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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