batch.motif.greek-plato-phaedrus-jowett-gutenberg-l1591-l1673
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-plato-phaedrus-jowett-gutenberg-l1591-l1673
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
passage_locator:
label: PHAEDRUS / INTRODUCTION. / ON THE DECLINE OF GREEK LITERATURE. / PHAEDRUS;
lines 1591-1673
start: '1591'
end: '1673'
translation: Phaedrus
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Phaedrus presents an argument that a beloved should grant favor to a non-lover
rather than to a lover. The speaker contrasts lovers, described as passion-driven,
jealous, changeable, and not in their right mind, with non-lovers, described as
self-controlled, prudent, less publicly compromising, more socially tolerant,
and better suited to lasting friendship.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The speaker states that his suit should not fail because he is not the addressee's
lover.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Lovers are described as repenting of kindnesses after their passion ceases.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Non-lovers are described as acting freely, without compulsion, and according
to ability and interest.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The lover is described as afflicted with a malady, not in his right mind,
and unable to control himself.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The speaker says that choosing among non-lovers gives a larger pool of possible
friends than choosing among lovers.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The lover is said to boast publicly and to be seen following the beloved,
while the non-lover is said to be more self-controlled and concerned with solid
good rather than public opinion.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The lover is described as jealous and as attempting to keep the beloved from
society, including wealthy or educated associates.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: The non-lover is described as not jealous of the beloved's companions and
as regarding association with others as beneficial to the beloved.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: The speaker says lovers may love a youth's person before knowing his character
or belongings, and may not remain friends after passion passes.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: The speaker claims that he is likely to improve the addressee, while a lover
will spoil him through distorted praise and weakened judgment.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: The speaker presents his own proposed relationship as guided by future advantage,
self-mastery, forgiveness of unintentional offences, and prevention of intentional
offences.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Phaedrus / first-person speaker
description: The named speaker of the passage, who presents a first-person argument
in favor of the non-lover.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Addressee / beloved
description: The person addressed as the one whose favor, friendship, and associations
are under discussion.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- ev:10
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Lover
description: A generic lover described as passionate, repentant, jealous, publicly
conspicuous, and mentally unsteady.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:9
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Non-lover
description: A generic non-lover described as free from compulsion, self-controlled,
less jealous, and potentially a lasting friend.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Companions of the beloved
description: Other associates of the beloved, including wealthy and educated persons,
whose presence is treated differently by lover and non-lover.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: speaker of counsel
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The speaker instructs the addressee to listen and argues for how the affair
should be arranged.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: self-presented beneficial non-lover
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The speaker contrasts himself with the lover and claims he will improve the
addressee through self-mastery and lasting friendship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:3
label: beloved / recipient of suit
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The addressee is the one whose favor, friendship, and social relations are
being debated.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: passionate and jealous lover
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The lover is described as passion-driven, mentally disordered, jealous, and
isolating toward the beloved.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: prudent non-lover
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The non-lover is described as free, self-controlled, not jealous, and capable
of lasting friendship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:6
label: social alternatives / companions
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The beloved's companions are discussed as people the lover fears and the
non-lover does not reject.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
symbols: []
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Argument for choosing the non-lover
summary: The speaker opens by claiming that his suit should succeed precisely because
he is not a lover, then contrasts lovers' later regret with non-lovers' freedom
from compulsion.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Love described as mental disorder
summary: The lover is represented as afflicted by a malady, wrong in mind, and unable
to control himself, making trust in him unsafe.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Public exposure and social suspicion
summary: The speaker contrasts the lover's public boasting and visible pursuit of
the beloved with the non-lover's greater self-mastery and less suspicious meetings.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Jealous isolation of the beloved
summary: The lover is said to fear rivals and to keep the beloved away from wealthy,
educated, or otherwise advantageous companions, while the non-lover welcomes the
beloved's friendships.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: Self-mastered friendship offered
summary: The speaker claims that his relationship with the addressee will be oriented
toward future advantage, moderation, forgiveness, and durable friendship.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Rational non-lover preferred over passionate lover
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage repeatedly argues that the non-lover is more prudent, self-controlled,
socially beneficial, and likely to form lasting friendship than the lover.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage is argumentative and ethical
rather than mythic narrative.
- id: motif:2
label: Love as madness or malady
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The lover is explicitly described as afflicted with a malady, not in his
right mind, and unable to control himself.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy reference directly matches this motif.
- id: motif:3
label: Jealous lover isolates the beloved
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The lover is said to bar the beloved from society and fear companions with
wealth, education, or other advantages.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: This is a social-ethical pattern within the speech, not a mythological
episode.
- id: motif:4
label: Enduring friendship through self-mastery
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The speaker presents self-control, forgiveness, concern for future advantage,
and prevention of intentional offences as marks of a lasting friendship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The motif is abstract and ethical; the taxonomy link to wisdom is interpretive
but directly supported by the passage's emphasis on prudent conduct.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 1591-1596
quote_or_summary: The speaker asks the addressee to listen, says the affair can
benefit both, and argues that his suit should not fail because he is not the addressee's
lover.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 1596-1608
quote_or_summary: The passage contrasts lovers, who later repent of kindnesses when
passion ceases, with non-lovers, who act freely and without compulsion.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 1616-1624
quote_or_summary: The lover is described as afflicted with a malady, not in his
right mind, wrong in mind, and unable to control himself.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 1624-1629
quote_or_summary: The speaker says there are more non-lovers than lovers, so the
addressee has a larger and better chance of finding a worthy friend among non-lovers.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 1629-1641
quote_or_summary: The lover is said to boast and visibly follow the beloved, while
the non-lover is described as more self-controlled and concerned with solid good
rather than opinion.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 1641-1653
quote_or_summary: The lover is presented as suspicious and jealous, fearing rivals
and preventing the beloved from associating with wealthy, educated, or otherwise
advantaged people.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 1653-1661
quote_or_summary: Non-lovers are described as not jealous of the beloved's companions
and as thinking friendship with others can benefit the beloved.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 1661-1668
quote_or_summary: Many lovers are said to love a youth's person before knowing his
character or belongings, so their friendship after passion passes is uncertain;
non-lovers who were already friends retain the memory of favors as a pledge of
future good.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 1669-1673
quote_or_summary: The speaker claims he will improve the addressee, whereas a lover
will spoil him by praising wrongly because of fear of offence and weakened judgment
from passion.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: '1673'
quote_or_summary: The speaker says that, if listened to, he will seek future advantage,
remain self-mastered, forgive unintentional offences, try to prevent intentional
ones, and offer marks of lasting friendship.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized rather than quoted.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is a philosophical-rhetorical argument rather than a mythic narrative.
Literal roles and ethical patterns are clear, but motif-family alignment is limited
and broad.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No listed concrete symbols such as cave, fire, water, tree, serpent, mountain, or milk occur in the passage. No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not support a cross-text or cross-tradition comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-plato-phaedrus-jowett-gutenberg__l1591-l1673
passage_sha256=01cff7e8959b30a13c6bda403f0499c05805223f57e77cc74b4c3b20b98e9f6e