第 13 节
作者:
左思右想 更新:2022-06-19 10:06 字数:9322
He shows no anxiety to improve its value; his sole object being to take off it the largest crops he can himself。 But he whose heart is set on loyal friendship resembles rather a man who has a farmstead of his own。 At any rate; he scours the wide world to find what may enhance the value of his soul's delight。'51'
'49' Or; 〃wantonness〃; and for the apology see Plat。 〃Phaedr。〃 238: 〃I appear to be in a divine fury; for already I am getting into dithyrambics〃 (Jowett)。
'50' Lit。 〃to speak openly against that other sort of love which is its rival。〃
'51' Cf。 Michelet; I think; as to the French peasant…farmer regarding his property as 〃sa femme。〃
Again; let us consider the effect upon the object of attachment。 Let him but know his beauty is a bond sufficient to enthrall his lover;'52' and what wonder if he be careless of all else and play the wanton。 Let him discover; on the contrary; that if he would retain his dear affection he must himself be truly good and beautiful; and it is only natural he should become more studious of virtue。 But the greatest blessing which descends on one beset with eager longing to convert the idol of his soul into a good man and true friend is this: necessity is laid upon himself to practise virtue; since how can he hope to make his comrade good; if he himself works wickedness? Is it conceivable that the example he himself presents of what is shameless and incontinent;'53' will serve to make the beloved one temperate and modest?
'52' Or; 〃that by largess of beauty he can enthrall his lover。〃
'53' See Plat。 〃Symp。〃 182 A; 192 A。
I have a longing; Callias; by mythic argument'54' to show you that not men only; but gods and heroes; set greater store by friendship of the soul than bodily enjoyment。 Thus those fair women'55' whom Zeus; enamoured of their outward beauty; wedded; he permitted mortal to remain; but those heroes whose souls he held in admiration; these he raised to immortality。 Of whom are Heracles and the Dioscuri; and there are others also named。'56' As I maintain; it was not for his body's sake; but for his soul's; that Ganymede'57' was translated to Olympus; as the story goes; by Zeus。 And to this his very name bears witness; for is it not written in Homer?
And he gladdens ({ganutai}) to hear his voice。'58'
This the poet says; meaning 〃he is pleased to listen to his words。〃
'54' Or; 〃I have a desire to romance a little;〃 〃for your benefit to explain by legendary lore。〃 Cf。 Isocr。 120 C; Plat。 〃Rep。〃 392 B。
'55' e。g。 Leda; Danae; Europa; Alcmena; Electra; Latona; Laodamia (Zeune)。
'56' See 〃Hunting;〃 i。; 〃Hell。〃 VI。 iii。 6。
'57' See Plat。 〃Phaedr。〃 255 C; Cic。 〃Tusc。〃 i。 26; 〃nec Homerum audio 。 。 。 divina mallem ad nos;〃 a protest against anthropomorphism in religion。
'58' Not in 〃our〃 version of Homer; but cf。 〃Il。〃 xx。 405; {ganutai de te tois 'Enosikhthon}; 〃Il。〃 xiii。 493; {ganutai d' ara te phrena poimen}。
And again; in another passage he says:
Knowing deep devices ({medea}) in his mind;'59'
which is as much as to say; 〃knowing wise counsels in his mind。〃 Ganymede; therefore; bears a name compounded of the two words; 〃joy〃 and 〃counsel;〃 and is honoured among the gods; not as one 〃whose body;〃 but 〃whose mind〃 〃gives pleasure。〃
'59' Partly 〃Il。〃 xxiv。 674; {pukina phresi mede' ekhontes}; and 〃Il。〃 xxiv。 424; {phila phresi medea eidos}。 Cf。 〃Od。〃 vi。 192; xviii。 67; 87; xxii。 476。
Furthermore (I appeal to you; Niceratus);'60' Homer makes Achilles avenge Patroclus in that brilliant fashion; not as his favourite; but as his comrade。'61' Yes; and Orestes and Pylades;'62' Theseus and Peirithous;'63' with many another noble pair of demigods; are celebrated as having wrought in common great and noble deeds; not because they lay inarmed; but because of the admiration they felt for one another。
'60' As an authority on Homer。
'61' Cf。 Plat。 〃Symp。〃 179 E: 〃The notion that Patroclus was the beloved one is a foolish error into which Aeschylus has fallen;〃 etc。 (in his 〃Myrmidons〃)。 See J。 A。 Symonds; 〃The Greek Poets;〃 2nd series; 〃Achilles;〃 p。 66 foll。
'62' Concerning whom Ovid (〃Pont。〃 iii。 2。 70) says; 〃nomina fama tenet。〃
'63' See Plut。 〃Thes。〃 30 foll。 (Clough; i。 p。 30 foll。); cf。 Lucian; xli。 〃Toxaris;〃 10。
Nay; take the fair deeds of to…day: and you shall find them wrought rather for the sake of praise by volunteers in toil and peril; than by men accustomed to choose pleasure in place of honour。 And yet Pausanias;'64' the lover of the poet Agathon;'65' making a defence in behalf'66' of some who wallow in incontinence; has stated that an army composed of lovers and beloved would be invincible。'67' These; in his opinion; would; from awe of one another; have the greatest horror of destruction。 A truly marvellous argument; if he means that men accustomed to turn deaf ears to censure and to behave to one another shamelessly; are more likely to feel ashamed of doing a shameful deed。 He adduced as evidence the fact that the Thebans and the Eleians'68' recognise the very principle; and added: Though they sleep inarmed; they do not scruple to range the lover side by side with the beloved one in the field of battle。 An instance which I take to be no instance; or at any rate one…sided;'69' seeing that what they look upon as lawful with us is scandalous。'70' Indeed; it strikes me that this vaunted battle…order would seem to argue some mistrust on their part who adopt ita suspicion that their bosom friends; once separated from them; may forget to behave as brave men should。 But the men of Lacedaemon; holding that 〃if a man but lay his hand upon the body and for lustful purpose; he shall thereby forfeit claim to what is beautiful and noble〃do; in the spirit of their creed; contrive to mould and fashion their 〃beloved ones〃 to such height of virtue;'71' that should these find themselves drawn up with foreigners; albeit no longer side by side with their own lovers;'72' conscience will make desertion of their present friends impossible。 Self…respect constrains them: since the goddess whom the men of Lacedaemon worship is not 〃Shamelessness;〃 but 〃Reverence。〃'73'
'64' See Cobet; 〃Pros。 Xen。〃 p。 15; Plat。 〃Protag。〃 315 D; Ael。 〃V。 H。〃 ii。 21。
'65' Ib。; Aristot。 〃Poet。〃 ix。
'66' Or; 〃in his 'Apology' for。〃
'67' Plat。 〃Symp。〃 179 E; puts the sentiment into the mouth of Phaedrus: 〃And if there were only some way of contriving that a state or an army should be made up of lovers and their loves; they would be the very best governors of their own city; abstaining from all dishonour; and emulating one another in honour; and when fighting at one another's side; although not a mere handful; they would overcome the world。 For what lover would not choose rather to be seen by all mankind than by his beloved; either when abandoning his post or throwing away his arms? He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this。 Or would desert his beloved or fail him in the hour of danger? The veriest coward would become an inspired hero; equal to the bravest; at such a time; Love would inspire him。 That courage which; as Homer says; the god breathes into the soul of heroes; Love of his own nature infuses into the lover〃 (Jowett)。 Cf。 〃Hunting;〃 xii。 20; 〃Anab。〃 VII。 iv。 7; 〃Cyrop。〃 VII。 i。 30。
'68' Sc。 in their institutions。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Symp。〃 182; 〃in Elis and Boeotia〃; 〃Pol。 Lac。〃 ii。 13; Ael。 〃V。 H。〃 iii。 12; xiii。 5; Athen。 xiii。 2。 For the Theban Sacred Band see Plut。 〃Pelop。〃 18; 19 (Clough; ii。 218)。
'69' Or; 〃not in pari materia; so to speak。〃
'70' Is not Xenophon imputing himself to Socrates? Henkel cf。 Plat。 〃Crito;〃 52 E。 See Newman; op。 cit。 i。 396。
'71' Or; 〃shape to so fine a manhood that 。 。 。〃
'72' Reading {en te aute taxei}。 Al。 {。 。 。 polei}; transl。 〃nor indeed in the same city。〃 Cf。 〃Hell。〃 V。 iv。 33; re death of Cleonymus at Leuctra。
'73' Lit。 〃Aidos not Anaideia。〃 See Paus。 〃Lac。〃 xx。 10; 〃Attica;〃 xvii。 1; Cic。 〃de Leg。〃 ii。 11; a reference which I owe to M。 Eugene Talbot; 〃Xen。〃 i。 236。
I fancy we should all agree with one another on the point in question; if we thus approached it。 Ask yourself to which type of the two must he'74' accord; to whom you would entrust a sum of money; make him the guardian of your children; look to find in him a safe and sure depositary of any favour?'75' For my part; I am certain that the very lover addicted to external beauty would himself far sooner have his precious things entrusted to the keeping of one who has the inward beauty of the soul。'76'
'74' He (the master…mistress of my passion)。
'75' {kharitas} = 〃kindly offices;〃 beneficia。 Cf。 〃Ages。〃 iv。 4; 〃Mem。〃 IV。 iv。 17。 Al。 = delicias; 〃to deposit some darling object。〃
'76' Or; 〃some one truly lovable in soul and heart。〃
Ah; yes! and you; my friend (he turned to Callias); you have good reason to be thankful to the gods who of their grace inspired you with love for your Autolycus。 Covetous of honour;'77' beyond all controversy; must he be; who could endure so many toils and pains to hear his name proclaimed'78' victor in the 〃pan