the memorabilia-第31部分

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It　is；　in　my　opinion　（he　replied）。

Soc。　Then　we　must　in　every　way　strain　every　nerve　to　avoid　the
imputation　of　being　slaves？

Euth。　Nay；　Socrates；　by　all　that　is　holy；　I　did　flatter　myself　that　at
any　rate　I　was　a　student　of　philosophy；　and　on　the　right　road　to　be
taught　everything　essential　to　one　who　would　fain　make　beauty　and
goodness　his　pursuit。＇41＇　So　that　now　you　may　well　imagine　my　despair
when；　for　all　my　pains　expended；　I　cannot　even　answer　the　questions
put　to　me　about　what　most　of　all　a　man　should　know；　and　there　is　no
path　of　progress　open　to　me；　no　avenue　of　improvement　left。

＇41＇　｛tes　kalokagathias｝；　the　virtue　of　the　｛kalos　te　kagathos｝
　　　　nobility　of　soul。　Cf。　above；　I。　vi。　14。

Thereupon　Socrates：　Tell　me；　Euthydemus；　have　you　ever　been　to　Delphi？

Yes；　certainly；　twice　（said　he）。

Soc。　And　did　you　notice　an　inscription　somewhere　on　the　temple：　｛GNOMI
　　　　SEAUTON｝KNOW　THYSELF？

Euth。　I　did。

Soc。　Did　you；　possibly；　pay　no　regard　to　the　inscription？　or　did　you
give　it　heed　and　try　to　discover　who　and　what　you　were？

I　can　safely　say　I　did　not　（he　answered）。　That　much　I　made　quite　sure
I　knew；　at　any　rate；　since　if　I　did　not　know　even　myself；　what　in　the
world　did　I　know？

Soc。　Can　a　man　be　said；　do　you　think；　to　know　himself　who　knows　his
own　name　and　nothing　more？　or　must　he　not　rather　set　to　work　precisely
like　the　would…be　purchaser　of　a　horse；　who　certainly　does　not　think
that　he　has　got　the　knowledge　he　requires　until　he　has　discovered
whether　the　beast　is　tractable　or　stubborn；　strong　or　weak；　quick　or
slow；　and　how　it　stands　with　the　other　points；　serviceable　or　the
reverse；　in　reference　to　the　use　and　purpose　of　a　horse？　So；　I　say；
must　a　man　in　like　manner　interrogate　his　own　nature　in　reference　to　a
man's　requirements；　and　learn　to　know　his　own　capacities；　must　he　not？

Euth。　Yes；　so　it　strikes　me：　he　who　knows　not　his　own　ability　knows
not　himself。

Soc。　And　this　too　is　plain；　is　it　not：　that　through　self…knowledge　men
meet　with　countless　blessings；　and　through　ignorance　of　themselves
with　many　evils？　Because；　the　man　who　knows　himself　knows　what　is
advantageous　to　himself；　he　discerns　the　limits　of　his　powers；　and　by
doing　what　he　knows；　he　provides　himself　with　what　he　needs　and　so
does　well；　or；　conversely；　by　holding　aloof　from　what　he　knows　not；　he
avoids　mistakes　and　thereby　mishaps。　And　having　now　a　test　to　gauge
other　human　beings　he　uses　their　need　as　a　stepping…stone　to　provide
himself　with　good　and　to　avoid　evil。　Whereas　he　who　does　not　know
himself；　but　is　mistaken　as　to　his　own　capacity；　is　in　like
predicament　to　the　rest　of　mankind　and　all　human　matters　else；　he
neither　knows　what　he　wants；　nor　what　he　is　doing；　nor　the　people　whom
he　deals　with；　and　being　all　abroad　in　these　respects；　he　misses　what
is　good　and　becomes　involved　in　what　is　ill。

Again；　he　that　knows　what　he　is　doing　through　the　success　of　his
performance　attains　to　fame　and　honour；　his　peers　and　co…mates　are
glad　to　make　use　of　him；　whilst　his　less　successful　neighbours；
failing　in　their　affairs；　are　anxious　to　secure　his　advice；　his
guidance；　his　protection；＇42＇　they　place　their　hopes　of　happiness　in
him；　and　for　all　these　causes＇43＇　single　him　out　as　the　chief　object
of　their　affection。　He；　on　the　contrary；　who　knows　not　what　he　does；
who　chooses　amiss　and　fails　in　what　he　puts　his　hands　to；　not　only
incurs　loss　and　suffers　chastisement　through　his　blunders；　but　step　by
step　loses　reputation　and　becomes　a　laughing…stock；　and　in　the　end　is
doomed　to　a　life　of　dishonour　and　contempt。

＇42＇　Cf。　Dante；　〃Tu　duca；　tu　maestro；　tu　signore。〃

＇43＇　Reading；　｛dia　panta　tauta｝；　or　if　｛dia　tauta｝；　translate　〃and
　　　　therefore。〃

What　is　true　of　individuals　is　true　also　of　communities。＇44＇　That
state　which　in　ignorance　of　its　power　goes　to　war　with　a　stronger　than
itself　ends　by　being　uprooted　or　else　reduced　to　slavery。

＇44＇　Or；　more　lit。　〃A　law　which　applies；　you　will　observe；　to　bodies
　　　　politic。〃

Thereupon　Euthydemus：　Be　assured　I　fully　concur　in　your　opinion；　the
precept　KNOW　THYSELF　cannot　be　too　highly　valued；　but　what　is　the
application？　What　the　starting…point　of　self…examination？　I　look　to
you　for　an　explanation；　if　you　would　kindly　give　one。＇45＇

＇45＇　Or；　〃at　what　point　to　commence　the　process　of　self…inspection？
　　　　there　is　the　mystery。　I　look　to　you；　if　you　are　willing；　to
　　　　interpret　it。〃

Well　（replied　Socrates）；　I　presume　you　know　quite　well　the　distinction
between　good　and　bad　things：　your　knowledge　may　be　relied　upon　so　far？

Why；　yes；　to　be　sure　（replied　the　youth）；　for　without　that　much
discernment　I　should　indeed　be　worse　than　any　slave。＇46＇

＇46＇　Lit。　〃if　I　did　not　know　even　that。〃

Come　then　（said　he）；　do　you　give　me　an　explanation　of　the　things　so
termed。

That　is　fortunately　not　hard　（replied　the　youth）。　First　of　all；　health
in　itself　I　hold　to　be　a　good；　and　disease　in　itself　an　evil；　and　in
the　next　place　the　sources　of　either　of　those　aforenamed；　meats　and
drinks；　and　habits　of　life；＇47＇　I　regard　as　good　or　evil　according　as
they　contribute　either　to　health　or　to　disease。

＇47＇　Or；　〃pursuits　and　occupations〃；　〃manners　and　customs。〃

Soc。　Then　health　and　disease　themselves　when　they　prove　to　be　soruces
of　any　good　are　good；　but　when　of　any　evil；　evil？

And　when　（asked　he）；　can　health　be　a　source　of　evil；　or　disease　a
source　of　good？

Why；　bless　me！　often　enough　（replied　Socrates）。　In　the　event；　for
instance；　of　some　ill…starred　expedition　or　of　some　disastrous　voyage
or　other　incident　of　the　sort；　of　which　veritably　there　are　enough　to
sparewhen　those　who　owing　to　their　health　and　strength　take　a　part
in　the　affair　are　lost；　whilst　those　who　were　left　behindas　hors　de
combat；　on　account　of　ill…health　of　other　feeblenessare　saved。

Euth。　Yes；　you　are　right；　but　you　will　admit　that　there　are　advantages
to　be　got　from　strength　and　lost　through　weakness。

Soc。　Even　so；　but　ought　we　to　regard　those　things　which　at　one　moment
benefit　and　at　another　moment　injure　us　in　any　strict　sense　good
rather　than　evil？

Euth。　No；　certainly　not；　according　to　that　line　of　argument。　But
wisdom；＇48＇　Socrates；　you　must　on　your　side　admit；　is　irrefragably　a
good；　since　there　is　nothing　which　or　in　which　a　wise　man　would　not　do
better　than　a　fool。

＇48＇　See　above；　III。　ix。　5。　Here　｛sophia｝　is　not　=　｛sophrosune｝。

Soc。　What　say　you？　Have　you　never　heard　of　Daedalus；＇49＇　how　he　was
seized　by　Minos　on　account　of　his　wisdom；　and　forced　to　be　his　slave；
and　robbed　of　fatherland　and　freedom　at　one　swoop？　and　how；　while
endeavouring　to　make　his　escape　with　his　son；　he　caused　the　boy's
death　without　effecting　his　own　salvation；　but　was　carried　off　among
barbarians　and　again　enslaved？

＇49＇　See　Ovid。　〃Met。〃　viii。　159　foll。；　261　foll。；　Hygin。　〃Fab。〃　39；
　　　　40；　Diod。　Sic。　iv。　79；　Paus。　vii。　4。　6。

Yes；　I　know　the　old　story　（he　answered）。＇50＇

＇50＇　Or；　〃Ah　yes；　of　course；　the　tale　is　current。〃

Soc。　Or　have　you　not　heard　of　the　〃woes　of　Palamedes；〃＇51＇　that
commonest　theme　of　song；　how　for　his　wisdom's　sake　Odysseus　envied　him
and　slew　him？

＇51＇　See　Virg。　〃Aen。〃　ii。　90；　Hygin。　105；　Philostr。　〃Her。〃　x。

Euth。　That　tale　also　is　current。

Soc。　And　how　many　others；　pray；　do　you　suppose　have　been　seized　on
account　of　their　wisdom；　and　despatched　to　the　great　king　and　at　his
court　enslaved？＇52＇

＇52＇　Cf。　Herod。　iii。　129。

Well；　prosperity；　well…being＇53＇　（he　exclaimed）；　must　surely　be　a
blessing；　and　that　the　most　indisputable；　Socrates？

＇53＇　｛to　eudaimonein｝；　〃happiness。〃　Cf。　Herod。　i。　86。

It　might　be　so　（replied　the　philosopher）　if　it　chanced　not　to　be　in
itself　a　compound　of　other　questionable　blessings。

Euth。　And　which　among　the　components　of　happiness　and　well…being　can
possibly　be　questionable？

None　（he　retorted）；　unless　of　course　we　are　to　include　among　these
components　beauty；　or　strength；　or　wealth；　or　reputation；　or　anything
else　of　that　kind？

Euth。　By　heaven！　of　course　we　are　to　include　these；　for　what　would
happiness　be　without　these？

Soc。　By　heaven！　yes；　only　then　we　shall　be　including　the　commonest
sources　of　mischief　which　befall　mankind。　How　many　are　ruined　by　their
fair　faces　at　the　hand　of　admireres　driven　to　distraction＇54＇　by　the
sight　of　beauty　in　its　bloom！　how　many；　tempted　by　their　strength　to
essay　deeds　beyond　their　power；　are　involved　in　no　small　evils！　how
many；　rendered　effeminate　by　reason　of　their　wealth；　have　been　plotted
against　and　destroyed！＇55＇　how　many　through　fame　and　political　power
have　suffered　a　world　of　woe！

＇54＇　Cf。　Plat。　〃Rep。〃　vii。　517　D；　〃Phaedr。〃　249　D。

＇55＇　e。g。　Alcibiades。

Well　（the　youth　replied）　if　I　am　not　even　right　in　praising　happiness；
I　must　confess　I　know　not　for　what　one　ought　to　supplicate　the　gods　in
prayer。＇56＇

＇56＇　See　above　for　Socrates'　own　form　of　supplication。

Nay；　these　are　matters　（proceeded　Socrates）　which　perhaps；　through
excessive　confidence　in　your　knowledge　of　them；　you　have　failed　to
examine　into；　but　since　the　state；　which　you　are　preparing　yourself　to
direct；　is　democratically　constituted；＇57＇　of　course　you　know　what　a
democracy　is。

＇57＇　Or；　〃popularly　governed。〃

Euth。　I　presume　I　do；　decidedly。

Soc。　Well；　now；　is　it　possible　to　know　what　a　popular　state　is　without
knowing　who　the　people　are？

Euth。　Certainly　not。

Soc。　And　whom　do　you　consider　to　be　the　people？

Euth。　The　poor　citizens；　I　should　say。

Soc。　Then　you　know　who　the　poor　are；　of　course？

Euth。　Of　course　I　do。

Soc。　I　presume　you　also　know　who　the　rich　are？

Euth。　As　certainly　as　I　know　who　are　the　poor。

Soc。　Whom　do　you　understand　by　poor　and　rich？

Euth。　By　poor　I　mean　those　who　have　not　enough　to　pay　for　their
necessaries；＇58＇　and　by　rich　those　who　have　more　means　than　sufficient
for　all　their　needs。

＇58＇　Al。　〃who　cannot　contribute　their　necessary　quota　to　the　taxes
　　　　（according　to　the　census）。〃

Soc。　Have　you　noticed　that　some　who　possess　a　mere　pittance　not　only
find　this　sufficient；　but　actually　succeed　in　getting　a　surplus　out　of
it；　while　others　do　not　find　a　large　fortune　large　enough？

I　have；　most　certainly；　and　I　thank　you　for　the　reminder