gorgias-第21节

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tion；　which　is　caused　by　licence　and　luxury　and　insolence　and　incontinence；　and　despatches　him　ignominiously　to　his　prison；　and　there　he　undergoes　the　punishment　which　he　deserves。　　　Now　the　proper　office　of　punishment　is　twofold：　he　who　is　rightly　punished　ought　either　to　become　better　and　profit　by　it；　or　he　ought　to　be　made　an　example　to　his　fellows；　that　they　may　see　what　he　suffers；　and　fear　and　become　better。　Those　who　are　improved　when　they　are　punished　by　gods　and　men；　are　those　whose　sins　are　curable；　and　they　are　improved；　as　in　this　world　so　also　in　another；　by　pain　and　suffering；　for　there　is　no　other　way　in　which　they　can　be　delivered　from　their　evil。　But　they　who　have　been　guilty　of　the　worst　crimes；　and　are　incurable　by　reason　of　their　crimes；　are　made　examples；　for；　as　they　are　incurable；　the　time　has　passed　at　which　they　can　receive　any　benefit。　They　get　no　good　themselves；　but　others　get　good　when　they　behold　them　enduring　for　ever　the　most　terrible　and　painful　and　fearful　sufferings　as　the　penalty　of　their　sins…there　they　are；　hanging　up　as　examples；　in　the　prison…house　of　the　world　below；　a　spectacle　and　a　warning　to　all　unrighteous　men　who　come　thither。　And　among　them；　as　I　confidently　affirm；　will　be　found　Archelaus；　if　Polus　truly　reports　of　him；　and　any　other　tyrant　who　is　like　him。　Of　these　fearful　examples；　most；　as　I　believe；　are　taken　from　the　class　of　tyrants　and　kings　and　potentates　and　public　men；　for　they　are　the　authors　of　the　greatest　and　most　impious　crimes；　because　they　have　the　power。　And　Homer　witnesses　to　the　truth　of　this；　for　they　are　always　kings　and　potentates　whom　he　has　described　as　suffering　everlasting　punishment　in　the　world　below：　such　were　Tantalus　and　Sisyphus　and　Tityus。　But　no　one　ever　described　Thersites；　or　any　private　person　who　was　a　villain；　as　suffering　everlasting　punishment；　or　as　incurable。　For　to　commit　the　worst　crimes；　as　I　am　inclined　to　think；　was　not　in　his　power；　and　he　was　happier　than　those　who　had　the　power。　No；　Callicles；　the　very　bad　men　come　from　the　class　of　those　who　have　power。　And　yet　in　that　very　class　there　may　arise　good　men；　and　worthy　of　all　admiration　they　are；　for　where　there　is　great　power　to　do　wrong；　to　live　and　to　die　justly　is　a　hard　thing；　and　greatly　to　be　praised；　and　few　there　are　who　attain　to　this。　Such　good　and　true　men；　however；　there　have　been；　and　will　be　again；　at　Athens　and　in　other　states；　who　have　fulfilled　their　trust　righteously；　and　there　is　one　who　is　quite　famous　all　over　Hellas；　Aristeides；　the　son　of　Lysimachus。　But；　in　general；　great　men　are　also　bad；　my　friend。　　　As　I　was　saying；　Rhadamanthus；　when　he　gets　a　soul　of　the　bad　kind；　knows　nothing　about　him；　neither　who　he　is；　nor　who　his　parents　are；　he　knows　only　that　he　has　got　hold　of　a　villain；　and　seeing　this；　he　stamps　him　as　curable　or　incurable；　and　sends　him　away　to　Tartarus；　whither　he　goes　and　receives　his　proper　recompense。　Or；　again；　he　looks　with　admiration　on　the　soul　of　some　just　one　who　has　lived　in　holiness　and　truth；　he　may　have　been　a　private　man　or　not；　and　I　should　say；　Callicles；　that　he　is　most　likely　to　have　been　a　philosopher　who　has　done　his　own　work；　and　not　troubled　himself　with　the　doings　of　other　in　his　lifetime；　him　Rhadamanthus　sends　to　the　Islands　of　the　Blessed。　Aeacus　does　the　same；　and　they　both　have　sceptres；　and　judge；　but　Minos　alone　has　a　golden　sceptre　and　is　seated　looking　on；　as　Odysseus　in　Homer　declares　that　he　saw　him：

　　　　Holding　a　sceptre　of　gold；　and　giving　laws　to　the　dead。

Now　I；　Callicles；　am　persuaded　of　the　truth　of　these　things；　and　I　consider　how　I　shall　present　my　soul　whole　and　undefiled　before　the　judge　in　that　day。　Renouncing　the　honours　at　which　the　world　aims；　I　desire　only　to　know　the　truth；　and　to　live　as　well　as　I　can；　and；　when　I　die；　to　die　as　well　as　I　can。　And；　to　the　utmost　of　my　power；　I　exhort　all　other　men　to　do　the　same。　And；　in　return　for　your　exhortation　of　me；　I　exhort　you　also　to　take　part　in　the　great　combat；　which　is　the　combat　of　life；　and　greater　than　every　other　earthly　conflict。　And　I　retort　your　reproach　of　me；　and　say；　that　you　will　not　be　able　to　help　yourself　when　the　day　of　trial　and　judgment；　of　which　I　was　speaking；　comes　upon　you；　you　will　go　before　the　judge；　the　son　of　Aegina；　and；　when　he　has　got　you　in　his　grip　and　is　carrying　you　off；　you　will　gape　and　your　head　will　swim　round；　just　as　mine　would　in　the　courts　of　this　world；　and　very　likely　some　one　will　shamefully　box　you　on　the　ears；　and　put　upon　you　any　sort　of　insult。　　　Perhaps　this　may　appear　to　you　to　be　only　an　old　wife's　tale；　which　you　will　contemn。　And　there　might　be　reason　in　your　contemning　such　tales；　if　by　searching　we　could　find　out　anything　better　or　truer：　but　now　you　see　that　you　and　Polus　and　Gorgias；　who　are　the　three　wisest　of　the　Greeks　of　our　day；　are　not　able　to　show　that　we　ought　to　live　any　life　which　does　not　profit　in　another　world　as　well　as　in　this。　And　of　all　that　has　been　said；　nothing　remains　unshaken　but　the　saying；　that　to　do　injustice　is　more　to　be　avoided　than　to　suffer　injustice；　and　that　the　reality　and　not　the　appearance　of　virtue　is　to　be　followed　above　all　things；　as　well　in　public　as　in　private　life；　and　that　when　any　one　has　been　wrong　in　anything；　he　is　to　be　chastised；　and　that　the　next　best　thing　to　a　man　being　just　is　that　he　should　become　just；　and　be　chastised　and　punished；　also　that　he　should　avoid　all　flattery　of　himself　as　well　as　of　others；　of　the　few　or　of　the　many：　and　rhetoric　and　any　other　art　should　be　used　by　him；　and　all　his　actions　should　be　done　always；　with　a　view　to　justice。　　　Follow　me　then；　and　I　will　lead　you　where　you　will　be　happy　in　life　and　after　death；　as　the　argument　shows。　And　never　mind　if　some　one　despises　you　as　a　fool；　and　insults　you；　if　he　has　a　mind；　let　him　strike　you；　by　Zeus；　and　do　you　be　of　good　cheer；　and　do　not　mind　the　insulting　blow；　for　you　will　never　come　to　any　harm　in　the　practise　of　virtue；　if　you　are　a　really　good　and　true　man。　When　we　have　practised　virtue　together；　we　will　apply　ourselves　to　politics；　if　that　seems　desirable；　or　we　will　advise　about　whatever　else　may　seem　good　to　us；　for　we　shall　be　better　able　to　judge　then。　In　our　present　condition　we　ought　not　to　give　ourselves　airs；　for　even　on　the　most　important　subjects　we　are　always　changing　our　minds；　so　utterly　stupid　are　we！　Let　us；　then；　take　the　argument　as　our　guide；　which　has　revealed　to　us　that　the　best　way　of　life　is　to　practise　justice　and　every　virtue　in　life　and　death。　This　way　let　us　go；　and　in　this　exhort　all　men　to　follow；　not　in　the　way　to　which　you　trust　and　in　which　you　exhort　me　to　follow　you；　for　that　way；　Callicles；　is　nothing　worth。


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