the memorabilia-第35节

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rather　than　evil？

Euth。　No；　certainly　not；　according　to　that　line　of　argument。　But
wisdom；＇48＇　Socrates；　you　must　on　your　side　admit；　is　irrefragably　a
good；　since　there　is　nothing　which　or　in　which　a　wise　man　would　not　do
better　than　a　fool。

＇48＇　See　above；　III。　ix。　5。　Here　｛sophia｝　is　not　=　｛sophrosune｝。

Soc。　What　say　you？　Have　you　never　heard　of　Daedalus；＇49＇　how　he　was
seized　by　Minos　on　account　of　his　wisdom；　and　forced　to　be　his　slave；
and　robbed　of　fatherland　and　freedom　at　one　swoop？　and　how；　while
endeavouring　to　make　his　escape　with　his　son；　he　caused　the　boy's
death　without　effecting　his　own　salvation；　but　was　carried　off　among
barbarians　and　again　enslaved？

＇49＇　See　Ovid。　〃Met。〃　viii。　159　foll。；　261　foll。；　Hygin。　〃Fab。〃　39；
　　　　40；　Diod。　Sic。　iv。　79；　Paus。　vii。　4。　6。

Yes；　I　know　the　old　story　（he　answered）。＇50＇

＇50＇　Or；　〃Ah　yes；　of　course；　the　tale　is　current。〃

Soc。　Or　have　you　not　heard　of　the　〃woes　of　Palamedes；〃＇51＇　that
commonest　theme　of　song；　how　for　his　wisdom's　sake　Odysseus　envied　him
and　slew　him？

＇51＇　See　Virg。　〃Aen。〃　ii。　90；　Hygin。　105；　Philostr。　〃Her。〃　x。

Euth。　That　tale　also　is　current。

Soc。　And　how　many　others；　pray；　do　you　suppose　have　been　seized　on
account　of　their　wisdom；　and　despatched　to　the　great　king　and　at　his
court　enslaved？＇52＇

＇52＇　Cf。　Herod。　iii。　129。

Well；　prosperity；　well…being＇53＇　（he　exclaimed）；　must　surely　be　a
blessing；　and　that　the　most　indisputable；　Socrates？

＇53＇　｛to　eudaimonein｝；　〃happiness。〃　Cf。　Herod。　i。　86。

It　might　be　so　（replied　the　philosopher）　if　it　chanced　not　to　be　in
itself　a　compound　of　other　questionable　blessings。

Euth。　And　which　among　the　components　of　happiness　and　well…being　can
possibly　be　questionable？

None　（he　retorted）；　unless　of　course　we　are　to　include　among　these
components　beauty；　or　strength；　or　wealth；　or　reputation；　or　anything
else　of　that　kind？

Euth。　By　heaven！　of　course　we　are　to　include　these；　for　what　would
happiness　be　without　these？

Soc。　By　heaven！　yes；　only　then　we　shall　be　including　the　commonest
sources　of　mischief　which　befall　mankind。　How　many　are　ruined　by　their
fair　faces　at　the　hand　of　admireres　driven　to　distraction＇54＇　by　the
sight　of　beauty　in　its　bloom！　how　many；　tempted　by　their　strength　to
essay　deeds　beyond　their　power；　are　involved　in　no　small　evils！　how
many；　rendered　effeminate　by　reason　of　their　wealth；　have　been　plotted
against　and　destroyed！＇55＇　how　many　through　fame　and　political　power
have　suffered　a　world　of　woe！

＇54＇　Cf。　Plat。　〃Rep。〃　vii。　517　D；　〃Phaedr。〃　249　D。

＇55＇　e。g。　Alcibiades。

Well　（the　youth　replied）　if　I　am　not　even　right　in　praising　happiness；
I　must　confess　I　know　not　for　what　one　ought　to　supplicate　the　gods　in
prayer。＇56＇

＇56＇　See　above　for　Socrates'　own　form　of　supplication。

Nay；　these　are　matters　（proceeded　Socrates）　which　perhaps；　through
excessive　confidence　in　your　knowledge　of　them；　you　have　failed　to
examine　into；　but　since　the　state；　which　you　are　preparing　yourself　to
direct；　is　democratically　constituted；＇57＇　of　course　you　know　what　a
democracy　is。

＇57＇　Or；　〃popularly　governed。〃

Euth。　I　presume　I　do；　decidedly。

Soc。　Well；　now；　is　it　possible　to　know　what　a　popular　state　is　without
knowing　who　the　people　are？

Euth。　Certainly　not。

Soc。　And　whom　do　you　consider　to　be　the　people？

Euth。　The　poor　citizens；　I　should　say。

Soc。　Then　you　know　who　the　poor　are；　of　course？

Euth。　Of　course　I　do。

Soc。　I　presume　you　also　know　who　the　rich　are？

Euth。　As　certainly　as　I　know　who　are　the　poor。

Soc。　Whom　do　you　understand　by　poor　and　rich？

Euth。　By　poor　I　mean　those　who　have　not　enough　to　pay　for　their
necessaries；＇58＇　and　by　rich　those　who　have　more　means　than　sufficient
for　all　their　needs。

＇58＇　Al。　〃who　cannot　contribute　their　necessary　quota　to　the　taxes
　　　　（according　to　the　census）。〃

Soc。　Have　you　noticed　that　some　who　possess　a　mere　pittance　not　only
find　this　sufficient；　but　actually　succeed　in　getting　a　surplus　out　of
it；　while　others　do　not　find　a　large　fortune　large　enough？

I　have；　most　certainly；　and　I　thank　you　for　the　reminder　（replied
Euthydemus）。　One　has　heard　of　crowned　heads　and　despotic　rulers　being
driven　by　want　to　commit　misdeeds　like　the　veriest　paupers。

Then；　if　that　is　how　matters　stand　（continued　Socrates）；　we　must　class
these　same　crowned　heads　with　the　commonalty；　and　some　possessors　of
scant　fortunes；　provided　they　are　good　economists；　with　the　wealthy？

Then　Euthydemus：　It　is　the　poverty　of　my　own　wit　which　forces　me　to
this　admission。　I　bethink　me　it　is　high　time　to　keep　silence
altogether；　a　little　more；　and　I　shall　be　proved　to　know　absolutely
nothing。　And　so　he　went　away　crestfallen；　in　an　agony　of　self…
contempt；　persuaded　that　he　was　verily　and　indeed　no　better　than　a
slave。

Amongst　those　who　were　reduced　to　a　like　condition　by　Socrates；　many
refused　to　come　near　him　again；　whom　he　for　his　part　looked　upon　as
dolts　and　dullards。＇59＇　But　Euthydemus　had　the　wit　to　understand　that；
in　order　to　become　worthy　of　account；　his　best　plan　was　to　associate
as　much　as　possible　with　Socrates；　and　from　that　moment；　save　for　some
necessity；　he　never　left　himin　some　points　even　imitating　him　in　his
habits　and　pursuits。　Socrates；　on　his　side；　seeing　that　this　was　the
young　man's　disposition；　disturbed　him　as　little　as　possible；　but　in
the　simplest　and　plainest　manner　initiated　him　into　everything　which
he　held　to　be　needful　to　know　or　important　to　practise。

＇59＇　Or；　〃as　people　of　dull　intelligence　and　sluggish　temperament。〃
　　　　Cf。　Plat。　〃Gorg。〃　488　A。


III

It　may　be　inferred　that　Socrates　was　in　no　hurry　for　those　who　were
with　him　to　discover　capacities　for　speech　and　action　or　as　inventive
geniuses；＇1＇　without　at　any　rate　a　well…laid　foundation　of　self…
control。＇2＇　For　those　who　possessed　such　abilities　without　these　same
saving　virtues　would；　he　believed；　only　become　worse　men　with　greater
power　for　mischief。　His　first　object　was　to　instil　into　those　who　were
with　him　a　wise　spirit　in　their　relation　to　the　gods。＇3＇　That　such　was
the　tenor　of　his　conversation　in　dealing　with　men　may　be　seen　from　the
narratives　of　others　who　were　present　on　some　particular　occasion。＇4＇
I　confine　myself　to　a　particular　discussion　with　Euthydemus　at　which　I
was　present。

＇1＇　Or；　〃as　speakers〃　（see　ch。　vi。　below）；　〃and　men　of　action〃　（see
　　　　ch。　v。　below）；　〃or　as　masters　of　invention〃　（see　ch。　vii。　below）。

＇2＇　Or；　〃but　as　prior　to　those　excellences　must　be　engrafted　in　them
　　　　｛sophrosune｝　（the　virtues　of　temperance　and　sanity　of　soul）。〃

＇3＇　Lit。　〃His　first　object　and　endeavour　was　to　make　those　who　were
　　　　with　him　｛sophronas｝　（sound　of　soul）　as　regards　the　gods。〃

＇4＇　Reading　after　Herbst；　Cobet；　etc。；　｛diegountai｝；　or　if　vulg。
　　　　｛diegounto｝；　translate；　〃from　the　current　accounts　penned　during
　　　　his　lifetime　by　the　other　witnesses。〃　For　｛alloi｝　see　K。　Joel；　op。
　　　　cit。　pp。　15；　23；　above；　〃Mem。〃　I。　iv。　1。

Socrates　said：＇5＇　Tell　me；　Euthydemus；　has　it　ever　struck　you　to
observe　what　tender　pains　the　gods　have　taken　to　furnish　man　with　all
his　needs？

＇5＇　For　the　subject　matter　of　this　〃teleological〃　chapter；　see　above；
　　　　I。　iv。；　K。　Joel；　op。　cit。　Appendix；　p。　547　foll。　in　ref。　to
　　　　Dummler's　views。

Euth。　No　indeed；　I　cannot　say　that　it　has　ever　struck　me。

Well　（Socrates　cotinued）；　you　do　not　need　to　be　reminded　that；　in　the
first　place；　we　need　light；　and　with　light　the　gods　supply　us。

Euth。　Most　true；　and　if　we　had　not　got　it　we　should；　as　far　as　our　own
eyes　could　help　us；　be　like　men　born　blind。

Soc。　And　then；　again；　seeing　that　we　stand　in　need　of　rest　and
relaxation；　they　bestow　upon　us　〃the　blessed　balm　of　silent　night。〃＇6＇

＇6＇　｛kalliston　anapauterion｝。　The　diction　throughout　is　〃poetical。〃

Yes　（he　answered）；　we　are　much　beholden　for　that　boon。

Soc。　Then；　forasmuch　as　the　sun　in　his　splendour　makes　manifest　to　us
the　hours　of　the　day　and　bathes　all　things　in　brightness；　but　anon
night　in　her　darkness　obliterates　distinctions；　have　they　not
displayed　aloft　the　starry　orbs；　which　inform　us　of　the　watches　of　the
night；　whereby　we　can　accomplish　many　of　our　needs？＇7＇

＇7＇　e。g。　for　temple　orientation　see　Dr。　Penrose　quoted　by　Norman
　　　　Lockyer；　〃Nature；〃　August　31。　1893。

It　is　so　（he　answered）。

Soc。　And　let　us　not　forget　that　the　moon　herself　not　only　makes　clear
to　us　the　quarters　of　the　night；　but　of　the　month　also？

Certainly　（he　answered）。

Soc。　And　what　of　this：　that　whereas　we　need　nutriment；　this　too　the
heavenly　powers　yield　us？　Out　of　earth's　bosom　they　cause　good　to
spring　up＇8＇　for　our　benefit；　and　for　our　benefit　provide　appropriate
seasons　to　furnish　us　in　turn　not　only　with　the　many　and　diverse
objects　of　need；　but　with　the　sources　also　of　our　joy　and　gladness？＇9＇

＇8＇　Cf。　Plat。　〃Laws；〃　747　D。

＇9＇　Or；　〃pleasure。〃

Yes　（he　answered　earerly）；　these　things　bear　token　truly　to　a　love　for
man。＇10＇

＇10＇　Cf。　Plat。　〃Laws；〃　713　D；　〃Symp。〃　189　D。　〃These　things　are　signs
　　　　of　a　beneficient　regard　for　man。〃

Soc。　Well；　and　what　of　another　priceless　gift；　that　of　water；　which
conspires　with　earth　and　the　seasons　to　give　both　birth