Socrates: O Phaedrus—if I fail to know my Phaedrus, I have forgotten my own self. And yet, I have done neither of these. Well do I know that when he heard Lysias' speech, he didn’t hear it only once. But often and repeatedly, Phaedrus urged him to speak. And Lysias eagerly (prothumos) obliged. But even that wasn’t enough. And he, managing to take possession of the book, examined what his heart most desired (epithumos). And doing this, sitting since early morning, he gave it up and went for a walk—knowing the speech thoroughly, I would guess, by the dog; unless it is very long indeed. And he crossed outside the wall, that he might practice (meleta-o). And meeting one mad for hearing words, and seeing him, seeing, it would pleasure him to possess a fellow Corybantic reveler, and he commanded him to lead. And as the lover (erastes) of words was begging him to speak, he broke away, as if it was not his desire (epithume-o) to speak. But in the end, he was always going to speak, and if someone wouldn’t listen willingly, then by force! O Phaedrus, anyway—beg yourself to create (poie-o) right now, and quick, the very pleasures (ede / edos) that you will nonetheless create!
