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mistress　of　Pericles；　and　any　one　whose　teachers　had　been　far　inferior　to

his　ownsay；　one　who　had　learned　from　Antiphon　the　Rhamnusianwould　be

quite　equal　to　the　task　of　praising　men　to　themselves。　　When　we　remember

that　Antiphon　is　described　by　Thucydides　as　the　best　pleader　of　his　day；

the　satire　on　him　and　on　the　whole　tribe　of　rhetoricians　is　transparent。



The　ironical　assumption　of　Socrates；　that　he　must　be　a　good　orator　because

he　had　learnt　of　Aspasia；　is　not　coarse；　as　Schleiermacher　supposes；　but　is

rather　to　be　regarded　as　fanciful。　　Nor　can　we　say　that　the　offer　of

Socrates　to　dance　naked　out　of　love　for　Menexenus；　is　any　more　un…Platonic

than　the　threat　of　physical　force　which　Phaedrus　uses　towards　Socrates。　

Nor　is　there　any　real　vulgarity　in　the　fear　which　Socrates　expresses　that

he　will　get　a　beating　from　his　mistress；　Aspasia：　　this　is　the　natural

exaggeration　of　what　might　be　expected　from　an　imperious　woman。　　Socrates

is　not　to　be　taken　seriously　in　all　that　he　says；　and　Plato；　both　in　the

Symposium　and　elsewhere；　is　not　slow　to　admit　a　sort　of　Aristophanic

humour。　　How　a　great　original　genius　like　Plato　might　or　might　not　have

written；　what　was　his　conception　of　humour；　or　what　limits　he　would　have

prescribed　to　himself；　if　any；　in　drawing　the　picture　of　the　Silenus

Socrates；　are　problems　which　no　critical　instinct　can　determine。



On　the　other　hand；　the　dialogue　has　several　Platonic　traits；　whether

original　or　imitated　may　be　uncertain。　　Socrates；　when　he　departs　from　his

character　of　a　'know　nothing'　and　delivers　a　speech；　generally　pretends

that　what　he　is　speaking　is　not　his　own　composition。　　Thus　in　the　Cratylus

he　is　run　away　with；　in　the　Phaedrus　he　has　heard　somebody　say　something

is　inspired　by　the　genius　loci；　in　the　Symposium　he　derives　his　wisdom　from

Diotima　of　Mantinea；　and　the　like。　　But　he　does　not　impose　on　Menexenus　by

his　dissimulation。　　Without　violating　the　character　of　Socrates；　Plato；　who

knows　so　well　how　to　give　a　hint；　or　some　one　writing　in　his　name；

intimates　clearly　enough　that　the　speech　in　the　Menexenus　like　that　in　the

Phaedrus　is　to　be　attributed　to　Socrates。　　The　address　of　the　dead　to　the

living　at　the　end　of　the　oration　may　also　be　compared　to　the　numerous

addresses　of　the　same　kind　which　occur　in　Plato；　in　whom　the　dramatic

element　is　always　tending　to　prevail　over　the　rhetorical。　　The　remark　has

been　often　made；　that　in　the　Funeral　Oration　of　Thucydides　there　is　no

allusion　to　the　existence　of　the　dead。　　But　in　the　Menexenus　a　future　state

is　clearly；　although　not　strongly；　asserted。



Whether　the　Menexenus　is　a　genuine　writing　of　Plato；　or　an　imitation　only；

remains　uncertain。　　In　either　case；　the　thoughts　are　partly　borrowed　from

the　Funeral　Oration　of　Thucydides；　and　the　fact　that　they　are　so；　is　not　in

favour　of　the　genuineness　of　the　work。　　Internal　evidence　seems　to　leave

the　question　of　authorship　in　doubt。　　There　are　merits　and　there　are

defects　which　might　lead　to　either　conclusion。　　The　form　of　the　greater

part　of　the　work　makes　the　enquiry　difficult；　the　introduction　and　the

finale　certainly　wear　the　look　either　of　Plato　or　of　an　extremely　skilful

imitator。　　The　excellence　of　the　forgery　may　be　fairly　adduced　as　an

argument　that　it　is　not　a　forgery　at　all。　　In　this　uncertainty　the　express

testimony　of　Aristotle；　who　quotes；　in　the　Rhetoric；　the　well…known　words；

'It　is　easy　to　praise　the　Athenians　among　the　Athenians；'　from　the　Funeral

Oration；　may　perhaps　turn　the　balance　in　its　favour。　　It　must　be　remembered

also　that　the　work　was　famous　in　antiquity；　and　is　included　in　the

Alexandrian　catalogues　of　Platonic　writings。





MENEXENUS



by



Plato　（see　Appendix　I　above）



Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett





PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Socrates　and　Menexenus。





SOCRATES：　　Whence　come　you；　Menexenus？　　Are　you　from　the　Agora？



MENEXENUS：　　Yes；　Socrates；　I　have　been　at　the　Council。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　might　you　be　doing　at　the　Council？　　And　yet　I　need

hardly　ask；　for　I　see　that　you；　believing　yourself　to　have　arrived　at　the

end　of　education　and　of　philosophy；　and　to　have　had　enough　of　them；　are

mounting　upwards　to　things　higher　still；　and；　though　rather　young　for　the

post；　are　intending　to　govern　us　elder　men；　like　the　rest　of　your　family；

which　has　always　provided　some　one　who　kindly　took　care　of　us。



MENEXENUS：　　Yes；　Socrates；　I　shall　be　ready　to　hold　office；　if　you　allow

and　advise　that　I　should；　but　not　if　you　think　otherwise。　　I　went　to　the

council　chamber　because　I　heard　that　the　Council　was　about　to　choose　some

one　who　was　to　speak　over　the　dead。　　For　you　know　that　there　is　to　be　a

public　funeral？



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　I　know。　　And　whom　did　they　choose？



MENEXENUS：　　No　one；　they　delayed　the　election　until　tomorrow；　but　I　believe

that　either　Archinus　or　Dion　will　be　chosen。



SOCRATES：　　O　Menexenus！　　Death　in　battle　is　certainly　in　many　respects　a

noble　thing。　　The　dead　man　gets　a　fine　and　costly　funeral；　although　he　may

have　been　poor；　and　an　elaborate　speech　is　made　over　him　by　a　wise　man　who

has　long　ago　prepared　what　he　has　to　say；　although　he　who　is　praised　may

not　have　been　good　for　much。　　The　speakers　praise　him　for　what　he　has　done

and　for　what　he　has　not　donethat　is　the　beauty　of　themand　they　steal

away　our　souls　with　their　embellished　words；　in　every　conceivable　form　they

praise　the　city；　and　they　praise　those　who　died　in　war；　and　all　our

ancestors　who　went　before　us；　and　they　praise　ourselves　also　who　are　still

alive；　until　I　feel　quite　elevated　by　their　laudations；　and　I　stand

listening　to　their　words；　Menexenus；　and　become　enchanted　by　them；　and　all

in　a　moment　I　imagine　myself　to　have　become　a　greater　and　nobler　and　finer

man　than　I　was　before。　　And　if；　as　often　happens；　there　are　any　foreigners

who　accompany　me　to　the　speech；　I　become　suddenly　conscious　of　having　a

sort　of　triumph　over　them；　and　they　seem　to　experience　a　corresponding

feeling　of　admiration　at　me；　and　at　the　greatness　of　the　city；　which

appears　to　them；　when　they　are　under　the　influence　of　the　speaker；　more

wonderful　than　ever。　　This　consciousness　of　dignity　lasts　me　more　than

three　days；　and　not　until　the　fourth　or　fifth　day　do　I　come　to　my　senses

and　know　where　I　am；　in　the　meantime　I　have　been　living　in　the　Islands　of

the　Blest。　　Such　is　the　art　of　our　rhetoricians；　and　in　such　manner　does

the　sound　of　their　words　keep　ringing　in　my　ears。



MENEXENUS：　　You　are　always　making　fun　of　the　rhetoricians；　Socrates；　this

time；　however；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　speaker　who　is　chosen　will

not　have　much　to　say；　for　he　has　been　called　upon　to　speak　at　a　moment's

notice；　and　he　will　be　compelled　almost　to　improvise。



SOCRATES：　　But　why；　my　friend；　should　he　not　have　plenty　to　say？　　Every

rhetorician　has　speeches　ready　made；　nor　is　there　any　difficulty　in

improvising　that　sort　of　stuff。　　Had　the　orator　to　praise　Athenians　among

Peloponnesians；　or　Peloponnesians　among　Athenians；　he　must　be　a　good

rhetorician　who　could　succeed　and　gain　credit。　　But　there　is　no　difficulty

in　a　man's　winning　applause　when　he　is　contending　for　fame　among　the

persons　whom　he　is　praising。



MENEXENUS：　　Do　you　think　not；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　Certainly　'not。'



MENEXENUS：　　Do　you　think　that　you　could　speak　yourself　if　there　should　be　a

necessity；　and　if　the　Council　were　to　choose　you？



SOCRATES：　　That　I　should　be　able　to　speak　is　no　great　wonder；　Menexenus；

considering　that　I　have　an　excellent　mistress　in　the　art　of　rhetoric；she

who　has　made　so　many　good　speakers；　and　one　who　was　the　best　among　all　the

HellenesPericles；　the　son　of　Xanthippus。



MENEXENUS：　　And　who　is　she？　　I　suppose　that　you　mean　Aspasia。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　I　do；　and　besides　her　I　had　Connus；　the　son　of　Metrobius；

as　a　master；　and　he　was　my　master　in　music；　as　she　was　in　rhetoric。　　No

wonder　that　a　man　who　has　received　such　an　education　should　be　a　finished

speaker；　even　the　pupil　of　very　inferior　masters；　say；　for　example；　one　who

had　learned　music　of　Lamprus；　and　rhetoric　of　Antiphon　the　Rhamnusian；

might　make　a　figure　if　he　were　to　praise　the　Athenians　among　the　Athenians。



MENEXENUS：　　And　what　would　you　be　able　to　say　if　you　had　to　speak？



SOCRATES：　　Of　my　own　wit；　most　likely　nothing；　but　yesterday　I　heard

Aspasia　composing　a　funeral　oration　about　these　very　dead。　　For　she　had

been　told；　as　you　were　saying；　that　the　Athenians　were　going　to　choose　a

speaker；　and　she　repeated　to　me　the　sort　of　speech　which　he　should　deliver；

partly　improvising　and　partly　from　previous　thought；　putting　together

fragments　of　the　funeral　oration　which　Pericles　spoke；　but　which；　as　I

believe；　she　composed。



MENEXENUS：　　And　can　you　remember　what　Aspasia　said？



SOCRATES：　　I　ought　to　be　able；　for　she　taught　me；　and　she　was　ready　to

strike　me　because　I　was　always　forgetting。



MENEXENUS：　　Then　why　will　you　not　rehearse