the memorabilia-第6节

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passionate　desire　for　that　loveliest　and　queenliest　of　virtues　without
which　states　and　families　crumble　to　decay。＇38＇　Such　being　his
conduct；　was　he　not　worthy　of　high　honour　from　the　state　of　Athens？

＇38＇　Or；　〃the　noblest　and　proudest　virtue　by　means　of　which　states　and
　　　　families　are　prosperously　directed。〃


III

It　may　serve　to　illustrate　the　assertion　that　he　benefited　his
associates　partly　by　the　display　of　his　own　virtue　and　partly　by
verbal　discourse　and　argument；　if　I　set　down　my　various
recollections＇1＇　on　these　heads。　And　first　with　regard　to　religion　and
the　concerns　of　heaven。　In　conduct　and　language　his　behaviour
conformed　to　the　rule　laid　down　by　the　Pythia＇2＇　in　reply　to　the
question；　〃How　shall　we　act？〃　as　touching　a　sacrifice　or　the　worship
of　ancestors；　or　any　similar　point。　Her　answer　is：　〃Act　according　to
the　law　and　custom　of　your　state；　and　you　will　act　piously。〃　After
this　pattern　Socrates　behaved　himself；　and　so　he　exhorted　others　to
behave；　holding　them　to　be　but　busybodies　and　vain　fellows　who　acted
on　any　different　principle。

＇1＇　Hence　the　title　of　the　work；　｛'Apomenmoneumata｝；　〃Recollections；
　　　　Memoirs；　Memorabilia。〃　See　Diog。　Laert。　〃Xen。〃　II。　vi。　48。

＇2＇　The　Pythia　at　Delphi。

His　formula　or　prayer　was　simple：　〃Give　me　that　which　is　best　for　me；〃
for；　said　he；　the　gods　know　best　what　good　things　areto　pray　for
gold　or　silver　or　despotic　power　were　no　better　than　to　make　some
particular　throw　at　dice　or　stake　in　battle　or　any　such　thing　the
subject　of　prayer；　of　which　the　future　consequences　are　manifestly
uncertain。＇3＇

＇3＇　See　（Plat。）　〃Alcib。　II。〃　142　foll。；　Valerius　Max。　vii。　2；
　　　　〃Spectator；〃　No。　207。

If　with　scant　means　he　offered　but　small　sacrifices　he　believed　that
he　was　in　no　wise　inferior　to　those　who　make　frequent　and　large
sacrifices　from　an　ampler　store。　It　were　ill　surely　for　the　very　gods
themselves；　could　they　take　delight　in　large　sacrifices　rather　than　in
small；　else　oftentimes　must　the　offerings　of　bad　men　be　found
acceptable　rather　than　of　good；　nor　from　the　point　of　view　of　men
themselves　would　life　be　worth　living　if　the　offerings　of　a　villain
rather　than　of　a　righteous　man　found　favour　in　the　sight　of　Heaven。
His　belief　was　that　the　joy　of　the　gods　is　greater　in　proportion　to
the　holiness　of　the　giver；　and　he　was　ever　an　admirer　of　that　line　of
Hesiod　which　says；

　　　　According　to　thine　ability　do　sacrifice　to　the　immortal　gods。＇4＇

＇4＇　Hesiod；　〃Works　and　Days；〃　336。　See　〃Anab。〃　III。　ii。　9。

〃Yes；〃　he　would　say；　〃in　our　dealings　with　friends　and　strangers
alike；　and　in　reference　to　the　demands　of　life　in　general；　there　is　no
better　motto　for　a　man　than　that：　'let　a　man　do　according　to　his
ability。'〃

Or　to　take　another　point。　If　it　appeared　to　him　that　a　sign　from
heaven　had　been　given　him；　nothing　would　have　induced　him　to　go
against　heavenly　warning：　he　would　as　soon　have　been　persuaded　to
accept　the　guidance　of　a　blind　man　ignorant　of　the　path　to　lead　him　on
a　journey　in　place　of　one　who　knew　the　road　and　could　see；　and　so　he
denounced　the　folly　of　others　who　do　things　contrary　to　the　warnings
of　God　in　order　to　avoid　some　disrepute　among　men。　For　himself　he
despised　all　human　aids　by　comparison　with　counsel　from　above。

The　habit　and　style　of　living　to　which　he　subjected　his　soul　and　body
was　one　which　under　ordinary　circumstances＇5＇　would　enable　any　one
adopting　it　to　look　existence　cheerily　in　the　face　and　to　pass　his
days　serenely：　it　would　certainly　entail　no　difficulties　as　regards
expense。　So　frugal　was　it　that　a　man　must　work　little　indeed　who　could
not　earn　the　quantum　which　contented　Socrates。　Of　food　he　took　just
enough　to　make　eating　a　pleasurethe　appetite　he　brought　to　it　was
sauce　sufficient；　while　as　to　drinks；　seeing　that　he　only　drank　when
thirsty；　any　draught　refreshed。＇6＇　If　he　accepted　an　invitation　to
dinner；　he　had　no　difficulty　in　avoiding　the　common　snare　of　over…
indulgence；　and　his　advice　to　people　who　could　not　equally　control
their　appetite　was　to　avoid　taking　what　would　allure　them　to　eat　if
not　hungry　or　to　drink　if　not　thirsty。＇7＇　Such　things　are　ruinous　to
the　constitution；　he　said；　bad　for　stomachs；　brains；　and　soul　alike；
or　as　he　used　to　put　it；　with　a　touch　of　sarcasm；＇8＇　〃It　must　have
been　by　feasting　men　on　so　many　dainty　dishes　that　Circe　produced　her
pigs；　only　Odysseus　through　his　continency　and　the　'promptings＇9＇　of
Hermes'　abstained　from　touching　them　immoderately；　and　by　the　same
token　did　not　turn　into　a　swine。〃　So　much　for　this　topic；　which　he
touched　thus　lightly　and　yet　seriously。

＇5＇　｛ei　me　ti　daimonion　eie｝；　〃save　under　some　divinely…ordained
　　　　calamity。〃　Cf。　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　vi。　18；　〃Symp。〃　viii。　43。

＇6＇　See　〃Ages。〃　ix；　Cic。　〃Tusc。〃　v。　34；　97；　〃de　Fin。〃　ii。　28；　90。

＇7＇　Cf。　Plut。　〃Mor。〃　128　D；　Clement；　〃Paedag。〃　2。　173；　33；　〃Strom。〃　2；
　　　　492；　24；　Aelian；　〃N。　A。〃　8；　9。

＇8＇　〃Half　in　gibe　and　half　in　jest；〃　in　ref。　to　〃Od。〃　x。　233　foll。：
　　　　〃So　she　let　them　in　。　。　。〃

＇9＇　｛upothemosune｝；　〃inspiration。〃　Cf。　〃Il。〃　xv。　412；　〃Od。〃　xvi。　233。

But　as　to　the　concerns　of　Aphrodite；　his　advice　was　to　hold　strongly
aloof　from　the　fascination　of　fair　forms：　once　lay　finger　on　these　and
it　is　not　easy　to　keep　a　sound　head　and　a　sober　mind。　To　take　a
particular　case。　It　was　a　mere　kiss　which；　as　he　had　heard；
Critobulus＇10＇　had　some　time　given　to　a　fair　youth；　the　son　of
Alcibiades。＇11＇　Accordingly　Critobulus　being　present；　Socrates
propounded　the　question。

＇10＇　For　Critobulus　（the　son　of　Crito）　see　〃Econ。〃　i。　1　foll。；　〃Symp。〃
　　　　i。　3　foll。

＇11＇　See　Isocr。　〃Or。〃　xvi。　Cobet　conj。　｛ton　tou　'Axiokhou　uion｝；　i。e。
　　　　Clinias。

Soc。　Tell　me；　Xenophon；　have　you　not　always　believed　Critobulus　to　be
a　man　of　sound　sense；　not　wild　and　self…willed？　Should　you　not　have
said　that　he　was　remarkable　for　his　prudence　rather　than　thoughtless
or　foolhardy？

Xen。　Certainly　that　is　what　I　should　have　said　of　him。

Soc。　Then　you　are　now　to　regard　him　as　quite　the　reversea　hot…
blooded；　reckless　libertine：　this　is　the　sort　of　man　to　throw
somersaults　into　knives；＇12＇　or　to　leap　into　the　jaws　of　fire。

＇12＇　Cf。　〃Symp。〃　ii。　10；　iv。　16。　See　Schneider　ad　loc。

Xen。　And　what　have　you　seen　him　doing；　that　you　give　him　so　bad　a
character？

Soc。　Doing？　Why；　has　not　the　fellow　dared　to　steal　a　kiss　from　the　son
of　Alcibiades；　most　fair　of　youths　and　in　the　golden　prime？

Xen。　Nay；　then；　if　that　is　the　foolhardy　adventure；　it　is　a　danger
which　I　could　well　encounter　myself。

Soc。　Pour　soul！　and　what　do　you　expect　your　fate　to　be　after　that
kiss？　Let　me　tell　you。　On　the　instant　you　will　lose　your　freedom；　the
indenture　of　your　bondage　will　be　signed；　it　will　be　yours　on
compulsion　to　spend　large　sums　on　hurtful　pleasures；　you　will　have
scarcely　a　moment's　leisure　left　for　any　noble　study；　you　will　be
driven　to　concern　yourself　most　zealously　with　things　which　no　man；
not　even　a　madman；　would　choose　to　make　an　object　of　concern。

Xen。　O　Heracles！　how　fell　a　power　to　reside　in　a　kiss！

Soc。　Does　it　surprise　you？　Do　you　not　know　that　the　tarantula；　which
is　no　bigger　than　a　threepenny　bit；＇13＇　has　only　to　touch　the　mouth
and　it　will　afflict　its　victim　with　pains　and　drive　him　out　of　his
senses。

＇13＇　Lit。　〃a　half…obol　piece。〃　For　the　｛phalaggion｝　see　Aristot。　〃H。
　　　　A。〃　ix。　39；　1。

Xen。　Yes；　but　then　the　creature　injects　something　with　its　bite。

Soc。　Ah；　fool！　and　do　you　imagine　that　these　lovely　creatures　infuse
nothing　with　their　kiss；　simply　because　you　do　not　see　the　poison？　Do
you　not　know　that　this　wild　beast　which　men　call　beauty　in　its　bloom
is　all　the　more　terrible　than　the　tarantula　in　that　the　insect　must
first　touch　its　victim；　but　this　at　a　mere　glance　of　thebeholder；
without　even　contact；　will　inject　something　into　himyards　away
which　will　make　him　man。　And　may　be　that　is　why　the　Loves　are　called
〃archers；〃　because　these　beauties　wound　so　far　off。＇14＇　But　my　advice
to　you；　Xenophon；　is；　whenever　you　catch　sight　of　one　of　these　fair
forms；　to　run　helter…skelter　for　bare　life　without　a　glance　behind；
and　to　you；　Critobulus；　I　would　say；　〃Go　abroad　for　a　year：　so　long
time　will　it　take　to　heal　you　of　this　wound。〃

＇14＇　L。　Dindorf；　etc。　regard　the　sentence　as　a　gloss。　Cf。　〃Symp。〃　iv。
　　　　26　＇｛isos　de　kai　。　。　。　entimoteron　estin｝＇。

Such　（he　said）；　in　the　affairs　of　Aphrodite；　as　in　meats　and　drinks；
should　be　the　circumspection　of　all　whose　footing　is　insecure。　At
least　they　should　confine　themselves　to　such　diet　as　the　soul　would
dispense　with；　save　for　some　necessity　of　the　body；　and　which　even　so
ought　to　set　up　no　disturbance。＇15＇　But　for　himself；　it　was　clear；　he
was　prepared　at　all　points　and　invulnerable。　He　found　less　difficulty
in　abstaining　from　beauty's　fairest　and　fullest　bloom　than　many　others
from　weeds　and　garbage。　To　sum　up：＇16＇　with　regard　to　eating　and
drinking　and　these　other　temptations　of　the　sense；　the　equipment　of
his　soul　made　him　independent；　he　could　boast　honestly　that　in　his
moderate　fashion＇17＇　his　pleasures　were　no　less　than　theirs　who　take
such　trouble　to　procure　them；　and　his　pains　far　fewer。

＇15＇　Cf。　〃Symp。〃　iv。　38。

＇16＇　L。　Dindorf　＇b