the seventh letter-第2章

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addressed　to　me　and　much　more　to　the　same　effect。


　　My　own　opinion；　so　far　as　the　young　men　were　concerned；　and　the


probable　line　which　their　conduct　would　take；　was　full　of


apprehension…for　young　men　are　quick　in　forming　desires；　which　often


take　directions　conflicting　with　one　another。　But　I　knew　that　the


character　of　Dion's　mind　was　naturally　a　stable　one　and　had　also　the


advantage　of　somewhat　advanced　years。


　　Therefore；　I　pondered　the　matter　and　was　in　two　minds　as　to


whether　I　ought　to　listen　to　entreaties　and　go；　or　how　I　ought　to　act；


and　finally　the　scale　turned　in　favour　of　the　view　that；　if　ever


anyone　was　to　try　to　carry　out　in　practice　my　ideas　about　laws　and


constitutions；　now　was　the　time　for　making　the　attempt；　for　if　only


I　could　fully　convince　one　man；　I　should　have　secured　thereby　the


accomplishment　of　all　good　things。


　　With　these　views　and　thus　nerved　to　the　task；　I　sailed　from　home；　in


the　spirit　which　some　imagined；　but　principally　through　a　feeling　of


shame　with　regard　to　myself；　lest　I　might　some　day　appear　to　myself


wholly　and　solely　a　mere　man　of　words；　one　who　would　never　of　his


own　will　lay　his　hand　to　any　act。　Also　there　was　reason　to　think


that　I　should　be　betraying　first　and　foremost　my　friendship　and


comradeship　with　Dion；　who　in　very　truth　was　in　a　position　of


considerable　danger。　If　therefore　anything　should　happen　to　him；　or　if


he　were　banished　by　Dionysios　and　his　other　enemies　and　coming　to　us


as　exile　addressed　this　question　to　me：　〃Plato；　I　have　come　to　you


as　a　fugitive；　not　for　want　of　hoplites；　nor　because　I　had　no


cavalry　for　defence　against　my　enemies；　but　for　want　of　words　and


power　of　persuasion；　which　I　knew　to　be　a　special　gift　of　yours；


enabling　you　to　lead　young　men　into　the　path　of　goodness　and


justice；　and　to　establish　in　every　case　relations　of　friendship　and


comradeship　among　them。　It　is　for　the　want　of　this　assistance　on


your　part　that　I　have　left　Syracuse　and　am　here　now。　And　the


disgrace　attaching　to　your　treatment　of　me　is　a　small　matter。　But


philosophy…whose　praises　you　are　always　singing；　while　you　say　she


is　held　in　dishonour　by　the　rest　of　mankind…must　we　not　say　that


philosophy　along　with　me　has　now　been　betrayed；　so　far　as　your


action　was　concerned？　Had　I　been　living　at　Megara；　you　would　certainly


have　come　to　give　me　your　aid　towards　the　objects　for　which　I　asked


it；　or　you　would　have　thought　yourself　the　most　contemptible　of


mankind。　But　as　it　is；　do　you　think　that　you　will　escape　the


reputation　of　cowardice　by　making　excuses　about　the　distance　of　the


journey；　the　length　of　the　sea　voyage；　and　the　amount　of　labour


involved？　Far　from　it。〃　To　reproaches　of　this　kind　what　creditable


reply　could　I　have　made？　Surely　none。


　　I　took　my　departure；　therefore；　acting；　so　far　as　a　man　can　act；


in　obedience　to　reason　and　justice；　and　for　these　reasons　leaving　my


own　occupations；　which　were　certainly　not　discreditable　ones；　to　put


myself　under　a　tyranny　which　did　not　seem　likely　to　harmonise　with


my　teaching　or　with　myself。　By　my　departure　I　secured　my　own　freedom


from　the　displeasure　of　Zeus　Xenios；　and　made　myself　clear　of　any


charge　on　the　part　of　philosophy；　which　would　have　been　exposed　to


detraction；　if　any　disgrace　had　come　upon　me　for　faint…heartedness　and


cowardice。


　　On　my　arrival；　to　cut　a　long　story　short；　I　found　the　court　of


Dionysios　full　of　intrigues　and　of　attempts　to　create　in　the　sovereign


ill…feeling　against　Dion。　I　combated　these　as　far　as　I　could；　but　with


very　little　success；　and　in　the　fourth　month　or　thereabouts；


charging　Dion　with　conspiracy　to　seize　the　throne；　Dionysios　put　him


on　board　a　small　boat　and　expelled　him　from　Syracuse　with　ignominy。


All　of　us　who　were　Dion's　friends　were　afraid　that　he　might　take


vengeance　on　one　or　other　of　us　as　an　accomplice　in　Dion's　conspiracy。


With　regard　to　me；　there　was　even　a　rumour　current　in　Syracuse　that


I　had　been　put　to　death　by　Dionysios　as　the　cause　of　all　that　had


occurred。　Perceiving　that　we　were　all　in　this　state　of　mind　and


apprehending　that　our　fears　might　lead　to　some　serious　consequence；　he


now　tried　to　win　all　of　us　over　by　kindness：　me　in　particular　he


encouraged；　bidding　me　be　of　good　cheer　and　entreating　me　on　all


grounds　to　remain。　For　my　flight　from　him　was　not　likely　to　redound　to


his　credit；　but　my　staying　might　do　so。　Therefore；　he　made　a　great


pretence　of　entreating　me。　And　we　know　that　the　entreaties　of


sovereigns　are　mixed　with　compulsion。　So　to　secure　his　object　he


proceeded　to　render　my　departure　impossible；　bringing　me　into　the


acropolis；　and　establishing　me　in　quarters　from　which　not　a　single


ship's　captain　would　have　taken　me　away　against　the　will　of　Dionysios；


nor　indeed　without　a　special　messenger　sent　by　him　to　order　my


removal。　Nor　was　there　a　single　merchant；　or　a　single　official　in


charge　of　points　of　departure　from　the　country；　who　would　have　allowed


me　to　depart　unaccompanied；　and　would　not　have　promptly　seized　me


and　taken　me　back　to　Dionysios；　especially　since　a　statement　had　now


been　circulated　contradicting　the　previous　rumours　and　giving　out　that


Dionysios　was　becoming　extraordinarily　attached　to　Plato。　What　were


the　facts　about　this　attachment？　I　must　tell　the　truth。　As　time　went


on；　and　as　intercourse　made　him　acquainted　with　my　disposition　and


character；　he　did　become　more　and　more　attached　to　me；　and　wished　me


to　praise　him　more　than　I　praised　Dion；　and　to　look　upon　him　as　more


specially　my　friend　than　Dion；　and　he　was　extraordinarily　eager


about　this　sort　of　thing。　But　when　confronted　with　the　one　way　in


which　this　might　have　been　done；　if　it　was　to　be　done　at　all；　he


shrank　from　coming　into　close　and　intimate　relations　with　me　as　a


pupil　and　listener　to　my　discourses　on　philosophy；　fearing　the


danger　suggested　by　mischief…makers；　that　he　might　be　ensnared；　and　so


Dion　would　prove　to　have　accomplished　all　his　object。　I　endured　all


this　patiently；　retaining　the　purpose　with　which　I　had　come　and　the


hope　that　he　might　come　to　desire　the　philosophic　life。　But　his


resistance　prevailed　against　me。


　　The　time　of　my　first　visit　to　Sicily　and　my　stay　there　was　taken


up　with　all　these　incidents。　On　a　later　occasion　I　left　home　and　again


came　on　an　urgent　summons　from　Dionysios。　But　before　giving　the


motives　and　particulars　of　my　conduct　then　and　showing　how　suitable


and　right　it　was；　I　must　first；　in　order　that　I　may　not　treat　as　the


main　point　what　is　only　a　side　issue；　give　you　my　advice　as　to　what


your　acts　should　be　in　the　present　position　of　affairs；　afterwards；　to


satisfy　those　who　put　the　question　why　I　came　a　second　time；　I　will


deal　fully　with　the　facts　about　my　second　visit；　what　I　have　now　to


say　is　this。


　　He　who　advises　a　sick　man；　whose　manner　of　life　is　prejudicial　to


health；　is　clearly　bound　first　of　all　to　change　his　patient's　manner


of　life；　and　if　the　patient　is　willing　to　obey　him；　he　may　go　on　to


give　him　other　advice。　But　if　he　is　not　willing；　I　shall　consider


one　who　declines　to　advise　such　a　patient　to　be　a　man　and　a　physician；


and　one　who　gives　in　to　him　to　be　unmanly　and　unprofessional。　In　the


same　way　with　regard　to　a　State；　whether　it　be　under　a　single　ruler　or


more　than　one；　if；　while　the　government　is　being　carried　on


methodically　and　in　a　right　course；　it　asks　advice　about　any　details


of　policy；　it　is　the　part　of　a　wise　man　to　advise　such　people。　But


when　men　are　travelling　altogether　outside　the　path　of　right


government　and　flatly　refuse　to　move　in　the　right　path；　and　start　by


giving　notice　to　their　adviser　that　he　must　leave　the　government　alone


and　make　no　change　in　it　under　penalty　of　death…if　such　men　should


order　their　counsellors　to　pander　to　their　wishes　and　desires　and　to


advise　them　in　what　way　their　object　may　most　readily　and　easily　be


once　for　all　accomplished；　I　should　consider　as　unmanly　one　who


accepts　the　duty　of　giving　such　forms　of　advice；　and　one　who　refuses


it　to　be　a　true　man。


　　Holding　these　views；　whenever　anyone　consults　me　about　any　of　the


weightiest　matters　affecting　his　own　life；　as；　for　instance；　the


acquisition　of　property　or　the　proper　treatment　of　body　or　mind；　if　it


seems　to　me　that　his　daily　life　rests　on　any　system；　or　if　he　seems


likely　to　listen　to　advice　about　the　things　on　which　he　consults　me；　I


advise　him　with　readiness；　and　do　not　content　myself　with　giving　him　a


merely　perfunctory　answer。　But　if　a　man　does　not　consult　me　at　all；　or


evidently　does　not　intend　to　follow　my　advice；　I　do　not　take　the


initiative　in　advising　such　a　man；　and　will　not　use　compulsion　to　him；


even　if　he　be　my　own　son。　I　would　advise　a　slave　under　such


circumstances；　and　would　use　compulsion　to　him　if　he　were　unwilling。


To　a　father　or　mother　I　do　not　think　that　piety　allows　one　to　offer


compulsion；　unless　they　are　suffering　from　an　attack　of　insanity；


and　if　they　are　following　any　regular　habits　of　life　which　please　them


but　do　not　please　me；　I　would　not　offend　them　by　offering　useless；


advice；　nor　would　I　flatter　them　or　truckle　to　them；　providing　them


with　the　means　of　satisfying　desires　which　I　myself　would　sooner　die


than　cherish。　The　wise　man　should　go　through　life　with　the　same


attitude　of　mind　towards　his　country。　If　she　should　appear　to　him　to


be　following　a　policy　which　is　not　a　good　one；　he　should　say　so；


provided　that　his　words　are　not　likely　either　to　fall　on　deaf　ears


or　to　lead　to　the　loss　of　his　own　life。　But　force　against　his　native


land　he　should　not　use　in　order　to　bring　about　a　change　of


constitution；　when　it　is　not　possible　for　the　best　constitution　to


be　introduced　without　driving　men　into　exile　or　putting　them　to　death；


he　should　keep　quiet　and　offer　up　prayers　for　his　own　welfare　and


for　that　of　his　country。


　　These　are　the　principles　in　accordance　with　which　I　should　advise


you；　as　also；　jointly　with　Dion；　I　advised　Dionysios；　bidding　him　in


the　first　place　to　live　his　daily　life　in　a　way　that　would　make　him　as


far　as　possible　master　of　himself　and　able　to　gain　faithful　friends


and　supporters；　in　order　that　he　might　not　have　the　same　experience　as


his　father。　For　his　father；　having　taken　under　his　rule　many　great


cities　of　Sicily　which　had　been　utterly　destroyed　by　the　barbarians；


was　not　able　to　found　them　afresh　and　to　establish　in　them　trustworthy


governments　carried　on　by　his　own　supporters；　either　by　men　who　had　no


ties　of　blood　with　him；　or　by　his　brothers　whom　he　had　brought　up　when


they　were　younger；　and　had　raised　from　humble　station　to　high　office


and　from　poverty　to　immense　wealth。　Not　one　of　these　was　he　able　to


work　upon　by　persuasion；　instruction；　services　and　ties　of　kindred；　so


as　to　make　him　a　partner　in　his　rule；　and　he　showed　himself　inferior


to　Darius　with　a　sevenfold　inferiority。　For　Darius　did　not　put　his


trust　in　brothers　or　in　men　whom　he　had　brought　up；　but　only　in　his


confederates　in　the　overthrow　of　the　Med