Abstract

In the 5th and 6th essays of Commentary on Plato’s Republic, Proclus focuses on rescuing both “myth-makers”, Homer and Hesiod, as well as their critics, Socrates and Plato . In this paper we analyze the relationship that Proclus states between the four grades of poetic discourse -inspired poetry, scientific, of reproduction and of appearances-, and a certain way of life. The features Proclus assigns to the myths do not apply to all of them, as it is necessary to distinguish between two types of myths: the educational ones and the divinely inspired, which correspond to two types of listeners: those concerning the young people, and those whose target are the ones who are able to raise their soul through all divine grades. Poets and Plato teach the same lesson on the same things