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The Musical Structure Of Plato's dialogues

Part I
Introduction and Overview

'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 Afnity 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

Part II
Context, Evidence, Methodology

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: neoPythagoreans, 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 conrmed 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.

Part III
Musical Structure

Symbolic Passages
At regular intervals Each twelfth: 1/12, 2/12 ... Each quarter-interval: 1/12 +1/4 ... Other signicant 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

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