is common

• Platonism: Forms beneath Appearances

• Pythagoreans were persecuted?

• Secrecy is normal (reserve, Burkert)

Line Counting

• Stephanus Pages Irregular

• Classical Texts: no spaces, punctuation, etc.

• Strip out everything, count Greek letters

• My counts confirmed by Fitzpatrick, who will make software available

Lines of Evidence• Lengths of Set Speeches (Symp, Phaedrus)

• Total Lengths of Dialogues

• Similar Concepts at Parallel Locations

• Bands of 'Positive', 'Negative' Content: 8/12 --9/12 versus 10/12 -- 11/12

• MSPD: close reading of notes in Symp.

Musical Structure

Part III

Symbolic Passages

• At regular intervals

• Each twelfth: 1/12, 2/12 ...

• Each quarter-interval: 1/12 +1/4 ...

• Other significant locations : sevenths ...

• Well-known 'Division of the Canon' (Theon)

Genus of a Species

• Forms are general similarities: colour = red, blue, yellow ...

• Each passage describes a species

• Symp: 'harmony', Euthyphro: epistemic assertion

• Regular pattern is a musical scale

Harmony in Symp.• Unity: 'monoeides' Form of Beauty, 9.0

• Coupling with beauty, 8.0

• Fusion of two lovers, 4.3

• Theory of musical harmony, 3.2

• Dissonance: Alcibiades' pain of rejection by Socrates, 11.0

Conclusion

Why not detected?

• Need to know maths, music theory

• Anti-allegory turn in Reformation, invention of neo-Platonism

• Plato worked hard to conceal

• Spenser's mathematical allegories not found until Seventies

Implications

• Textual Studies: measure integrity of texts

• Musicology: new evidence on theory, monochord

• History of Platonism, Pythagoreanism

• History of Science