symposium-第5章

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young；　being　slices　of　the　original　man；　they　hang　about　men　and　embrace　them；　and　they　are　themselves　the　best　of　boys　and　youths；　because　they　have　the　most　manly　nature。　Some　indeed　assert　that　they　are　shameless；　but　this　is　not　true；　for　they　do　not　act　thus　from　any　want　of　shame；　but　because　they　are　valiant　and　manly；　and　have　a　manly　countenance；　and　they　embrace　that　which　is　like　them。　And　these　when　they　grow　up　become　our　statesmen；　and　these　only；　which　is　a　great　proof　of　the　truth　of　what　I　am　saving。　When　they　reach　manhood　they　are　loves　of　youth；　and　are　not　naturally　inclined　to　marry　or　beget　children；…if　at　all；　they　do　so　only　in　obedience　to　the　law；　but　they　are　satisfied　if　they　may　be　allowed　to　live　with　one　another　unwedded；　and　such　a　nature　is　prone　to　love　and　ready　to　return　love；　always　embracing　that　which　is　akin　to　him。　And　when　one　of　them　meets　with　his　other　half；　the　actual　half　of　himself；　whether　he　be　a　lover　of　youth　or　a　lover　of　another　sort；　the　pair　are　lost　in　an　amazement　of　love　and　friendship　and　intimacy；　and　would　not　be　out　of　the　other's　sight；　as　I　may　say；　even　for　a　moment：　these　are　the　people　who　pass　their　whole　lives　together；　yet　they　could　not　explain　what　they　desire　of　one　another。　For　the　intense　yearning　which　each　of　them　has　towards　the　other　does　not　appear　to　be　the　desire　of　lover's　intercourse；　but　of　something　else　which　the　soul　of　either　evidently　desires　and　cannot　tell；　and　of　which　she　has　only　a　dark　and　doubtful　presentiment。　Suppose　Hephaestus；　with　his　instruments；　to　come　to　the　pair　who　are　lying　side；　by　side　and　to　say　to　them；　〃What　do　you　people　want　of　one　another？〃　they　would　be　unable　to　explain。　And　suppose　further；　that　when　he　saw　their　perplexity　he　said：　〃Do　you　desire　to　be　wholly　one；　always　day　and　night　to　be　in　one　another's　company？　for　if　this　is　what　you　desire；　I　am　ready　to　melt　you　into　one　and　let　you　grow　together；　so　that　being　two　you　shall　become　one；　and　while　you　live　a　common　life　as　if　you　were　a　single　man；　and　after　your　death　in　the　world　below　still　be　one　departed　soul　instead　of　two…I　ask　whether　this　is　what　you　lovingly　desire；　and　whether　you　are　satisfied　to　attain　this？〃…there　is　not　a　man　of　them　who　when　he　heard　the　proposal　would　deny　or　would　not　acknowledge　that　this　meeting　and　melting　into　one　another；　this　becoming　one　instead　of　two；　was　the　very　expression　of　his　ancient　need。　And　the　reason　is　that　human　nature　was　originally　one　and　we　were　a　whole；　and　the　desire　and　pursuit　of　the　whole　is　called　love。　There　was　a　time；　I　say；　when　we　were　one；　but　now　because　of　the　wickedness　of　mankind　God　has　dispersed　us；　as　the　Arcadians　were　dispersed　into　villages　by　the　Lacedaemonians。　And　if　we　are　not　obedient　to　the　gods；　there　is　a　danger　that　we　shall　be　split　up　again　and　go　about　in　basso…relievo；　like　the　profile　figures　having　only　half　a　nose　which　are　sculptured　on　monuments；　and　that　we　shall　be　like　tallies。　　　Wherefore　let　us　exhort　all　men　to　piety；　that　we　may　avoid　evil；　and　obtain　the　good；　of　which　Love　is　to　us　the　lord　and　minister；　and　let　no　one　oppose　him…he　is　the　enemy　of　the　gods　who　oppose　him。　For　if　we　are　friends　of　the　God　and　at　peace　with　him　we　shall　find　our　own　true　loves；　which　rarely　happens　in　this　world　at　present。　I　am　serious；　and　therefore　I　must　beg　Eryximachus　not　to　make　fun　or　to　find　any　allusion　in　what　I　am　saying　to　Pausanias　and　Agathon；　who；　as　I　suspect；　are　both　of　the　manly　nature；　and　belong　to　the　class　which　I　have　been　describing。　But　my　words　have　a　wider　application…they　include　men　and　women　everywhere；　and　I　believe　that　if　our　loves　were　perfectly　accomplished；　and　each　one　returning　to　his　primeval　nature　had　his　original　true　love；　then　our　race　would　be　happy。　And　if　this　would　be　best　of　all；　the　best　in　the　next　degree　and　under　present　circumstances　must　be　the　nearest　approach　to　such　an　union；　and　that　will　be　the　attainment　of　a　congenial　love。　Wherefore；　if　we　would　praise　him　who　has　given　to　us　the　benefit；　we　must　praise　the　god　Love；　who　is　our　greatest　benefactor；　both　leading　us　in　this　life　back　to　our　own　nature；　and　giving　us　high　hopes　for　the　future；　for　he　promises　that　if　we　are　pious；　he　will　restore　us　to　our　original　state；　and　heal　us　and　make　us　happy　and　blessed。　This；　Eryximachus；　is　my　discourse　of　love；　which；　although　different　to　yours；　I　must　beg　you　to　leave　unassailed　by　the　shafts　of　your　ridicule；　in　order　that　each　may　have　his　turn；　each；　or　rather　either；　for　Agathon　and　Socrates　are　the　only　ones　left。　　　Indeed；　I　am　not　going　to　attack　you；　said　Eryximachus；　for　I　thought　your　speech　charming；　and　did　I　not　know　that　Agathon　and　Socrates　are　masters　in　the　art　of　love；　I　should　be　really　afraid　that　they　would　have　nothing　to　say；　after　the　world　of　things　which　have　been　said　already。　But；　for　all　that；　I　am　not　without　hopes。　　　Socrates　said：　You　played　your　part　well；　Eryximachus；　but　if　you　were　as　I　am　now；　or　rather　as　I　shall　be　when　Agathon　has　spoken；　you　would；　indeed；　be　in　a　great　strait。　　　You　want　to　cast　a　spell　over　me；　Socrates；　said　Agathon；　in　the　hope　that　I　may　be　disconcerted　at　the　expectation　raised　among　the　audience　that　I　shall　speak　well。　　　I　should　be　strangely　forgetful；　Agathon　replied　Socrates；　of　the　courage　and　magnanimity　which　you　showed　when　your　own　compositions　were　about　to　be　exhibited；　and　you　came　upon　the　stage　with　the　actors　and　faced　the　vast　theatre　altogether　undismayed；　if　I　thought　that　your　nerves　could　be　fluttered　at　a　small　party　of　friends。　　　Do　you　think；　Socrates；　said　Agathon；　that　my　head　is　so　full　of　the　theatre　as　not　to　know　how　much　more　formidable　to　a　man　of　sense　a　few　good　judges　are　than　many　fools？　　　Nay；　replied　Socrates；　I　should　be　very　wrong　in　attributing　to　you；　Agathon；　that　or　any　other　want　of　refinement。　And　I　am　quite　aware　that　if　you　happened　to　meet　with　any　whom　you　thought　wise；　you　would　care　for　their　opinion　much　more　than　for　that　of　the　many。　But　then　we；　having　been　a　part　of　the　foolish　many　in　the　theatre；　cannot　be　regarded　as　the　select　wise；　though　I　know　that　if　you　chanced　to　be　in　the　presence；　not　of　one　of　ourselves；　but　of　some　really　wise　man；　you　would　be　ashamed　of　disgracing　yourself　before　him…would　you　not？　　　Yes；　said　Agathon。　　　But　before　the　many　you　would　not　be　ashamed；　if　you　thought　that　you　were　doing　something　disgraceful　in　their　presence？　　　Here　Phaedrus　interrupted　them；　saying：　not　answer　him；　my　dear　Agathon；　for　if　he　can　only　get　a　partner　with　whom　he　can　talk；　especially　a　good…looking　one；　he　will　no　longer　care　about　the　completion　of　our　plan。　Now　I　love　to　hear　him　talk；　but　just　at　present　I　must　not　forget　the　encomium　on　Love　which　I　ought　to　receive　from　him　and　from　every　one。　When　you　and　he　have　paid　your　tribute　to　the　god；　then　you　may　talk。　　　Very　good；　Phaedrus；　said　Agathon；　I　see　no　reason　why　I　should　not　proceed　with　my　speech；　as　I　shall　have　many　other　opportunities　of　conversing　with　Socrates。　Let　me　say　first　how　I　ought　to　speak；　and　then　speak：…　　　The　previous　speakers；　instead　of　praising　the　god　Love；　or　unfolding　his　nature；　appear　to　have　congratulated　mankind　on　the　benefits　which　he　confers　upon　them。　But　I　would　rather　praise　the　god　first；　and　then　speak　of　his　gifts；　this　is　always　the　right　way　of　praising　everything。　May　I　say　without　impiety　or　offence；　that　of　all　the　blessed　gods　he　is　the　most　blessed　because　he　is　the　fairest　and　best？　And　he　is　the　fairest：　for；　in　the　first　place；　he　is　the　youngest；　and　of　his　youth　he　is　himself　the　witness；　fleeing　out　of　the　way　of　age；　who　is　swift　enough；　swifter　truly　than　most　of　us　like：…Love　hates　him　and　will　not　come　near　him；　but　youth　and　love　live　and　move　together…like　to　like；　as　the　proverb　says。　Many　things　were　said　by　Phaedrus　about　Love　in　which　I　agree　with　him；　but　I　cannot　agree　that　he　is　older　than　Iapetus　and　Kronos：…not　so；　I　maintain　him　to　be　the　youngest　of　the　gods；　and　youthful　ever。　The　ancient　doings　among　the　gods　of　which　Hesiod　and　Parmenides　spoke；　if　the　tradition　of　them　be　true；　were　done　of　Necessity　and　not　Love；　had　Love　been　in　those　days；　there　would　have　been　no　chaining　or　mutilation　of　the　gods；　or　other　violence；　but　peace　and　sweetness；　as　there　is　now　in　heaven；　since　the　rule　of　Love　began。　　　Love　is　young　and　also　tender；　he　ought　to　have　a　poet　like　Homer　to　describe　his　tenderness；　as　Homer　says　of　Ate；　that　she　is　a　goddess　and　tender：

　　　　　Her　feet　are　tender；　for　she　sets　her　steps；　　　　　　Not　on　the　ground　but　on　the　heads　of　men：

herein　is　an　excellent　proof　of　her　tenderness　that；…she　walks　not　upon　the　hard　but　upon　the　soft。　Let　us　adduce　a　similar　proof　of　the　tenderness　of　Love；　for　he　walks　not　upon　the　earth；　nor　yet　upon　skulls　of　men；　which　are　not　so　very　soft；　but　in　the　hearts　and　souls　of　both　god；　and　men；　which　are　of　all　things　the　softest：　in　them　he　walks　and　dwells　and　makes　his　home。　Not　in　every　soul　without　exception；　for　Where　there　is　hardness　he　departs；　where　there　is　softness　there　he　dwells；　and　nestling　always　with　his　feet　and　in　all　manner　of　ways　in　the　softest　of　soft　places；　how　can　he　be　other　than　the　softest　of　all　things？　Of　a　truth　he　is　the　tenderest　as　well　as　the　youngest；　and　also　he　is　of　flexile　form；　for　if　he　were　hard　and　without　flexure　he　could　not　enfold　all　things；　or　wind　his　way　into　and　out　of　every　soul　of　man　undiscovered。　And　a　proof　of　his　flexibility　and　symmetry　of　form　is　his　grace；　which　is　universally　admitted　to　be　in　an　especial　manner　the　attribute　of　Love；　ungrace　and　love　are　always　at　war　with　one　another。　The　fairness　of　his　complexion　is　revealed　by　his　habitation　among　the　flowers；　for　he　dwells　not　amid　bloomless　or　fading　beauties；　whether　of　body　or　soul　or　aught　else；　but　in　the　place　of　flowers　and　scents；　there　he　sits　and　abides。　Concerning　the　beauty　of　the　god　I　have　said　enough；　and　yet　there　remains　much　more　which　I　might　say。　Of　his　virtue　I　have　now　to　speak：　his　greatest　glory　is　that　he　can　neither　do　nor　suffer　wrong　to　or　from　any　god　or　any　man；　for　he　suffers　not　by　force　if　he　suffers；　force　comes　not　near　him；　neither　when　he　acts　does　he　act　by　force。　For　all　men　in　all　things　serve　him　of　their　own　free　will；　and　where　there　is　voluntary　agreement；　there；　as　the　laws　which　are　the　lords　of　the　city　say；　is　justice。　And　not　only　is　he　just　but　exceedingly　temperate；　for　Temperance　is　the　acknowledged　ruler　of　the　pleasures　and　desires；　and　no　pleasure　ever　masters　Love；　he　is　their　master　and　they　are　his　servants；　and　if　he　conquers　them　he　must　be　temperate　indeed。　As　to　courage；　even　the　God　of　War　is　no　match　for　him；　he　is　the　captive　and　Love　is　the　lord；　for　love；　the　love　of　Aphrodite；　masters　him；　as　the　tale　runs；　and　the　master　is　stronger　than　the　servant。　And　if　he　conquers　the　bravest　of　all　others；　he　must　be　himself　the　bravest。　　　Of　his　courage　and　justice　and　temperance　I　have　spoken；　but　I　have　yet　to　speak　of　his　wisdom…and　according　to　the　measure　of　my　ability　I　must　try　to　do　my　best。　In　the　first　place　he　is　a　poet　（and　here；　like　Eryximachus；　I　magnify　my　art）；　and　he　is　also　the　source　of　poesy　in　others；　which　he　co