gorgias-第6部分

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ates？　　　Soc。　That　may　very　well　be；　inasmuch　as　doing　injustice　is　the　greatest　of　evils。　　　Pol。　But　is　it　the　greatest？　Is　not　suffering　injustice　a　greater　evil？　　　Soc。　Certainly　not。　　　Pol。　Then　would　you　rather　suffer　than　do　injustice？　　　Soc。　I　should　not　like　either；　but　if　I　must　choose　between　them；　I　would　rather　suffer　than　do。　　　Pol。　Then　you　would　not　wish　to　be　a　tyrant？　　　Soc。　Not　if　you　mean　by　tyranny　what　I　mean。　　　Pol。　I　mean；　as　I　said　before；　the　power　of　doing　whatever　seems　good　to　you　in　a　state；　killing；　banishing；　doing　in　all　things　as　you　like。　　　Soc。　Well　then；　illustrious　friend；　when　I　have　said　my　say；　do　you　reply　to　me。　Suppose　that　I　go　into　a　crowded　Agora；　and　take　a　dagger　under　my　arm。　Polus；　I　say　to　you；　I　have　just　acquired　rare　power；　and　become　a　tyrant；　for　if　I　think　that　any　of　these　men　whom　you　see　ought　to　be　put　to　death；　the　man　whom　I　have　a　mind　to　kill　is　as　good　as　dead；　and　if　I　am　disposed　to　break　his　head　or　tear　his　garment；　he　will　have　his　head　broken　or　his　garment　torn　in　an　instant。　Such　is　my　great　power　in　this　city。　And　if　you　do　not　believe　me；　and　I　show　you　the　dagger；　you　would　probably　reply：　Socrates；　in　that　sort　of　way　any　one　may　have　great　power…he　may　burn　any　house　which　he　pleases；　and　the　docks　and　triremes　of　the　Athenians；　and　all　their　other　vessels；　whether　public　or　private…but　can　you　believe　that　this　mere　doing　as　you　think　best　is　great　power？　　　Pol。　Certainly　not　such　doing　as　this。　　　Soc。　But　can　you　tell　me　why　you　disapprove　of　such　a　power？　　　Pol。　I　can。　　　Soc。　Why　then？　　　Pol。　Why；　because　he　who　did　as　you　say　would　be　certain　to　be　punished。　　　Soc。　And　punishment　is　an　evil？　　　Pol。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　And　you　would　admit　once　more；　my　good　sir；　that　great　power　is　a　benefit　to　a　man　if　his　actions　turn　out　to　his　advantage；　and　that　this　is　the　meaning　of　great　power；　and　if　not；　then　his　power　is　an　evil　and　is　no　power。　But　let　us　look　at　the　matter　in　another　way　do　we　not　acknowledge　that　the　things　of　which　we　were　speaking；　the　infliction　of　death；　and　exile；　and　the　deprivation　of　property　are　sometimes　a　good　and　sometimes　not　a　good？　　　Pol。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　About　that　you　and　I　may　be　supposed　to　agree？　　　Pol。　Yes。　　　Soc。　Tell　me；　then；　when　do　you　say　that　they　are　good　and　when　that　they　are　evil…what　principle　do　you　lay　down？　　　Pol。　I　would　rather；　Socrates；　that　you　should　answer　as　well　as　ask　that　question。　　　Soc。　Well；　Polus；　since　you　would　rather　have　the　answer　from　me；　I　say　that　they　are　good　when　they　are　just；　and　evil　when　they　are　unjust。　　　Pol。　You　are　hard　of　refutation；　Socrates；　but　might　not　a　child　refute　that　statement？　　　Soc。　Then　I　shall　be　very　grateful　to　the　child；　and　equally　grateful　to　you　if　you　will　refute　me　and　deliver　me　from　my　foolishness。　And　I　hope　that　refute　me　you　will；　and　not　weary　of　doing　good　to　a　friend。　　　Pol。　Yes；　Socrates；　and　I　need　not　go　far　or　appeal　to　antiquity；　events　which　happened　only　a　few　days　ago　are　enough　to　refute　you；　and　to　prove　that　many　men　who　do　wrong　are　happy。　　　Soc。　What　events？　　　Pol。　You　see；　I　presume；　that　Archelaus　the　son　of　Perdiccas　is　now　the　ruler　of　Macedonia？　　　Soc。　At　any　rate　I　hear　that　he　is。　　　Pol。　And　do　you　think　that　he　is　happy　or　miserable？　　　Soc。　I　cannot　say；　Polus；　for　I　have　never　had　any　acquaintance　with　him。　　　Pol。　And　cannot　you　tell　at　once；　and　without　having　an　acquaintance　with　him；　whether　a　man　is　happy？　　　Soc。　Most　certainly　not。　　　Pol。　Then　clearly；　Socrates；　you　would　say　that　you　did　not　even　know　whether　the　great　king　was　a　happy　man？　　　Soc。　And　I　should　speak　the　truth；　for　I　do　not　know　how　he　stands　in　the　matter　of　education　and　justice。　　　Pol。　What！　and　does　all　happiness　consist　in　this？　　　Soc。　Yes；　indeed；　Polus；　that　is　my　doctrine；　the　men　and　women　who　are　gentle　and　good　are　also　happy；　as　I　maintain；　and　the　unjust　and　evil　are　miserable。　　　Pol。　Then；　according　to　your　doctrine；　the　said　Archelaus　is　miserable？　　　Soc。　Yes；　my　friend；　if　he　is　wicked。　　　Pol。　That　he　is　wicked　I　cannot　deny；　for　he　had　no　title　at　all　to　the　throne　which　he　now　occupies；　he　being　only　the　son　of　a　woman　who　was　the　slave　of　Alcetas　the　brother　of　Perdiccas；　he　himself　therefore　in　strict　right　was　the　slave　of　Alcetas；　and　if　he　had　meant　to　do　rightly　he　would　have　remained　his　slave；　and　then；　according　to　your　doctrine；　he　would　have　been　happy。　But　now　he　is　unspeakably　miserable；　for　he　has　been　guilty　of　the　greatest　crimes：　in　the　first　place　he　invited　his　uncle　and　master；　Alcetas；　to　come　to　him；　under　the　pretence　that　he　would　restore　to　him　the　throne　which　Perdiccas　has　usurped；　and　after　entertaining　him　and　his　son　Alexander；　who　was　his　own　cousin；　and　nearly　of　an　age　with　him；　and　making　them　drunk；　he　threw　them　into　a　waggon　and　carried　them　off　by　night；　and　slew　them；　and　got　both　of　them　out　of　the　way；　and　when　he　had　done　all　this　wickedness　he　never　discovered　that　he　was　the　most　miserable　of　all　men；　was　very　far　from　repenting：　shall　I　tell　you　how　he　showed　his　remorse？　he　had　a　younger　brother；　a　child　of　seven　years　old；　who　was　the　legitimate　son　of　Perdiccas；　and　to　him　of　right　the　kingdom　belonged；　Archelaus；　however；　had　no　mind　to　bring　him　up　as　he　ought　and　restore　the　kingdom　to　him；　that　was　not　his　notion　of　happiness；　but　not　long　afterwards　he　threw　him　into　a　well　and　drowned　him；　and　declared　to　his　mother　Cleopatra　that　he　had　fallen　in　while　running　after　a　goose；　and　had　been　killed。　And　now　as　he　is　the　greatest　criminal　of　all　the　Macedonians；　he　may　be　supposed　to　be　the　most　miserable　and　not　the　happiest　of　them；　and　I　dare　say　that　there　are　many　Athenians；　and　you　would　be　at　the　head　of　them；　who　would　rather　be　any　other　Macedonian　than　Archelaus！　　　Soc。　I　praised　you　at　first；　Polus；　for　being　a　rhetorician　rather　than　a　reasoner。　And　this；　as　I　suppose；　is　the　sort　of　argument　with　which　you　fancy　that　a　child　might　refute　me；　and　by　which　I　stand　refuted　when　I　say　that　the　unjust　man　is　not　happy。　But；　my　good　friend；　where　is　the　refutation？　I　cannot　admit　a　word　which　you　have　been　saying。　　　Pol。　That　is　because　you　will　not；　for　you　surely　must　think　as　I　do。　　　Soc。　Not　so；　my　simple　friend；　but　because　you　will　refute　me　after　the　manner　which　rhetoricians　practise　in　courts　of　law。　For　there　the　one　party　think　that　they　refute　the　other　when　they　bring　forward　a　number　of　witnesses　of　good　repute　in　proof　of　their　allegations；　and　their　adversary　has　only　a　single　one　or　none　at　all。　But　this　kind　of　proof　is　of　no　value　where　truth　is　the　aim；　a　man　may　often　be　sworn　down　by　a　multitude　of　false　witnesses　who　have　a　great　air　of　respectability。　And　in　this　argument　nearly　every　one；　Athenian　and　stranger　alike；　would　be　on　your　side；　if　you　should　bring　witnesses　in　disproof　of　my　statement…you　may；　if　you　will；　summon　Nicias　the　son　of　Niceratus；　and　let　his　brothers；　who　gave　the　row　of　tripods　which　stand　in　the　precincts　of　Dionysus；　come　with　him；　or　you　may　summon　Aristocrates；　the　son　of　Scellius；　who　is　the　giver　of　that　famous　offering　which　is　at　Delphi；　summon；　if　you　will；　the　whole　house　of　Pericles；　or　any　other　great　Athenian　family　whom　you　choose…they　will　all　agree　with　you：　I　only　am　left　alone　and　cannot　agree；　for　you　do　not　convince　me；　although　you　produce　many　false　witnesses　against　me；　in　the　hope　of　depriving　me　of　my　inheritance；　which　is　the　truth。　But　I　consider　that　nothing　worth　speaking　of　will　have　been　effected　by　me　unless　I　make　you　the　one　witness　of　my　words；　nor　by　you；　unless　you　make　me　the　one　witness　of　yours；　no　matter　about　the　rest　of　the　world。　For　there　are　two　ways　of　refutation；　one　which　is　yours　and　that　of　the　world　in　general；　but　mine　is　of　another　sort…let　us　compare　them；　and　see　in　what　they　differ。　For；　indeed；　we　are　at　issue　about　matters　which　to　know　is　honourable　and　not　to　know　disgraceful；　to　know　or　not　to　know　happiness　and　misery…that　is　the　chief　of　them。　And　what　knowledge　can　be　nobler？　or　what　ignorance　more　disgraceful　than　this？　And　therefore　I　will　begin　by　asking　you　whether　you　do　not　think　that　a　man　who　is　unjust　and　doing　injustice　can　be　happy；　seeing　that　you　think　Archelaus　unjust；　and　yet　happy？　May　I　assume　this　to　be　your　opinion？　　　Pol。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　But　I　say　that　this　is　an　impossibility…here　is　one　point　about　which　we　are　at　issue：…very　good。　And　do　you　mean　to　say　also　that　if　he　meets　with　retribution　and　punishment　he　will　still　be　happy？　　　Pol。　Certainly　not；　in　that　case　he　will　be　most　miserable。　　　Soc。　On　the　other　hand；　if　the　unjust　be　not　punished；　then；　according　to　you；　he　will　be　happy？　　　Pol。　Yes。　　　Soc。　But　in　my　opinion；　Polus；　the　unjust　or　doer　of　unjust　actions　is　miserable　in　any　case；…more　miserable；　however；　if　he　be　not　punished　and　does　not　meet　with　retribution；　and　less　miserable　if　he　be　punished　and　meets　with　retribution　at　the　hands　of　gods　and　men。　　　Pol。　You　are　maintaining　a　strange　doctrine；　Socrates。　　　Soc。　I　shall　try　to　make　you　agree　with　me；　O　my　friend；　for　as　a　friend　I　regard　you。　Then　these　are　the　points　at　issue　between　us…are　they　not？　I　was　saying　that　to　do　is　worse　than　to　suffer　injustice？　　　Pol。　Exactly　so。　　　Soc。　And　you　said　the　opposite？　　　Pol。　Yes。　　　Soc。　I　said　also　that　the　wicked　are　miserable；　and　you　refuted　me？　　　Pol。　By　Zeus；　I　did。　　　Soc。　In　your　own　opinion；　Polus。　　　Pol。　Yes；　and　I　rather　suspect　that　I　was　in　the　right。　　　Soc。　You　further　said　that　the　wrong…doer　is　happy　if　he　be　unpunished？　　　Pol。　Certainly。　　　Soc。　And　I　affirm　that　he　is　most　miserable；　and　that　those　who　are　punished　are　less　miserable…are　you　going　to　refute　this　proposition　also？　　　Pol。　A　proposition　which　is　harder　of　refutation　than　the　other；　Socrates。　　　Soc。　Say　rather；　Polus；　impossible；　for　who　can　refute　the　truth？　　　Pol。　What　do　you　mean？　If　a　man　is　detected　in　an　unjust　attempt　to　make　himself　a　tyrant；　and　when　detected　is　racked；　mutilated；　has　his　eyes　burned　out；　and　after　having　had　all　sorts　of　great　injuries　inflicted　on　him；　and　having　seen　his　wife　and　children　suffer　the　like；　is　at　last　impaled　or　tarred　and　burned　alive；　will　he　be　happier　than　if　he　escape　and　become　a　tyrant；　and　continue　all　throug