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strike　me　because　I　was　always　forgetting。



MENEXENUS：　　Then　why　will　you　not　rehearse　what　she　said？



SOCRATES：　　Because　I　am　afraid　that　my　mistress　may　be　angry　with　me　if　I

publish　her　speech。



MENEXENUS：　　Nay；　Socrates；　let　us　have　the　speech；　whether　Aspasia's　or　any

one　else's；　no　matter。　　I　hope　that　you　will　oblige　me。



SOCRATES：　　But　I　am　afraid　that　you　will　laugh　at　me　if　I　continue　the

games　of　youth　in　old　age。



MENEXENUS：　　Far　otherwise；　Socrates；　let　us　by　all　means　have　the　speech。



SOCRATES：　　Truly　I　have　such　a　disposition　to　oblige　you；　that　if　you　bid

me　dance　naked　I　should　not　like　to　refuse；　since　we　are　alone。　　Listen

then：　　If　I　remember　rightly；　she　began　as　follows；　with　the　mention　of　the

dead：　（Thucyd。）



There　is　a　tribute　of　deeds　and　of　words。　　The　departed　have　already　had

the　first；　when　going　forth　on　their　destined　journey　they　were　attended　on

their　way　by　the　state　and　by　their　friends；　the　tribute　of　words　remains

to　be　given　to　them；　as　is　meet　and　by　law　ordained。　　For　noble　words　are　a

memorial　and　a　crown　of　noble　actions；　which　are　given　to　the　doers　of　them

by　the　hearers。　　A　word　is　needed　which　will　duly　praise　the　dead　and

gently　admonish　the　living；　exhorting　the　brethren　and　descendants　of　the

departed　to　imitate　their　virtue；　and　consoling　their　fathers　and　mothers

and　the　survivors；　if　any；　who　may　chance　to　be　alive　of　the　previous

generation。　　What　sort　of　a　word　will　this　be；　and　how　shall　we　rightly

begin　the　praises　of　these　brave　men？　　In　their　life　they　rejoiced　their

own　friends　with　their　valour；　and　their　death　they　gave　in　exchange　for

the　salvation　of　the　living。　　And　I　think　that　we　should　praise　them　in　the

order　in　which　nature　made　them　good；　for　they　were　good　because　they　were

sprung　from　good　fathers。　　Wherefore　let　us　first　of　all　praise　the

goodness　of　their　birth；　secondly；　their　nurture　and　education；　and　then

let　us　set　forth　how　noble　their　actions　were；　and　how　worthy　of　the

education　which　they　had　received。



And　first　as　to　their　birth。　　Their　ancestors　were　not　strangers；　nor　are

these　their　descendants　sojourners　only；　whose　fathers　have　come　from

another　country；　but　they　are　the　children　of　the　soil；　dwelling　and　living

in　their　own　land。　　And　the　country　which　brought　them　up　is　not　like　other

countries；　a　stepmother　to　her　children；　but　their　own　true　mother；　she

bore　them　and　nourished　them　and　received　them；　and　in　her　bosom　they　now

repose。　　It　is　meet　and　right；　therefore；　that　we　should　begin　by　praising

the　land　which　is　their　mother；　and　that　will　be　a　way　of　praising　their

noble　birth。



The　country　is　worthy　to　be　praised；　not　only　by　us；　but　by　all　mankind；

first；　and　above　all；　as　being　dear　to　the　Gods。　　This　is　proved　by　the

strife　and　contention　of　the　Gods　respecting　her。　　And　ought　not　the

country　which　the　Gods　praise　to　be　praised　by　all　mankind？　　The　second

praise　which　may　be　fairly　claimed　by　her；　is　that　at　the　time　when　the

whole　earth　was　sending　forth　and　creating　diverse　animals；　tame　and　wild；

she　our　mother　was　free　and　pure　from　savage　monsters；　and　out　of　all

animals　selected　and　brought　forth　man；　who　is　superior　to　the　rest　in

understanding；　and　alone　has　justice　and　religion。　　And　a　great　proof　that

she　brought　forth　the　common　ancestors　of　us　and　of　the　departed；　is　that

she　provided　the　means　of　support　for　her　offspring。　　For　as　a　woman　proves

her　motherhood　by　giving　milk　to　her　young　ones　（and　she　who　has　no

fountain　of　milk　is　not　a　mother）；　so　did　this　our　land　prove　that　she　was

the　mother　of　men；　for　in　those　days　she　alone　and　first　of　all　brought

forth　wheat　and　barley　for　human　food；　which　is　the　best　and　noblest

sustenance　for　man；　whom　she　regarded　as　her　true　offspring。　　And　these　are

truer　proofs　of　motherhood　in　a　country　than　in　a　woman；　for　the　woman　in

her　conception　and　generation　is　but　the　imitation　of　the　earth；　and　not

the　earth　of　the　woman。　　And　of　the　fruit　of　the　earth　she　gave　a　plenteous

supply；　not　only　to　her　own；　but　to　others　also；　and　afterwards　she　made

the　olive　to　spring　up　to　be　a　boon　to　her　children；　and　to　help　them　in

their　toils。　　And　when　she　had　herself　nursed　them　and　brought　them　up　to

manhood；　she　gave　them　Gods　to　be　their　rulers　and　teachers；　whose　names

are　well　known；　and　need　not　now　be　repeated。　　They　are　the　Gods　who　first

ordered　our　lives；　and　instructed　us　in　the　arts　for　the　supply　of　our

daily　needs；　and　taught　us　the　acquisition　and　use　of　arms　for　the　defence

of　the　country。



Thus　born　into　the　world　and　thus　educated；　the　ancestors　of　the　departed

lived　and　made　themselves　a　government；　which　I　ought　briefly　to

commemorate。　　For　government　is　the　nurture　of　man；　and　the　government　of

good　men　is　good；　and　of　bad　men　bad。　　And　I　must　show　that　our　ancestors

were　trained　under　a　good　government；　and　for　this　reason　they　were　good；

and　our　contemporaries　are　also　good；　among　whom　our　departed　friends　are

to　be　reckoned。　　Then　as　now；　and　indeed　always；　from　that　time　to　this；

speaking　generally；　our　government　was　an　aristocracya　form　of　government

which　receives　various　names；　according　to　the　fancies　of　men；　and　is

sometimes　called　democracy；　but　is　really　an　aristocracy　or　government　of

the　best　which　has　the　approval　of　the　many。　　For　kings　we　have　always　had；

first　hereditary　and　then　elected；　and　authority　is　mostly　in　the　hands　of

the　people；　who　dispense　offices　and　power　to　those　who　appear　to　be　most

deserving　of　them。　　Neither　is　a　man　rejected　from　weakness　or　poverty　or

obscurity　of　origin；　nor　honoured　by　reason　of　the　opposite；　as　in　other

states；　but　there　is　one　principlehe　who　appears　to　be　wise　and　good　is　a

governor　and　ruler。　　The　basis　of　this　our　government　is　equality　of　birth；

for　other　states　are　made　up　of　all　sorts　and　unequal　conditions　of　men；

and　therefore　their　governments　are　unequal；　there　are　tyrannies　and　there

are　oligarchies；　in　which　the　one　party　are　slaves　and　the　others　masters。

But　we　and　our　citizens　are　brethren；　the　children　all　of　one　mother；　and

we　do　not　think　it　right　to　be　one　another's　masters　or　servants；　but　the

natural　equality　of　birth　compels　us　to　seek　for　legal　equality；　and　to

recognize　no　superiority　except　in　the　reputation　of　virtue　and　wisdom。



And　so　their　and　our　fathers；　and　these；　too；　our　brethren；　being　nobly

born　and　having　been　brought　up　in　all　freedom；　did　both　in　their　public

and　private　capacity　many　noble　deeds　famous　over　the　whole　world。　　They

were　the　deeds　of　men　who　thought　that　they　ought　to　fight　both　against

Hellenes　for　the　sake　of　Hellenes　on　behalf　of　freedom；　and　against

barbarians　in　the　common　interest　of　Hellas。　　Time　would　fail　me　to　tell　of

their　defence　of　their　country　against　the　invasion　of　Eumolpus　and　the

Amazons；　or　of　their　defence　of　the　Argives　against　the　Cadmeians；　or　of

the　Heracleids　against　the　Argives；　besides；　the　poets　have　already

declared　in　song　to　all　mankind　their　glory；　and　therefore　any

commemoration　of　their　deeds　in　prose　which　we　might　attempt　would　hold　a

second　place。　　They　already　have　their　reward；　and　I　say　no　more　of　them；

but　there　are　other　worthy　deeds　of　which　no　poet　has　worthily　sung；　and

which　are　still　wooing　the　poet's　muse。　　Of　these　I　am　bound　to　make

honourable　mention；　and　shall　invoke　others　to　sing　of　them　also　in　lyric

and　other　strains；　in　a　manner　becoming　the　actors。　　And　first　I　will　tell

how　the　Persians；　lords　of　Asia；　were　enslaving　Europe；　and　how　the

children　of　this　land；　who　were　our　fathers；　held　them　back。　　Of　these　I

will　speak　first；　and　praise　their　valour；　as　is　meet　and　fitting。　　He　who

would　rightly　estimate　them　should　place　himself　in　thought　at　that　time；

when　the　whole　of　Asia　was　subject　to　the　third　king　of　Persia。　　The　first

king；　Cyrus；　by　his　valour　freed　the　Persians；　who　were　his　countrymen；　and

subjected　the　Medes；　who　were　their　lords；　and　he　ruled　over　the　rest　of

Asia；　as　far　as　Egypt；　and　after　him　came　his　son；　who　ruled　all　the

accessible　part　of　Egypt　and　Libya；　the　third　king　was　Darius；　who　extended

the　land　boundaries　of　the　empire　to　Scythia；　and　with　his　fleet　held　the

sea　and　the　islands。　　None　presumed　to　be　his　equal；　the　minds　of　all　men

were　enthralled　by　himso　many　and　mighty　and　warlike　nations　had　the

power　of　Persia　subdued。　　Now　Darius　had　a　quarrel　against　us　and　the

Eretrians；　because；　as　he　said；　we　had　conspired　against　Sardis；　and　he

sent　500；000　men　in　transports　and　vessels　of　war；　and　300　ships；　and　Datis

as　commander；　telling　him　to　bring　the　Eretrians　and　Athenians　to　the　king；

if　he　wished　to　keep　his　head　on　his　shoulders。　　He　sailed　against　the

Eretrians；　who　were　reputed　to　be　amongst　the　noblest　and　most　warlike　of

the　Hellenes　of　that　day；　and　they　were　numerous；　but　he　conquered　them　all

in　three　days；　and　when　he　had　conquered　them；　in　order　that