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accept　with　a　good　grace　what　you　can　and　decline　what　you　feel　you
cannot　do。　Whatever　it　be；　do　it　heart　and　soul；　and　make　it　your
finest　work。＇4＇　There　lies　the　method　at　once　to　silence　fault…finders
and　to　minister　help　to　your　own　difficulties。　Life　will　flow
smoothly；　risks　will　be　diminished；　provision　against　old　age　secured。

＇4＇　Or；　〃study　to　make　it　your　finest　work；　the　expression　of　a　real
　　　　enthusiasm。〃


IX

At　another　time；　as　I　am　aware；　he　had　heard　a　remark　made　by　Crito＇1＇
that　life　at　Athens　was　no　easy　matter　for　a　man　who　wished　to　mind
his　own　affairs。

＇1＇　Crito。　See　above；　I。　ii。　48；　Cobet；　〃P。　X。〃；　cf。　Plat。　〃Rep。〃
　　　　viii。　549　C。

As；　for　instance；　at　this　moment　（Crito　proceeded）　there　are　a　set　of
fellows　threatening　me　with　lawsuits；　not　because　they　have　any
misdemeanour　to　allege　against　me；　but　simply　under　the　conviction
that　I　will　sooner　pay　a　sum　of　money　than　be　troubled　further。

To　which　Socrates　replied：　Tell　me；　Crito；　you　keep　dogs；　do　you　not；
to　ward　off　wolves　from　your　flocks？

Cr。　Certainly；　it　pays　to　do　so。

Soc。　Then　why　do　you　not　keep　a　watchman　willing　and　competent　to　ward
off　this　pack　of　people　who　seek　to　injure　you？

I　should　not　at　all　mind　（he　answered）；　if　I　were　not　afraid　he　might
turn　again　and　rend　his　keeper。

What！　（rejoined　Socrates）；　do　you　not　see　that　to　gratify　a　man　like
yourself　is　far　pleasanter　as　a　matter　of　self…interest　than　to
quarrel　with　you？　You　may　be　sure　there　are　plenty　of　people　here　who
will　take　the　greatest　pride　in　making　you　their　friend。

Accordingly；　they　sought　out　Archedemus；＇2＇　a　practical　man　with　a
clever　tongue　in　his　head＇3＇　but　poor；　the　fact　being；　he　was　not　the
sort　to　make　gain　by　hook　or　by　crook；　but　a　lover　of　honesty　and　of
too　good　a　nature　himself　to　make　his　living　as　a　pettifogger。＇4＇
Crito　would　then　take　the　opportunity　of　times　of　harvesting　and　put
aside　small　presents　for　Achedemus　of　corn　and　oil；　or　wine；　or　wool；
or　any　other　of　the　farm　produce　forming　the　staple　commodities　of
life；　or　he　would　invite　him　to　a　sacrificial　feast；　and　otherwise　pay
him　marked　attention。　Archedemus；　feeling　that　he　had　in　Crito's　house
a　harbour　of　refuge；　could　not　make　too　much　of　his　patron；　and　ere
long　he　had　hunted　up　a　long　list　of　iniquities　which　could　be　lodged
against　Crito's　pettifogging　persecutors　themselves；　and　not　only
their　numerous　crimes　but　their　numerous　enemies；　and　presently　he
prosecuted　one　of　them　in　a　public　suit；　where　sentence　would　be　given
against　him　〃what　to　suffer　or　what　to　pay。〃＇5＇　The　accused；　conscious
as　he　was　of　many　rascally　deeds；　did　all　he　could　to　be　quit　of
Archedemus；　but　Archedemus　was　not　to　be　got　rid　of。　He　held　on　until
he　had　made　the　informer　not　only　loose　his　hold　of　Crito　but　pay
himself　a　sum　of　money；　and　now　that　Archedemus　had　achieved　this　and
other　similar　victories；　it　is　easy　to　guess　what　followed。＇6＇　It　was
just　as　when　some　shepherd　has　got　a　very　good　dog；　all　the　other
shepherds　wish　to　lodge　their　flocks　in　his　neighbourhood　that　they
too　may　reap　the　benefit　of　him。　So　a　number　of　Crito's　friends　came
begging　him　to　allow　Archedemus　to　be　their　guardian　also；　and
Archedemus　was　overjoyed　to　do　something　to　gratify　Crito；　and　so　it
came　about　that　not　only　Crito　abode　in　peace；　but　his　friends
likewise。　If　any　of　those　people　with　whom　Archedemus　was　not　on　the
best　of　terms　were　disposed　to　throw　it　in　his　teeth　that　he　accepted
his　patron's　benefits　and　paid　in　flatteries；　he　had　a　ready　retort：
〃Answer　me　this　questionwhich　is　the　more　scandalous；　to　accept
kindnesses　from　honest　folk　and　to　repay　them；　with　the　result　that　I
make　such　people　my　friends　but　quarrel　with　knaves；　or　to　make
enemies　of　honourable　gentlemen＇7＇　by　attempts　to　do　them　wrong；　with
the　off…chance　indeed　of　winning　the　friendship　of　some　scamps　in
return　for　my　co…operation；　but　the　certainty　of　losing　in　the　tone　of
my　acquaintances？〃＇8＇

＇2＇　Archedemus；　possibly　the　demagogue；　〃Hell。〃　I。　vii。　2。　So　Cobet；
　　　　〃P。　X。；〃　but　see　Grote；　〃H。　G。〃　viii。　245。

＇3＇　Lit。　〃very　capable　of　speech　and　action〃the　writer's　favourite
　　　　formula　for　the　well…trained　Athenian　who　can　speak　fluently　and
　　　　reason　clearly；　and　act　energetically　and　opportunely。

＇4＇　Reading　｛kai　euphuesteros　on｝　＇or　｛e　os｝＇　。　。　。　｛apo　sukophanton｝
　　　　＇or　｛sukophantion｝＇；　after　Cobet；　〃P。　X。〃　s。v。　Archedemus。　The
　　　　MSS。　give　｛kai　ephe　raston　einai｝〃nothing　is　easier；〃　he　said；
　　　　〃than　recovering　from　sycophants。〃

＇5＇　For　this　formula　cf。　〃Econ。〃　vi。　24。　Cf。　Plat。　〃Statesm。〃　299　A。

＇6＇　｛ede　tote｝。　Cf。　Plat。　〃Laws；〃　vi。　778　C。

＇7＇　Lit。　the　｛kaloi　kagathoi｝；　which　like　｛khrestous｝　and　｛ponerous｝
　　　　has　a　political　as　well　as　an　ethical　meaning。

＇8＇　Lit。　〃must　associate　with　these　（the　｛ponerois｝）　instead　of　those
　　　　（the　｛kalois　te　kagathois｝）。

The　net　result　of　the　whole　proceedings　was　that　Archedemus　was　now
Crito's　right　hand；＇9＇　and　by　the　rest　of　Crito's　friends　he　was　held
in　honour。

＇9＇　He　was　No。　1｛eis｝。


X

Again　I　may　cite；　as　known　to　myself；＇1＇　the　following　discussion；　the
arguments　were　addressed　to　Diodorus；　one　of　his　companions。　The
master　said：

＇1＇　Or；　〃for　which　I　can　personally　vouch。〃

Tell　me；　Diodorus；　if　one　of　your　slaves　runs　away；　are　you　at　pains
to　recover　him？

More　than　that　（Diodorus　answered）；　I　summon　others　to　my　aid　and　I
have　a　reward　cried　for　his　recovery。

Soc。　Well；　if　one　of　your　domestics　is　sick；　do　you　tend　him　and　call
in　the　doctors　to　save　his　life？

Diod。　Decidedly　I　do。

Soc。　And　if　an　intimate　acquaintance　who　is　far　more　precious　to　you
than　any　of　your　household　slaves　is　about　to　perish　of　want；　you
would　think　it　incumbent　on　you　to　take　pains　to　save　his　life？　Well！
now　you　know　without　my　telling　you　that　Hermogenes＇2＇　is　not　made　of
wood　or　stone。　If　you　helped　him　he　would　be　ashamed　not　to　pay　you　in
kind。　And　yetthe　opportunity　of　possessing　a　willing；　kindly；　and
trusty　assistant　well　fitted　to　do　your　bidding；　and　not　merely　that；
but　capable　of　originating　useful　ideas　himself；　with　a　certain
forecast　of　mind　and　judgmentI　say　such　a　man　is　worth　dozens　of
slaves。　Good　economists　tell　us　that　when　a　precious　article　may　be
got　at　a　low　price　we　ought　to　buy。　And　nowadays　when　times　are　so　bad
it　is　possible　to　get　good　friends　exceedingly　cheap。

＇2＇　Hermogenes；　presumably　the　son　of　Hipponicus。　See　I。　ii。　48。

Diodorus　answered：　You　are　quite　right；　Socrates；　bid　Hermogenes　come
to　me。

Soc。　Bid　Hermogenes　come　to　you！not　I　indeed！　since　for　aught　I　can
understand　you　are　no　better　entitled　to　summon　him　that　to　go　to　him
yourself；　nor　is　the　advantage　more　on　his　side　than　your　own。

Thus　Diodorus　went　off　in　a　trice　to　seek　Hermogenes；　and　at　no　great
outlay　won　to　himself　a　frienda　friend　whose　one　concern　it　now　was
to　discover　how；　by　word　or　deed；　he　might　help　and　gladden　Diodorus。



BOOK　III


I

Aspirants　to　honour　and　distinction＇1＇　derived　similar　help　from
Socrates；　who　in　each　case　stimulated　in　them　a　persevering　assiduity
towards　their　several　aims；　as　the　following　narratives　tend　to　show。
He　had　heard　on　one　occasion　of　the　arrival　in　Athens　of
Dionysodorus；＇2＇　who　professed　to　teach　the　whole　duty　of　a
general。＇3＇　Accordingly　he　remarked　to　one　of　those　who　were　with　him
a　young　man　whose　anxiety　to　obtain　the　office　of　Strategos＇4＇　was
no　secret　to　him：

＇1＇　｛ton　kalon｝　=　everything　which　the　｛kalos　te　kagathos｝　should　aim
　　　　at；　but　especially　the　honourable　offices　of　state　such　as　the
　　　　Archonship；　Strategia；　Hipparchia；　etc。　See　Plat。　〃Laches。〃

＇2＇　Dionysodorus　of　Chios；　presumably。　See　Plat。　〃Euthyd。〃　271　C　foll。

＇3＇　A　professor　of　the　science　and　art　of　strategy。

＇4＇　Lit。　〃that　honour；〃　sc。　the　Strategia。

Soc。　It　would　be　monstrous　on　the　part　of　any　one　who　sought　to　become
a　general＇5＇　to　throw　away　the　slightest　opportunity　of　learning　the
duties　of　the　office。　Such　a　person；　I　should　say；　would　deserve　to　be
fined　and　punished　by　the　state　far　more　than　the　charlatan　who
without　having　learnt　the　art　of　a　sculptor　undertakes　a　contract　to
carve　a　statue。　Considering　that　the　whole　fortunes　of　the　state　are
entrusted　to　the　general　during　a　war；　with　all　its　incidental　peril；
it　is　only　reasonable　to　anticipate　that　great　blessings　or　great
misfortunes　will　result　in　proportion　to　the　success　or　bungling　of
that　officer。　I　appeal　to　you；　young　sir；　do　you　not　agree　that　a
candidate　who；　while　taking　pains　to　be　elected　neglects　to　learn　the
duties　of　the　office；　would　richly　deserve　to　be　fined？

＇5＇　i。e。　〃head　of　the　war　department；　and　commander…in…chief；〃　etc。

With　arguments　like　these　he　persuaded　the　young　man　to　go　and　take
lessons。　After　he　had　gone　through　the　course　he　came　back；　and
Socrates　proceeded　playfully　to　banter　him。

Soc。　Behold　our　young　friend；　sirs；　as　Homer　says　of　Agamemnon；　of
mein　majestical；＇6＇　so　he；　does　he　not　seem　to　move　more　majestically；
like　one　who　has　studied　to　be　a　general？　Of　course；　just　as　a　man　who
has　learned　to　play　the　harp　is　a　harper；　even　if　he　never　touch