第 27 节
作者:      更新:2021-02-18 23:31      字数:9322
  Nicomachides;   the   difference   between   the   devotion   requisite   to   private
  affairs   and   to   affairs   of   state   is   merely   one   of   quantity。   For   the   rest   the
  parallel   holds     strictly;  and   in  this  respect   pre…eminently;       that  both    are
  concerned with human instruments: which human beings; moreover; are of
  one type and temperament; whether we speak of devotion to public affairs
  or of the administration of private property。 To fare well in either case is
  given to those who know the secret of dealing with humanity; whereas the
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  absence   of   that   knowledge   will   as   certainly   imply   in   either   case   a   fatal
  note of discord。'11'
  '10' Lit。 〃as long as he is unprepared。〃
  '11'   L。   Dindorf;   〃Index   Graec。〃   Ox。   ed。;   cf。   Hor。   〃Ep。〃   II。   ii。   144;
  〃sed     verae   numerosque       modosque       ediscere    vitae;〃   〃the   harmony      of
  life;〃 Conington。
  V
  A conversation held with Pericles the son of the great statesman may
  here be introduced。'1' Socrates began:
  '1'   Or;   〃On    one   occasion     Pericles    was   the   person    addressed     in
  conversation。〃 For Pericles see 〃Hell。〃 I。 v。 16; vii。 15; Plut。                  〃Pericl。〃
  37 (Clough; i。 368)。
  I am looking forward; I must tell you; Pericles; to a great improvement
  in   our   military   affairs   when   you   are   minister   of   war。'2'  The   prestige   of
  Athens; I hope; will rise; we shall gain the mastery over our enemies。
  '2' 〃Strategos。〃
  Pericles   replied:   I   devoutly   wish   your   words   might   be   fulfilled;   but
  how this happy result is to be obtained; I am at a loss to discover。
  Shall we (Socrates continued); shall we balance the arguments for and
  against; and consider to what extent the possibility does exist?
  Pray let us do so (he answered)。
  Soc。 Well then; you know that in point of numbers the Athenians are
  not inferior to the Boeotians?
  Per。 Yes; I am aware of that。
  Soc。 And do you think the Boeotians could furnish a better pick of fine
  healthy men than the Athenians?
  Per。 I think we should very well hold our own in that respect。
  Soc。   And   which   of   the   two   would   you   take   to   be   the   more   united
  people the friendlier among themselves?
  Per。 The Athenians; I should say; for so many sections of the Boeotians;
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  resenting the selfish policy'3' of Thebes; are ill disposed to that power; but
  at Athens I see nothing of the sort。
  '3'   〃The   self…aggrandisement。〃         Soc。   But   perhaps   you   will   say   that
  there  is   no   people  more  jealous   of   honour or   haughtier  in spirit。'4' And
  these feelings are no weak spurs to quicken even a dull spirit to hazard all
  for glory's sake and fatherland。
  '4' Reading {megalophronestatoi}; after Cobet。 See 〃Hipparch;〃 vii。 3;
  or if as vulg。 {philophronestatoi}; transl。 〃more affable。〃
  Per。 Nor is there much fault to find with Athenians in these respects。
  Soc。 And   if   we   turn   to   consider   the   fair   deeds   of   ancestry;'5'   to   no
  people     besides     ourselves     belongs    so   rich   a   heritage    of   stimulating
  memories;       whereby     so   many     of  us   are  stirred   to  pursue    virtue   with
  devotion   and   to   show   ourselves   in   our   turn   also   men   of   valour   like   our
  sires。
  '5'  See Wesley's   anthem;   Eccles。   xliv。   1;   〃Let   us   now   praise   famous
  men and our fathers that begat us。〃
  Per。 All that you say; Socrates; is most true; but do you observe that
  ever    since   the   disaster   of   the  thousand     under    Tolmides      at  Lebadeia;
  coupled with that under Hippocrates at Delium;'6' the prestige of Athens
  by comparison with the Boeotians has been lowered; whilst the spirit of
  Thebes as against Athens had been correspondingly exalted; so that those
  Boeotians who in old days did not venture to give battle to the Athenians
  even   in   their   own   territory  unless they  had   the   Lacedaemonians   and   the
  rest of the Peloponnesians to help them; do nowadays threaten to make an
  incursion   into Attica   single…handed;   and   the Athenians;   who   formerly;   if
  they had to deal with the Boeotians'7' only; made havoc of their territory;
  are now afraid the Boeotians may some day harry Attica。
  '6'    Lebadeia;      447    B。C。;   Delium;      424    B。C。    For    Tolmides     and
  Hippocrates            see Thuc。 i。 113; iv。 100 foll。; Grote; 〃H。 G。〃 v。 471; vi。
  533。
  '7'   Reading   {ote   B。   monoi};   al。   {ou   monoi};   〃when   the   Boeotians
  were          not unaided。〃
  To which Socrates: Yes; I perceive that this is so; but it seems to me
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  that the state was never more tractably disposed; never so ripe for a really
  good leader; as to…day。 For if boldness be the parent of carelessness; laxity;
  and insubordination; it is the part of fear to make people more disposed to
  application;     obedience;     and   good    order。   A   proof    of  which    you    may
  discover in the behaviour of people on ship… board。 It is in seasons of calm
  weather when there is nothing to fear that disorder may be said to reign;
  but as soon as there is apprehension of a storm; or an enemy in sight; the
  scene changes; not only is each word of command obeyed; but there is a
  hush of silent expectation; the mariners wait to catch the next signal like
  an orchestra with eyes upon the leader。
  Per。 But indeed; given that now is the opportunity to take obedience at
  the flood; it is high time also to explain by what means we are to rekindle
  in the hearts of our countrymen'8' the old firesthe passionate longing for
  antique valour; for the glory and the wellbeing of the days of old。
  '8'   Reading      {anerasthenai};     Schneider's     emendation       of  the   vulg。
  {aneristhenai}。
  Well (proceeded Socrates); supposing we wished them to lay claim to
  certain material wealth now held by others; we could not better stimulate
  them to lay hands on the objects coveted than by showing them that these
  were ancestral possessions'9' to which they had a natural right。 But since
  our object is that they should set their hearts on virtuous pre…eminence; we
  must   prove   to   them   that   such   headship   combined   with   virtue   is   an   old
  time…honoured heritage which pertains to them beyond all others; and that
  if they strive earnestly after it they will soon out…top the world。
  '9'   Cf。   Solon   in   the   matter   of   Salamis;   Plut。   〃Sol。〃   8;   Bergk。   〃Poet。
  Lyr。 Gr。 Solon;〃 SALAMIS; i。 2; 3。
  Por。 How are we to inculcate this lesson?
  Soc。   I   think   by   reminding   them   of   a   fact   already   registered   in   their
  minds;'10' that the oldest of our ancestors whose names are known to us
  were also the bravest of heroes。
  '10' Or; 〃to which their ears are already opened。〃
  Per。 I suppose you refer to that judgment of the gods which; for their
  virtue's sake; Cecrops and his followers were called on to decide?'11'
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  '11' See Apollodorus; iii。 14。
  Soc。 Yes; I refer to that and to the birth and rearing of Erectheus;'12'
  and also to the war'13' which in his days was waged to stay the tide of
  invasion   from   the   whole   adjoining   continent;   and   that   other   war   in   the
  days of the Heraclidae'14' against the men of Peloponnese; and that series
  of battles fought in the days of Theseus'15'in all which the virtuous pre…
  eminence   of   our   ancestry   above   the   men   of   their   own   times   was   made
  manifest。 Or; if you please; we may come down to things of a later date;
  which their descendants and the heroes of days not so long anterior to our
  own wrought in the struggle with the lords of Asia;'16' nay of Europe also;
  as far as Macedonia: a people possessing a power and means of attack far
  exceeding   any   who   had   gone   beforewho;   moreover;   had   accomplished
  the   doughtiest   deeds。   These      things   the   men   of   Athens    wrought    partly
  single…handed;'17' and partly as sharers with the Peloponnesians in laurels
  won   by   land   and   sea。   Heroes   were   these   men   al