cratylus   

to avoid the ill-omened sound of destruction (apolon). Now the
suspicion of this destructive power still haunts the minds of some who
do not consider the true value of the name, which, as I was saying
just now, has reference to all the powers of the God, who is the
single one, the everdarting, the purifier, the mover together (aplous,
aei Ballon, apolouon, omopolon). The name of the Muses and of music
would seem to be derived from their making philosophical enquiries
(mosthai); and Leto is called by this name, because she is such a
gentle Goddess, and so willing (ethelemon) to grant our requests; or
her name may be Letho, as she is often called by strangers- they seem
to imply by it her amiability, and her smooth and easy-going way of
behaving. Artemis is named from her healthy (artemes), well-ordered
nature, and because of her love of virginity, perhaps because she is a
proficient in virtue (arete), and perhaps also as hating intercourse
of the sexes (ton aroton miseasa). He who gave the Goddess her name
may have had any or all of these reasons.
Her. What is the meaning of Dionysus and Aphrodite?
Soc. Son of Hipponicus, you ask a solemn question; there is a serious
and also a facetious explanation of both these names; the serious
explanation is not to be had from me, but there is no objection to
your hearing the facetious one; for the Gods too love a joke. Dionusos
is simply didous oinon (giver of wine), as he might be called in fun,-
and oinos is properly oionous, because wine makes those who drink,
think (oiesthai) that they have a mind (noun) when they have none. The
derivation of Aphrodite, born of the foam (aphoros), may be fairly
accepted on the authority of Hesiod.
Her. Still there remains Athene, whom you, Socrates, as an Athenian,
will surely not forget; there are also Hephaestus and Ares.
Soc. I am not likely to forget them.
Her. No, indeed.
Soc. There is no difficulty in explaining the other appellation of
Athene.
Her. What other appellation?
Soc. We call her Pallas.
Her. To be sure.
Soc. And we cannot be wrong in supposing that this is derived from
armed dances. For the elevation of oneself or anything else above the
earth, or by the use of the hands, we call shaking (pallein), or
dancing.
Her. That is quite true.
Soc. Then that is the explanation of the name Pallas?
Her. Yes; but what do you say of the other name?
Soc. Athene?
Her. Yes.
Soc. That is a graver matter, and there, my friend, the modern
interpreters of Homer may, I think, assist in explaining the view of
the ancients. For most of these in their explanations of the poet,
assert that he meant by Athene "mind" (nous) and "intelligence"
(dianoia), and the maker of names appears to have had a singular
notion about her; and indeed calls her by a still higher title,
"divine intelligence" (Thou noesis), as though he would say: This is
she who has the mind of God (Theonoa);- using a as a dialectical
variety e, and taking away i and s. Perhaps, however, the name Theonoe
may mean "she who knows divine things" (Theia noousa) better than
others. Nor shall we be far wrong in supposing that the author of it
wished to identify this Goddess with moral intelligence (en ethei
noesin), and therefore gave her the name ethonoe; which, however,
either he or his successors have altered into what they thought a
nicer form, and called her Athene.
Her. But what do you say of Hephaestus?
Soc. Speak you of the princely lord of light (Phaeos istora)?
Her. Surely.
Soc. Ephaistos is Phaistos, and has added the e by attraction; that is
obvious to anybody.