batch.motif.greek-plato-phaedrus-jowett-gutenberg-l2188-l2244
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-plato-phaedrus-jowett-gutenberg-l2188-l2244
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 2188-2244
start: '2188'
end: '2244'
translation: Phaedrus
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The speaker argues that inspired love is a divine blessing, then introduces
a proof of the soul's immortality based on self-motion. The soul is described
figuratively as a charioteer with a pair of winged horses; divine teams are noble,
while the human team is mixed. A perfect winged soul rises through heaven and
orders the world, while an imperfect soul loses its wings, falls to earth, and
joins with a body as a mortal living creature.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The speaker says that inspired love is sent by the gods and is the greatest
of heaven's blessings.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The speaker proposes to examine the affections and actions of the divine and
human soul.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The passage argues that what is self-moving is immortal, unbegotten, indestructible,
and the beginning of motion.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The soul is identified with self-motion and therefore described as necessarily
unbegotten and immortal.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The nature of the soul is presented in a figure composed of a pair of winged
horses and a charioteer.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The winged horses and charioteers of the gods are described as noble and of
noble descent.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The human charioteer drives a pair in which one horse is noble and the other
ignoble, making the driving troublesome.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: The soul is said to care for inanimate being everywhere and to traverse the
whole heaven in various forms.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: When perfect and fully winged, the soul soars upward and orders the whole
world.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:10
text: When imperfect, the soul loses its wings, droops in flight, settles on the
solid ground, and receives an earthly frame.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:11
text: The composition of soul and body is called a living and mortal creature.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: the soul
description: A self-moving, immortal principle later described through the figure
of a charioteer and winged horses.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: the gods
description: Divine beings said to send love and to possess noble winged horses
and charioteers.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: lover
description: One of the human parties said to receive possible good from love sent
by the gods.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: beloved
description: One of the human parties said to receive possible good from love sent
by the gods.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: charioteer
description: A figure used in the account of the soul; the human charioteer drives
a mixed pair of horses.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: pair of winged horses
description: A paired set of horses in the figure of the soul; divine horses are
noble, while the human pair is mixed, one noble and one ignoble.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: living and mortal creature
description: The composition of soul and earthly body after the imperfect soul settles
on the ground and receives an earthly frame.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: sender of love
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Love is described as sent by the gods for possible good to lover or beloved.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: immortal self-mover
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The soul is identified with self-motion and therefore with immortality and
unbegottenness.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: divine possessor of noble chariot team
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The gods' winged horses and charioteers are described as noble and of noble
descent.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: recipient of divine love's possible good
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The passage challenges an opponent to show that love is not sent by the gods
for any good to lover or beloved.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:5
label: driver in the soul figure
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:5
basis: The soul is figured as a charioteer with a pair of winged horses, and the
human charioteer drives the pair.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: winged soul-team
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:6
basis: The soul's nature is described in a composite figure of winged horses and
charioteer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:7
label: mixed noble and ignoble pair
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The human pair contains one noble horse and one ignoble horse.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:8
label: mortal embodiment
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The union of soul and body is called a living and mortal creature.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: chariot team of the soul
literal_form: a pair of winged horses and a charioteer
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: wings of the soul
literal_form: wings that allow upward flight and whose loss leads to descent
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: mixed pair of horses
literal_form: one noble horse and one ignoble horse in the human team
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: upward flight through heaven
literal_form: the perfect, fully winged soul soaring upward
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: fall to solid ground
literal_form: the imperfect soul losing wings, drooping in flight, and settling
on solid ground
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:6
label: earthly frame
literal_form: the body received by the fallen soul
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Defense of inspired love
summary: The speaker says that inspired love is a divine blessing and challenges
the opposing preference for a merely temperate friend.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Proof of the soul's immortality
summary: The passage argues from self-motion to the soul's immortality, unbegottenness,
and indestructibility.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Figure of the charioteer and winged horses
summary: The soul's nature is described through a composite image of a charioteer
and two winged horses, with divine teams noble and human teams mixed.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Ascent and fall of the winged soul
summary: The perfect winged soul rises through heaven and orders the world, while
the imperfect soul loses its wings, falls to earth, and receives an earthly body.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: divinely inspired love as blessing
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: The passage says love is sent by the gods and calls the madness of love the
greatest of heaven's blessings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage is philosophical argument rather than narrative myth; the
taxonomy link is based on divine love language, not on a full beloved-deity episode.
- id: motif:2
label: immortal self-moving soul
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage presents a doctrinal proof that the self-moving soul is immortal,
unbegotten, and indestructible.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The motif is abstract and philosophical; the wisdom taxonomy fit is broad.
- id: motif:3
label: soul as charioteer with opposed horses
taxonomy_refs:
- duality
basis: The human chariot team contains one noble and one ignoble horse, creating
a divided pair that troubles the driver.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: This is explicitly introduced as a figure, not as a literal mythic event.
- id: motif:4
label: ascent of the winged soul
taxonomy_refs:
- ascent
basis: The perfect and fully winged soul is described as soaring upward and traversing
heaven.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The ascent is part of a philosophical image of soul rather than a narrated
journey of a named hero.
- id: motif:5
label: loss of wings and embodiment on earth
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The imperfect soul loses its wings, descends to solid ground, receives an
earthly frame, and becomes part of a mortal living creature.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy family exactly matches this embodiment pattern.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2188-2199
quote_or_summary: The speaker defends inspired madness and says love is sent by
the gods for good to lover or beloved; the madness of love is called the greatest
of heaven's blessings.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 2200-2224
quote_or_summary: The passage argues that what is ever self-moving is immortal,
unbegotten, indestructible, and the beginning of motion; the soul is identified
with this self-moving nature.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2225-2234
quote_or_summary: The soul's nature is presented in a figure of a charioteer and
a pair of winged horses; divine teams are noble, while the human team contains
one noble and one ignoble horse.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 2235-2241
quote_or_summary: The soul traverses heaven; when perfect and winged it soars upward
and orders the world, while when imperfect it loses its wings, droops, settles
on the ground, and receives an earthly frame.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 2241-2244
quote_or_summary: The union of soul and body is called a living and mortal creature;
the passage then turns to the reason why the soul loses its wings.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/phaedrus-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is strong because the passage explicitly states the philosophical
claims and figures. Motif taxonomy assignments are cautious because the passage
is allegorical and philosophical rather than a mythic narrative. No comparison
claims were added because the supplied passage does not itself establish an external
comparison.
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: |-
Extraction uses only the supplied passage and metadata. Taxonomy references are limited to supplied available motif families; no external parallels are asserted.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-plato-phaedrus-jowett-gutenberg__l2188-l2244
passage_sha256=174d15a026753867fffa56d7525ce52302239780ccef4983a745f001d92cd28d