第 21 节
作者:
忙 更新:2021-02-18 23:31 字数:9322
authorised thus to report of you; I think you will find me a serviceable
fellow…hunter in the quest of friends; which is the conquest of the good。
Cri。 Why this appeal to me?as if you had not free permission to say
exactly what you like about me。
Soc。 No; that I deny; on the authority of Aspasia。'25' I have it from her
own lips。 〃Good matchmakers;〃 she said tome; 〃were clever hands at
cementing alliances between people; provided the good qualities they
vouched for were truthfully reported; but when it came to their telling lies;
for her part she could not compliment them。'26' Their poor deluded dupes
ended by hating each other and the go…betweens as well。〃 Now I myself
am so fully persuaded of the truth of this that I feel it is not in my power to
say aught in your praise which I cannot say with truth。
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'25' Aspasia; daughter of Axiochus; of Miletus。 See 〃Econ。〃 iii。 14;
Plat。 〃Menex。〃 235 E; Aesch。 Socrat。 ap。 Cic。 〃de Invent。〃 I。 xxxi。 51。
See Grote; 〃H。 G。〃 vi。 132 foll。; Cobet; 〃Pros。 Xen。〃
'26' Reading {ouk ethelein epainein}; or if {ouk ophelein epainousas}
with Kuhner transl。 〃Good matchmakers; she told me; have to
consult truth when reporting favourably of any one: then indeed they
are terribly clever at bringing people together: whereas false
flatterers do no good; their dupes;〃 etc。
Cri。 Really; Socrates; you are a wonderfully good friend to mein so
far as I have any merit which will entitle me to win a friend; you will lend
me a helping hand; it seems; otherwise you would rather not forge any
petty fiction for my benefit。
Soc。 But tell me; how shall I assist you best; think you? By praising
you falsely or by persuading you to try to be a good man? Or if it is not
plain to you thus; look at the matter by the light of some examples。 I wish
to introduce you to a shipowner; or to make him your friend: I begin by
singing your praises to him falsely thus; 〃You will find him a good pilot〃;
he catches at the phrase; and entrusts his ship to you; who have no notion
of guiding a vessel。 What can you expect but to make shipwreck of the
craft and yourself together? or suppose by similar false assertions I can
persuade the state at large to entrust her destinies to you〃a man with a
fine genius for command;〃 I say; 〃a practised lawyer;〃 〃a politician born;〃
and so forth。 The odds are; the state and you may come to grief through
you。 Or to take an instance from everyday life。 By my falsehoods I
persuade some private person to entrust his affairs to you as 〃a really
careful and business…like person with a head for economy。〃 When put to
the test would not your administration prove ruinous; and the figure you
cut ridiculous? No; my dear friend; there is but one road; the shortest;
safest; best; and it is simply this: In whatsoever you desire to be deemed
good; endeavour to be good。 For of all the virtues namable among men;
consider; and you will find there is not one but may be increased by
learning and practice。 For my part then; Critobulus; these are the principles
on which we ought to go a… hunting; but if you take a different view; I am
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all attention; please instruct me。
Then Critobulus: Nay; Socrates; I should be ashamed to gainsay what
you have said; if I did; it would neither be a noble statement nor a
true。'27'
'27' {kala 。 。 。 alethe}。
VII
He had two ways of dealing with the difficulties of his friends: where
ignorance was the cause; he tried to meet the trouble by a dose of common
sense; or where want and poverty were to blame; by lessoning them that
they should assist one another according to their ability; and here I may
mention certain incidents which occurred within my own knowledge。 How;
for instance; he chanced upon Aristarchus wearing the look of one who
suffered from a fit of the 〃sullens;〃 and thus accosted him。
Soc。 You seem to have some trouble on your mind; Aristarchus; if so;
you should share it with your friends。 Perhaps together we might lighten
the weight of it a little。
Aristarchus answered: Yes; Socrates; I am in sore straits indeed。 Ever
since the party strife declared itself in the city;'1' what with the rush of
people to Piraeus; and the wholesale banishments; I have been fairly at the
mercy of my poor deserted female relatives。 Sisters; nieces; cousins; they
have all come flocking to me for protection。 I have fourteen free…born
souls; I tell you; under my single roof; and how are we to live? We can get
nothing out of the soilthat is in the hands of the enemy; nothing from my
house property; for there is scarcely a living soul left in the city; my
furniture? no one will buy it; money? there is none to be borrowedyou
would have a better chance to find it by looking for it on the road than to
borrow it from a banker。 Yes; Socrates; to stand by and see one's relatives
die of hunger is hard indeed; and yet to feed so many at such a pinch
impossible。
'1' i。e。 circa 404…403 B。C。 See 〃Hell。〃 II。 iv。
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After he listened to the story; Socrates asked: How comes it that
Ceramon;'2' with so many mouths to feed; not only contrives to furnish
himself and them with the necessaries of life; but to realise a handsome
surplus; whilst you being in like plight'3' are afraid you will one and all
perish of starvation for want of the necessaries of life?
'2' An employer of labour; apparently; on a grand scale。
'3' Lit。 〃with your large family to feed。〃 L。 Dindorf would like to
read {su de oligous}; 〃you with your small family。〃
Ar。 Why; bless your soul; do you not see he has only slaves and I have
free…born souls to feed?
Soc。 And which should you say were the better human beings; the
free… born members of your household or Ceramon's slaves?
Ar。 The free souls under my roof without a doubt。
Soc。 Is it not a shame; then; that he with his baser folk to back him
should be in easy circumstances; while you and your far superior
household are in difficulties?
Ar。 To be sure it is; when he has only a set of handicraftsmen to feed;
and I my liberally…educated household。
Soc。 What is a handicraftsman? Does not the term apply to all who can
make any sort of useful product or commodity?
Ar。 Certainly。
Soc。 Barley meal is a useful product; is it not?
Ar。 Pre…eminently so。
Soc。 And loaves of bread?
Ar。 No less。
Soc。 Well; and what do you say to cloaks for men and for women
tunics; mantles; vests?'4'
'4' For these articles of dress see Becker's 〃Charicles;〃 Exc。 i。 to
Sc。 xi。 〃Dress。〃
Ar。 Yes; they are all highly useful commodities。
Soc。 Then your household do not know how to make any of these?
Ar。 On the contrary; I believe they can make them all。
Soc。 Then you are not aware that by means of the manufacture of one
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of these alonehis barley meal storeNausicydes'5' not only maintains
himself and his domestics; but many pigs and cattle besides; and realises
such large profits that he frequently contributes to the state
benevolences;'6' while there is Cyrebus; again; who; out of a bread
factory; more than maintains the whole of his establishment; and lives in
the lap of luxury; and Demeas of Collytus gets a livelihood out of a cloak
business; and Menon as a mantua…maker; and so; again; more than half the
Megarians'7' by the making of vests。
'5' Nausicydes。 Cobet; 〃Pros。 Xen。〃 cf。 Aristoph。 〃Eccles。〃 426。
'6' Lit。 〃state liturgies;〃 or 〃to the burden of the public services。〃
Fo