eryxias-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Eryxias

by　a　Platonic　Imitator　（see　Appendix　II）

Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett






APPENDIX　II。



The　two　dialogues　which　are　translated　in　the　second　appendix　are　not

mentioned　by　Aristotle；　or　by　any　early　authority；　and　have　no　claim　to　be

ascribed　to　Plato。　　They　are　examples　of　Platonic　dialogues　to　be　assigned

probably　to　the　second　or　third　generation　after　Plato；　when　his　writings

were　well　known　at　Athens　and　Alexandria。　　They　exhibit　considerable

originality；　and　are　remarkable　for　containing　several　thoughts　of　the　sort

which　we　suppose　to　be　modern　rather　than　ancient；　and　which　therefore　have

a　peculiar　interest　for　us。　　The　Second　Alcibiades　shows　that　the

difficulties　about　prayer　which　have　perplexed　Christian　theologians　were

not　unknown　among　the　followers　of　Plato。　　The　Eryxias　was　doubted　by　the

ancients　themselves：　　yet　it　may　claim　the　distinction　of　being；　among　all

Greek　or　Roman　writings；　the　one　which　anticipates　in　the　most　striking

manner　the　modern　science　of　political　economy　and　gives　an　abstract　form

to　some　of　its　principal　doctrines。



For　the　translation　of　these　two　dialogues　I　am　indebted　to　my　friend　and

secretary；　Mr。　Knight。



That　the　Dialogue　which　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Second　Alcibiades　is　a

genuine　writing　of　Plato　will　not　be　maintained　by　any　modern　critic；　and

was　hardly　believed　by　the　ancients　themselves。　　The　dialectic　is　poor　and

weak。　　There　is　no　power　over　language；　or　beauty　of　style；　and　there　is　a

certain　abruptness　and　agroikia　in　the　conversation；　which　is　very　un…

Platonic。　　The　best　passage　is　probably　that　about　the　poets：the　remark

that　the　poet；　who　is　of　a　reserved　disposition；　is　uncommonly　difficult　to

understand；　and　the　ridiculous　interpretation　of　Homer；　are　entirely　in　the

spirit　of　Plato　（compare　Protag；　Ion；　Apol。）。　　The　characters　are　ill…

drawn。　　Socrates　assumes　the　'superior　person'　and　preaches　too　much；　while

Alcibiades　is　stupid　and　heavy…in…hand。　　There　are　traces　of　Stoic

influence　in　the　general　tone　and　phraseology　of　the　Dialogue　（compare　opos

melesei　tis。。。kaka：　　oti　pas　aphron　mainetai）：　　and　the　writer　seems　to

have　been　acquainted　with　the　'Laws'　of　Plato　（compare　Laws）。　　An　incident

from　the　Symposium　is　rather　clumsily　introduced；　and　two　somewhat

hackneyed　quotations　（Symp。；　Gorg。）　recur。　　The　reference　to　the　death　of

Archelaus　as　having　occurred　'quite　lately'　is　only　a　fiction；　probably

suggested　by　the　Gorgias；　where　the　story　of　Archelaus　is　told；　and　a

similar　phrase　occurs；ta　gar　echthes　kai　proen　gegonota　tauta；　k。t。l。　

There　are　several　passages　which　are　either　corrupt　or　extremely　ill…

expressed。　　But　there　is　a　modern　interest　in　the　subject　of　the　dialogue；

and　it　is　a　good　example　of　a　short　spurious　work；　which　may　be　attributed

to　the　second　or　third　century　before　Christ。





ERYXIAS



by



Platonic　Imitator　（see　Appendix　II　above）



Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett





INTRODUCTION。



Much　cannot　be　said　in　praise　of　the　style　or　conception　of　the　Eryxias。　

It　is　frequently　obscure；　like　the　exercise　of　a　student；　it　is　full　of

small　imitations　of　Plato：Phaeax　returning　from　an　expedition　to　Sicily

（compare　Socrates　in　the　Charmides　from　the　army　at　Potidaea）；　the　figure

of　the　game　at　draughts；　borrowed　from　the　Republic；　etc。　　It　has　also　in

many　passages　the　ring　of　sophistry。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　rather

unhandsome　treatment　which　is　exhibited　towards　Prodicus　is　quite　unlike

the　urbanity　of　Plato。



Yet　there　are　some　points　in　the　argument　which　are　deserving　of　attention。

（1）　That　wealth　depends　upon　the　need　of　it　or　demand　for　it；　is　the　first

anticipation　in　an　abstract　form　of　one　of　the　great　principles　of　modern

political　economy；　and　the　nearest　approach　to　it　to　be　found　in　an　ancient

writer。　　（2）　The　resolution　of　wealth　into　its　simplest　implements　going　on

to　infinity　is　a　subtle　and　refined　thought。　　（3）　That　wealth　is　relative

to　circumstances　is　a　sound　conception。　　（4）　That　the　arts　and　sciences

which　receive　payment　are　likewise　to　be　comprehended　under　the　notion　of

wealth；　also　touches　a　question　of　modern　political　economy。　　（5）　The

distinction　of　post　hoc　and　propter　hoc；　often　lost　sight　of　in　modern　as

well　as　in　ancient　times。　　These　metaphysical　conceptions　and　distinctions

show　considerable　power　of　thought　in　the　writer；　whatever　we　may　think　of

his　merits　as　an　imitator　of　Plato。





ERYXIAS



by



Platonic　Imitator　（see　Appendix　II　above）



Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett





PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Socrates；　Eryxias；　Erasistratus；　Critias。



SCENE：　　The　portico　of　a　temple　of　Zeus。





It　happened　by　chance　that　Eryxias　the　Steirian　was　walking　with　me　in　the

Portico　of　Zeus　the　Deliverer；　when　there　came　up　to　us　Critias　and

Erasistratus；　the　latter　the　son　of　Phaeax；　who　was　the　nephew　of

Erasistratus。　　Now　Erasistratus　had　just　arrived　from　Sicily　and　that　part

of　the　world。　　As　they　approached；　he　said；　Hail；　Socrates！



SOCRATES：　　The　same　to　you；　I　said；　have　you　any　good　news　from　Sicily　to

tell　us？



ERASISTRATUS：　　Most　excellent。　　But；　if　you　please；　let　us　first　sit　down；

for　I　am　tired　with　my　yesterday's　journey　from　Megara。



SOCRATES：　　Gladly；　if　that　is　your　desire。



ERASISTRATUS：　　What　would　you　wish　to　hear　first？　he　said。　　What　the

Sicilians　are　doing；　or　how　they　are　disposed　towards　our　city？　　To　my

mind；　they　are　very　like　wasps：　　so　long　as　you　only　cause　them　a　little

annoyance　they　are　quite　unmanageable；　you　must　destroy　their　nests　if　you

wish　to　get　the　better　of　them。　　And　in　a　similar　way；　the　Syracusans；

unless　we　set　to　work　in　earnest；　and　go　against　them　with　a　great

expedition；　will　never　submit　to　our　rule。　　The　petty　injuries　which　we　at

present　inflict　merely　irritate　them　enough　to　make　them　utterly

intractable。　　And　now　they　have　sent　ambassadors　to　Athens；　and　intend；　I

suspect；　to　play　us　some　trick。While　we　were　talking；　the　Syracusan

envoys　chanced　to　go　by；　and　Erasistratus；　pointing　to　one　of　them；　said　to

me；　That；　Socrates；　is　the　richest　man　in　all　Italy　and　Sicily。　　For　who

has　larger　estates　or　more　land　at　his　disposal　to　cultivate　if　he　please？　

And　they　are　of　a　quality；　too；　finer　than　any　other　land　in　Hellas。　

Moreover；　he　has　all　the　things　which　go　to　make　up　wealth；　slaves　and

horses　innumerable；　gold　and　silver　without　end。



I　saw　that　he　was　inclined　to　expatiate　on　the　riches　of　the　man；　so　I

asked　him；　Well；　Erasistratus；　and　what　sort　of　character　does　he　bear　in

Sicily？



ERASISTRATUS：　　He　is　esteemed　to　be；　and　really　is；　the　wickedest　of　all

the　Sicilians　and　Italians；　and　even　more　wicked　than　he　is　rich；　indeed；

if　you　were　to　ask　any　Sicilian　whom　he　thought　to　be　the　worst　and　the

richest　of　mankind；　you　would　never　hear　any　one　else　named。



I　reflected　that　we　were　speaking；　not　of　trivial　matters；　but　about　wealth

and　virtue；　which　are　deemed　to　be　of　the　greatest　moment；　and　I　asked

Erasistratus　whom　he　considered　the　wealthier；he　who　was　the　possessor　of

a　talent　of　silver　or　he　who　had　a　field　worth　two　talents？



ERASISTRATUS：　　The　owner　of　the　field。



SOCRATES：　　And　on　the　same　principle　he　who　had　robes　and　bedding　and　such

things　which　are　of　greater　value　to　him　than　to　a　stranger　would　be　richer

than　the　stranger？



ERASISTRATUS：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　any　one　gave　you　a　choice；　which　of　these　would　you

prefer？



ERASISTRATUS：　　That　which　was　most　valuable。



SOCRATES：　　In　which　way　do　you　think　you　would　be　the　richer？



ERASISTRATUS：　　By　choosing　as　I　said。



SOCRATES：　　And　he　appears　to　you　to　be　the　richest　who　has　goods　of　the

greatest　value？



ERASISTRATUS：　　He　does。



SOCRATES：　　And　are　not　the　healthy　richer　than　the　sick；　since　health　is　a

possession　more　valuable　than　riches　to　the　sick？　　Surely　there　is　no　one

who　would　not　prefer　to　be　poor　and　well；　rather　than　to　have　all　the　King

of　Persia's　wealth　and　to　be　ill。　　And　this　proves　that　men　set　health

above　wealth；　else　they　would　never　choose　the　one　in　preference　to　the

other。



ERASISTRATUS：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　anything　appeared　to　be　more　valuable　than　health；　he

would　be　the　richest　who　possessed　it？



ERASISTRATUS：　　He　would。



SOCRATES：　　Suppose　that　some　one　came　to　us　at　this　moment　and　were　to　ask；

Well；　Socrates　and　Eryxias　and　Erasistratus；　can　you　tell　me　what　is　of　the

greatest　value　to　men？　　Is　it　not　that　of　which　the　possession　will　best

enable　a　man　to　advise　how　his　own　and　his　friend's　affairs　should　be

administered？What　will　be　our　reply？



ERASISTRATUS：　　I　should　say；　Socrates；　that　happiness　was　the　most　precious

of　human　possessions。



SOCRATES：　　Not　a　bad　answer。　　But　do　we　not　deem　those　men　who　are　most

prosperous　to　be　the　happiest？



ERASISTRATUS：　　That　is　my　opinion。



SOCRA