alcibiades i-第7章

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ALCIBIADES：　　I　agree。



SOCRATES：　　Well；　and　did　Pericles　make　any　one　wise；　did　he　begin　by　making

his　sons　wise？



ALCIBIADES：　　But；　Socrates；　if　the　two　sons　of　Pericles　were　simpletons；

what　has　that　to　do　with　the　matter？



SOCRATES：　　Well；　but　did　he　make　your　brother；　Cleinias；　wise？



ALCIBIADES：　　Cleinias　is　a　madman；　there　is　no　use　in　talking　of　him。



SOCRATES：　　But　if　Cleinias　is　a　madman　and　the　two　sons　of　Pericles　were

simpletons；　what　reason　can　be　given　why　he　neglects　you；　and　lets　you　be

as　you　are？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　believe　that　I　am　to　blame　for　not　listening　to　him。



SOCRATES：　　But　did　you　ever　hear　of　any　other　Athenian　or　foreigner；　bond

or　free；　who　was　deemed　to　have　grown　wiser　in　the　society　of　Pericles；as

I　might　cite　Pythodorus；　the　son　of　Isolochus；　and　Callias；　the　son　of

Calliades；　who　have　grown　wiser　in　the　society　of　Zeno；　for　which　privilege

they　have　each　of　them　paid　him　the　sum　of　a　hundred　minae　（about　406

pounds　sterling）　to　the　increase　of　their　wisdom　and　fame。



ALCIBIADES：　　I　certainly　never　did　hear　of　any　one。



SOCRATES：　　Well；　and　in　reference　to　your　own　case；　do　you　mean　to　remain

as　you　are；　or　will　you　take　some　pains　about　yourself？



ALCIBIADES：　　With　your　aid；　Socrates；　I　will。　　And　indeed；　when　I　hear　you

speak；　the　truth　of　what　you　are　saying　strikes　home　to　me；　and　I　agree

with　you；　for　our　statesmen；　all　but　a　few；　do　appear　to　be　quite

uneducated。



SOCRATES：　　What　is　the　inference？



ALCIBIADES：　　Why；　that　if　they　were　educated　they　would　be　trained

athletes；　and　he　who　means　to　rival　them　ought　to　have　knowledge　and


experience　when　he　attacks　them；　but　now；　as　they　have　become　politicians

without　any　special　training；　why　should　I　have　the　trouble　of　learning　and

practising？　　For　I　know　well　that　by　the　light　of　nature　I　shall　get　the

better　of　them。



SOCRATES：　　My　dear　friend；　what　a　sentiment！　　And　how　unworthy　of　your

noble　form　and　your　high　estate！



ALCIBIADES：　　What　do　you　mean；　Socrates；　why　do　you　say　so？



SOCRATES：　　I　am　grieved　when　I　think　of　our　mutual　love。



ALCIBIADES：　　At　what？



SOCRATES：　　At　your　fancying　that　the　contest　on　which　you　are　entering　is

with　people　here。



ALCIBIADES：　　Why；　what　others　are　there？



SOCRATES：　　Is　that　a　question　which　a　magnanimous　soul　should　ask？



ALCIBIADES：　　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　the　contest　is　not　with　these？



SOCRATES：　　And　suppose　that　you　were　going　to　steer　a　ship　into　action；

would　you　only　aim　at　being　the　best　pilot　on　board？　　Would　you　not；　while

acknowledging　that　you　must　possess　this　degree　of　excellence；　rather　look

to　your　antagonists；　and　not；　as　you　are　now　doing；　to　your　fellow

combatants？　　You　ought　to　be　so　far　above　these　latter；　that　they　will　not

even　dare　to　be　your　rivals；　and；　being　regarded　by　you　as　inferiors；　will

do　battle　for　you　against　the　enemy；　this　is　the　kind　of　superiority　which

you　must　establish　over　them；　if　you　mean　to　accomplish　any　noble　action

really　worthy　of　yourself　and　of　the　state。



ALCIBIADES：　　That　would　certainly　be　my　aim。



SOCRATES：　　Verily；　then；　you　have　good　reason　to　be　satisfied；　if　you　are

better　than　the　soldiers；　and　you　need　not；　when　you　are　their　superior　and

have　your　thoughts　and　actions　fixed　upon　them；　look　away　to　the　generals

of　the　enemy。



ALCIBIADES：　　Of　whom　are　you　speaking；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　Why；　you　surely　know　that　our　city　goes　to　war　now　and　then　with

the　Lacedaemonians　and　with　the　great　king？



ALCIBIADES：　　True　enough。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　you　meant　to　be　the　ruler　of　this　city；　would　you　not　be

right　in　considering　that　the　Lacedaemonian　and　Persian　king　were　your　true

rivals？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　believe　that　you　are　right。



SOCRATES：　　Oh　no；　my　friend；　I　am　quite　wrong；　and　I　think　that　you　ought

rather　to　turn　your　attention　to　Midias　the　quail…breeder　and　others　like

him；　who　manage　our　politics；　in　whom；　as　the　women　would　remark；　you　may

still　see　the　slaves'　cut　of　hair；　cropping　out　in　their　minds　as　well　as

on　their　pates；　and　they　come　with　their　barbarous　lingo　to　flatter　us　and

not　to　rule　us。　　To　these；　I　say；　you　should　look；　and　then　you　need　not

trouble　yourself　about　your　own　fitness　to　contend　in　such　a　noble　arena：　

there　is　no　reason　why　you　should　either　learn　what　has　to　be　learned；　or

practise　what　has　to　be　practised；　and　only　when　thoroughly　prepared　enter

on　a　political　career。



ALCIBIADES：　　There；　I　think；　Socrates；　that　you　are　right；　I　do　not

suppose；　however；　that　the　Spartan　generals　or　the　great　king　are　really

different　from　anybody　else。



SOCRATES：　　But；　my　dear　friend；　do　consider　what　you　are　saying。



ALCIBIADES：　　What　am　I　to　consider？



SOCRATES：　　In　the　first　place；　will　you　be　more　likely　to　take　care　of

yourself；　if　you　are　in　a　wholesome　fear　and　dread　of　them；　or　if　you　are

not？



ALCIBIADES：　　Clearly；　if　I　have　such　a　fear　of　them。



SOCRATES：　　And　do　you　think　that　you　will　sustain　any　injury　if　you　take

care　of　yourself？



ALCIBIADES：　　No；　I　shall　be　greatly　benefited。



SOCRATES：　　And　this　is　one　very　important　respect　in　which　that　notion　of

yours　is　bad。



ALCIBIADES：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　In　the　next　place；　consider　that　what　you　say　is　probably　false。



ALCIBIADES：　　How　so？



SOCRATES：　　Let　me　ask　you　whether　better　natures　are　likely　to　be　found　in

noble　races　or　not　in　noble　races？



ALCIBIADES：　　Clearly　in　noble　races。



SOCRATES：　　Are　not　those　who　are　well　born　and　well　bred　most　likely　to　be

perfect　in　virtue？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　Then　let　us　compare　our　antecedents　with　those　of　the

Lacedaemonian　and　Persian　kings；　are　they　inferior　to　us　in　descent？　　Have

we　not　heard　that　the　former　are　sprung　from　Heracles；　and　the　latter　from

Achaemenes；　and　that　the　race　of　Heracles　and　the　race　of　Achaemenes　go

back　to　Perseus；　son　of　Zeus？



ALCIBIADES：　　Why；　so　does　mine　go　back　to　Eurysaces；　and　he　to　Zeus！



SOCRATES：　　And　mine；　noble　Alcibiades；　to　Daedalus；　and　he　to　Hephaestus；

son　of　Zeus。　　But；　for　all　that；　we　are　far　inferior　to　them。　　For　they　are

descended　'from　Zeus；'　through　a　line　of　kingseither　kings　of　Argos　and

Lacedaemon；　or　kings　of　Persia；　a　country　which　the　descendants　of

Achaemenes　have　always　possessed；　besides　being　at　various　times　sovereigns

of　Asia；　as　they　now　are；　whereas；　we　and　our　fathers　were　but　private

persons。　　How　ridiculous　would　you　be　thought　if　you　were　to　make　a　display

of　your　ancestors　and　of　Salamis　the　island　of　Eurysaces；　or　of　Aegina；　the

habitation　of　the　still　more　ancient　Aeacus；　before　Artaxerxes；　son　of

Xerxes。　　You　should　consider　how　inferior　we　are　to　them　both　in　the

derivation　of　our　birth　and　in　other　particulars。　　Did　you　never　observe

how　great　is　the　property　of　the　Spartan　kings？　　And　their　wives　are　under

the　guardianship　of　the　Ephori；　who　are　public　officers　and　watch　over

them；　in　order　to　preserve　as　far　as　possible　the　purity　of　the　Heracleid

blood。　　Still　greater　is　the　difference　among　the　Persians；　for　no　one

entertains　a　suspicion　that　the　father　of　a　prince　of　Persia　can　be　any　one

but　the　king。　　Such　is　the　awe　which　invests　the　person　of　the　queen；　that

any　other　guard　is　needless。　　And　when　the　heir　of　the　kingdom　is　born；　all

the　subjects　of　the　king　feast；　and　the　day　of　his　birth　is　for　ever

afterwards　kept　as　a　holiday　and　time　of　sacrifice　by　all　Asia；　whereas；

when　you　and　I　were　born；　Alcibiades；　as　the　comic　poet　says；　the

neighbours　hardly　knew　of　the　important　event。　　After　the　birth　of　the

royal　child；　he　is　tended；　not　by　a　good…for…nothing　woman…nurse；　but　by

the　best　of　the　royal　eunuchs；　who　are　charged　with　the　care　of　him；　and

especially　with　the　fashioning　and　right　formation　of　his　limbs；　in　order

that　he　may　be　as　shapely　as　possible；　which　being　their　calling；　they　are

held　in　great　honour。　　And　when　the　young　prince　is　seven　years　old　he　is

put　upon　a　horse　and　taken　to　the　riding…masters；　and　begins　to　go　out

hunting。　　And　at　fourteen　years　of　age　he　is　handed　over　to　the　royal

schoolmasters；　as　they　are　termed：　　these　are　four　chosen　men；　reputed　to

be　the　best　among　the　Persians　of　a　certain　age；　and　one　of　them　is　the

wisest；　another　the　justest；　a　third　the　most　temperate；　and　a　fourth　the

most　valiant。　　The　first　instructs　him　in　the　magianism　of　Zoroaster；　the

son　of　Oromasus；　which　is　the　worship　of　the　Gods；　and　teaches　him　also　the

duties　of　his　royal　office；　the　second；　who　is　the　justest；　teaches　him

always　to　speak　the　truth；　the　third；　or　most　temperate；　forbids　him　to

allow　any　pleasure　to　be　lord　over　him；　that　he　may　be　accustomed　to　be　a

freeman　and　king　indeed；lord　of　himself　first；　and　not　a　slave；　the　most

valiant　trains　him　to　be　bold　and　fearless；　telling　him　that　if　he　fears　he

is　to　deem　himself　a　slave；　whereas　Pericles　gave　you；　Alcibiades；　for　a

tutor　Zopyrus　the　Thracian；　a　slave　of　his　who　was　past　all　other　work。　　I

might　enlarge　on　the　nurture　and　education　of　your　rivals；　but　that　would

be　tedious；　and　what　I　have　said　is　a　sufficient　sample　of　what　remains　to

be　said。　　I　have　only　to　remark；　by　way　of　contrast；　that　no　one　cares

about　your　birth　or　nurture　or　education；　or；　I　may　say；　about　that　of　any

other　Athenian；　unless　he　has　a　lover　who　looks　after　him。　　And　if　you　cast

an　eye　on　the　wealth；　the　luxury；　the　garments　with　their　flowing　trains；

the　anointings　with　myrrh；　the　multitudes　of　attendants；　and　all　the　other

bravery　of　the　Persians；　you　will　be　ashamed　when　you　discern　your　own

inferiority；　or　if　you　look　at　the　temperance　and　orderliness　and　ease　and

grace　and　magnanimity　and　courage　and　endurance　and　love　of　toil　and　desire

of　glory　and　ambition　of　the　Lacedaemoniansin　all　these　respects　you　will

see　that　you　are　but　a　child　in　comparison　of　them。　　Even　in　the　matter　of

wealth；　if　you　value　yourself　upon　that；　I　must　reveal　to　you　how　you

stand；　for　if　you　form　an　estimate　of　the　wealth　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　you

will　see　that　our　possessions　fall　far　short　of　theirs。　　For　no　one　here

can　compete　with　them　either　in　the　extent　and　fertility　of　their　own　and

the　Messenian　territory；　or　in　the　number　of　their　slaves；　and　especially

of　the　Helots；　or　of　their　horses；　or　of　the　animals　which　feed　on　the

Messenian　pastures。　　But　I　have　said　enough　of　this：　　and　as　to　gold　and

silver；　there　is　more　of　them　in　Lacedaemon　than　in　all　the　rest　of　Hellas；

for　during　many　generations　gold　has　been　always　flowing　in　to　them　from

the　whole　Hellenic　world；　and　often　from　the　barbarian　also；　and　never

going　out；　as　in　the　fable　of　Aesop　the　fox　said　to　the　lion；　'The　prints

of　the　feet　of　those　going　in　are　distinct　enough；'　but　who　ever　saw　the

trace　of　money　going　out　of　Lacedaemon？　　And　therefore　you　may　safely　infer

that　the　inhabitants　ar