lesser hippias-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Achilles　to　be　the　bravest；　Odysseus　the　wisest　of　the　Greeks。　　But　he　is

easily　overthrown　by　the　superior　dialectics　of　Socrates；　who　pretends　to

show　that　Achilles　is　not　true　to　his　word；　and　that　no　similar

inconsistency　is　to　be　found　in　Odysseus。　　Hippias　replies　that　Achilles

unintentionally；　but　Odysseus　intentionally；　speaks　falsehood。　　But　is　it

better　to　do　wrong　intentionally　or　unintentionally？　　Socrates；　relying　on

the　analogy　of　the　arts；　maintains　the　former；　Hippias　the　latter　of　the

two　alternatives。。。All　this　is　quite　conceived　in　the　spirit　of　Plato；　who

is　very　far　from　making　Socrates　always　argue　on　the　side　of　truth。　　The

over…reasoning　on　Homer；　which　is　of　course　satirical；　is　also　in　the

spirit　of　Plato。　　Poetry　turned　logic　is　even　more　ridiculous　than

'rhetoric　turned　logic；'　and　equally　fallacious。　　There　were　reasoners　in

ancient　as　well　as　in　modern　times；　who　could　never　receive　the　natural

impression　of　Homer；　or　of　any　other　book　which　they　read。　　The　argument　of

Socrates；　in　which　he　picks　out　the　apparent　inconsistencies　and

discrepancies　in　the　speech　and　actions　of　Achilles；　and　the　final　paradox；

'that　he　who　is　true　is　also　false；'　remind　us　of　the　interpretation　by

Socrates　of　Simonides　in　the　Protagoras；　and　of　similar　reasonings　in　the

first　book　of　the　Republic。　　The　discrepancies　which　Socrates　discovers　in

the　words　of　Achilles　are　perhaps　as　great　as　those　discovered　by　some　of

the　modern　separatists　of　the　Homeric　poems。。。



At　last；　Socrates　having　caught　Hippias　in　the　toils　of　the　voluntary　and

involuntary；　is　obliged　to　confess　that　he　is　wandering　about　in　the　same

labyrinth；　he　makes　the　reflection　on　himself　which　others　would　make　upon

him　（compare　Protagoras）。　　He　does　not　wonder　that　he　should　be　in　a

difficulty；　but　he　wonders　at　Hippias；　and　he　becomes　sensible　of　the

gravity　of　the　situation；　when　ordinary　men　like　himself　can　no　longer　go

to　the　wise　and　be　taught　by　them。



It　may　be　remarked　as　bearing　on　the　genuineness　of　this　dialogue：　　（1）

that　the　manners　of　the　speakers　are　less　subtle　and　refined　than　in　the

other　dialogues　of　Plato；　（2）　that　the　sophistry　of　Socrates　is　more

palpable　and　unblushing；　and　also　more　unmeaning；　（3）　that　many　turns　of

thought　and　style　are　found　in　it　which　appear　also　in　the　other

dialogues：whether　resemblances　of　this　kind　tell　in　favour　of　or　against

the　genuineness　of　an　ancient　writing；　is　an　important　question　which　will

have　to　be　answered　differently　in　different　cases。　　For　that　a　writer　may

repeat　himself　is　as　true　as　that　a　forger　may　imitate；　and　Plato

elsewhere；　either　of　set　purpose　or　from　forgetfulness；　is　full　of

repetitions。　　The　parallelisms　of　the　Lesser　Hippias；　as　already　remarked；

are　not　of　the　kind　which　necessarily　imply　that　the　dialogue　is　the　work

of　a　forger。　　The　parallelisms　of　the　Greater　Hippias　with　the　other

dialogues；　and　the　allusion　to　the　Lesser　（where　Hippias　sketches　the

programme　of　his　next　lecture；　and　invites　Socrates　to　attend　and　bring　any

friends　with　him　who　may　be　competent　judges）；　are　more　than　suspicious：

they　are　of　a　very　poor　sort；　such　as　we　cannot　suppose　to　have　been　due　to

Plato　himself。　　The　Greater　Hippias　more　resembles　the　Euthydemus　than　any

other　dialogue；　but　is　immeasurably　inferior　to　it。　　The　Lesser　Hippias

seems　to　have　more　merit　than　the　Greater；　and　to　be　more　Platonic　in

spirit。　　The　character　of　Hippias　is　the　same　in　both　dialogues；　but　his

vanity　and　boasting　are　even　more　exaggerated　in　the　Greater　Hippias。　　His

art　of　memory　is　specially　mentioned　in　both。　　He　is　an　inferior　type　of

the　same　species　as　Hippodamus　of　Miletus　（Arist。　Pol。）。　　Some　passages　in

which　the　Lesser　Hippias　may　be　advantageously　compared　with　the

undoubtedly　genuine　dialogues　of　Plato　are　the　following：Less。　Hipp。：　

compare　Republic　（Socrates'　cunning　in　argument）：　　compare　Laches

（Socrates'　feeling　about　arguments）：　　compare　Republic　（Socrates　not

unthankful）：　　compare　Republic　（Socrates　dishonest　in　argument）。



The　Lesser　Hippias；　though　inferior　to　the　other　dialogues；　may　be

reasonably　believed　to　have　been　written　by　Plato；　on　the　ground　（1）　of

considerable　excellence；　（2）　of　uniform　tradition　beginning　with　Aristotle

and　his　school。　　That　the　dialogue　falls　below　the　standard　of　Plato's

other　works；　or　that　he　has　attributed　to　Socrates　an　unmeaning　paradox

（perhaps　with　the　view　of　showing　that　he　could　beat　the　Sophists　at　their

own　weapons；　or　that　he　could　'make　the　worse　appear　the　better　cause'；　or

merely　as　a　dialectical　experiment）are　not　sufficient　reasons　for

doubting　the　genuineness　of　the　work。





LESSER　HIPPIAS　



by



Plato　（see　Appendix　I　above）



Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett。





PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Eudicus；　Socrates；　Hippias。





EUDICUS：　　Why　are　you　silent；　Socrates；　after　the　magnificent　display　which

Hippias　has　been　making？　　Why　do　you　not　either　refute　his　words；　if　he

seems　to　you　to　have　been　wrong　in　any　point；　or　join　with　us　in　commending

him？　　There　is　the　more　reason　why　you　should　speak；　because　we　are　now

alone；　and　the　audience　is　confined　to　those　who　may　fairly　claim　to　take

part　in　a　philosophical　discussion。



SOCRATES：　　I　should　greatly　like；　Eudicus；　to　ask　Hippias　the　meaning　of

what　he　was　saying　just　now　about　Homer。　　I　have　heard　your　father；

Apemantus；　declare　that　the　Iliad　of　Homer　is　a　finer　poem　than　the　Odyssey

in　the　same　degree　that　Achilles　was　a　better　man　than　Odysseus；　Odysseus；

he　would　say；　is　the　central　figure　of　the　one　poem　and　Achilles　of　the

other。　　Now；　I　should　like　to　know；　if　Hippias　has　no　objection　to　tell　me；

what　he　thinks　about　these　two　heroes；　and　which　of　them　he　maintains　to　be

the　better；　he　has　already　told　us　in　the　course　of　his　exhibition　many

things　of　various　kinds　about　Homer　and　divers　other　poets。



EUDICUS：　　I　am　sure　that　Hippias　will　be　delighted　to　answer　anything　which

you　would　like　to　ask；　tell　me；　Hippias；　if　Socrates　asks　you　a　question；

will　you　answer　him？



HIPPIAS：　　Indeed；　Eudicus；　I　should　be　strangely　inconsistent　if　I　refused

to　answer　Socrates；　when　at　each　Olympic　festival；　as　I　went　up　from　my

house　at　Elis　to　the　temple　of　Olympia；　where　all　the　Hellenes　were

assembled；　I　continually　professed　my　willingness　to　perform　any　of　the

exhibitions　which　I　had　prepared；　and　to　answer　any　questions　which　any　one

had　to　ask。



SOCRATES：　　Truly；　Hippias；　you　are　to　be　congratulated；　if　at　every　Olympic

festival　you　have　such　an　encouraging　opinion　of　your　own　wisdom　when　you

go　up　to　the　temple。　　I　doubt　whether　any　muscular　hero　would　be　so

fearless　and　confident　in　offering　his　body　to　the　combat　at　Olympia；　as

you　are　in　offering　your　mind。



HIPPIAS：　　And　with　good　reason；　Socrates；　for　since　the　day　when　I　first

entered　the　lists　at　Olympia　I　have　never　found　any　man　who　was　my　superior

in　anything。　　（Compare　Gorgias。）



SOCRATES：　　What　an　ornament；　Hippias；　will　the　reputation　of　your　wisdom　be

to　the　city　of　Elis　and　to　your　parents！　　But　to　return：　　what　say　you　of

Odysseus　and　Achilles？　　Which　is　the　better　of　the　two？　and　in　what

particular　does　either　surpass　the　other？　　For　when　you　were　exhibiting　and

there　was　company　in　the　room；　though　I　could　not　follow　you；　I　did　not

like　to　ask　what　you　meant；　because　a　crowd　of　people　were　present；　and　I

was　afraid　that　the　question　might　interrupt　your　exhibition。　　But　now　that

there　are　not　so　many　of　us；　and　my　friend　Eudicus　bids　me　ask；　I　wish　you

would　tell　me　what　you　were　saying　about　these　two　heroes；　so　that　I　may

clearly　understand；　how　did　you　distinguish　them？



HIPPIAS：　　I　shall　have　much　pleasure；　Socrates；　in　explaining　to　you　more

clearly　than　I　could　in　public　my　views　about　these　and　also　about　other

heroes。　　I　say　that　Homer　intended　Achilles　to　be　the　bravest　of　the　men

who　went　to　Troy；　Nestor　the　wisest；　and　Odyss