the memorabilia-第33章
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secret of true love I am sure you know： not to love softly merely； but
devotedly。＇14＇ And of this too I am sure： you can convince your lovers
of your fondness for them not by lip phrases； but by acts of love。
＇11＇ Or； 〃right well woven。〃
＇12＇ Lit。 〃by which you understand。〃
＇13＇ Or； 〃with what smiles to lie in wait for （cf。 'Cyrop。' II。 iv。
20； Herod。 vi。 104） the devoted admirer； and how to banish from
your presence the voluptary。〃
＇14＇ Or； 〃that it should be simply soft； but full of tender goodwill。〃
Theod。 No； upon my word； I have none of these devices。
Soc。 And yet it makes all the difference whether you approach a human
being in the natural and true way； since it is not by force certainly
that you can either catch or keep a friend。 Kindness and pleasure are
the only means to capture this fearful wild…fowl man and keep him
constant。
Theod。 You are right。
Soc。 In the first place you must make such demands only of your well…
wisher as he can grant without repentance； and in the next place you
must make requital； dispensing your favours with a like economy。 Thus
you will best make friends whose love shall last the longest and their
generosity know no stint。＇15＇ And for your favours you will best win
your friends if you suit your largess to their penury； for； mark you；
the sweetest viands presented to a man before he wants them are apt to
prove insipid； or； to one already sated； even nauseous； but create
hunger； and even coarser stuff seems honey…sweet。
＇15＇ Or； 〃This is the right road to friendshippermanent and open…
handed friendship。〃
Theod。 How then shall I create this hunger in the heart of my friends？
Soc。 In the first place you must not offer or make suggestion of your
dainties to jaded appetites until satiety has ceased and starvation
cries for alms。 Even then shall you make but a faint suggestion to
their want； with modest converselike one who would fain bestow a
kindness 。 。 。 and lo！ the vision fades and she is goneuntil the
very pinch of hunger； for the same gifts have then a value unknown
before the moment of supreme desire。
Then Theodote： Oh why； Socrates； why are you not by my side （like the
huntsman's assistant） to help me catch my friends and lovers？
Soc。 That will I be in good sooth if only you can woo and win me。
Theod。 How shall I woo and win you？
Soc。 Seek and you will find means； if you truly need me。
Theod。 Come then in hither and visit me often。
And Socrates； poking sly fun at his own lack of business occupation；
answered： Nay； Theodote； leisure is not a commodity in which I largely
deal。 I have a hundred affairs of my own too； private or public； to
occupy me； and then there are my lady…loves； my dear friends； who will
not suffer me day or night to leave them； for ever studying to learn
love…charms and incantations at my lips。
Theod。 Why； are you really versed in those things； Socrates？
Soc。 Of course； or else how is it； do you suppose； that
Apollodorus＇16＇ here and Antisthenes never leave me； or why have Cebes
and Simmias come all the way from Thebes to stay with me？ Be assured
these things cannot happen without diverse love…charms and
incantations and magic wheels。
＇16＇ For Apollodorus see 〃Apol。〃 28； Plat。 〃Symp。〃 172 A； 〃Phaed。〃 59
A； 117 D。 For Antisthenes see above。 For Cebes and Simmias see
above； I。 ii。 48； Plat。 〃Crit。〃 45 B； 〃Phaed。〃 passim。
Theod。 I wish you would lend me your magic…wheel；＇17＇ then； and I will
set it spinning first of all for you。
＇17＇ Cf。 Theocr。 ii。 17； Schneider ad loc。
Soc。 Ah！ but I do not wish to be drawn to you。 I wish you to come to
me。
Theod。 Then I will come。 Only； will you be 〃at home〃 to me？
Soc。 Yes； I will welcome you； unless some one still dearer holds me
engaged； and I must needs be 〃not at home。〃
XII
Seeing one of those who were with him； a young man； but feeble of
body； named Epigenes；＇1＇ he addressed him。
＇1＇ Epigenes； possibly the son of Antiphon。 See Plat。 〃Apol。〃 33 E；
〃Phaed。〃 59 B。
Soc。 You have not the athletic appearance of a youth in training；＇2＇
Epigenes。
＇2＇ ｛idiotikos｝； lit。 of the person untrained in gymnastics。 See A。 R。
Cluer ad loc。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Laws；〃 839 E； I。 ii。 4； III。 v。 15；
〃Symp。〃 ii。 17。
And he： That may well be； seeing I am an amateur and not in training。
Soc。 As little of an amateur； I take it； as any one who ever entered
the lists of Olympia； unless you are prepared to make light of that
contest for life and death against the public foe which the Athenians
will institute when the day comes。＇3＇ And yet they are not a few who；
owing to a bad habit of body； either perish outright in the perils of
war； or are ignobly saved。 Many are they who for the self…same cause
are taken prisoners； and being taken must； if it so betide； endure the
pains of slavery for the rest of their days； or； after falling into
dolorous straits；＇4＇ when they have paid to the uttermost farthing of
all； or may be more than the worth of all； that they possess； must
drag on a miserable existence in want of the barest necessaries until
death release them。 Many also are they who gain an evil repute through
infirmity of body； being thought to play the coward。 Can it be that
you despise these penalties affixed to an evil habit？ Do you think you
could lightly endure them？ Far lighter； I imagine； nay； pleasant even
by comparison； are the toils which he will undergo who duly cultivates
a healthy bodily condition。 Or do you maintain that the evil habit is
healthier； and in general more useful than the good？ Do you pour
contempt upon those blessings which flow from the healthy state？ And
yet the very opposite of that which befalls the ill attends the sound
condition。 Does not the very soundness imply at once health and
strength？＇5＇ Many a man with no other talisman than this has passed
safely through the ordeal of war； stepping； not without dignity；＇6＇
through all its horrors unscathed。 Many with no other support than
this have come to the rescue of friends； or stood forth as benefactors
of their fatherland； whereby they were thought worthy of gratitude；
and obtained a great renown and received as a recompense the highest
honours of the State； to whom is also reserved a happier and brighter
passage through what is left to them of life； and at their death they
leave to their children the legacy of a fairer starting…point in the
race of life。
＇3＇ Or； 〃should chance betide。〃 Is the author thinking of a life…and…
death struggle with Thebes？
＇4＇ e。g。 the prisoners in the Latomiae。 Thuc。 vii。 87。
＇5＇ It is almost a proverb〃Sound of body and limb is hale and
strong。〃 〃Qui valet praevalebit。〃
＇6＇ e。g。 Socrates himself； according to Alcibiades； ap。 Plat。 〃Symp。〃
221 B； and for the word ｛euskhemonos｝ see Arist。 〃Wasps；〃 1210；
〃like a gentleman〃； L。 and S。； 〃Cyr。〃 I。 iii。 8； Aristot。 〃Eth。
N。〃 i。 10； 13； 〃gracefully。〃
Because our city does not practise military training in public；＇7＇
that is no reason for neglecting it in private； but rather a reason
for making it a foremost care。 For be you assured that there is no
contest of any sort； nor any transaction； in which you will be the
worse off for being well prepared in body； and in fact there is
nothing which men do for which the body is not a help。 In every
demand； therefore； which can be laid upon the body it is much better
that it should be in the best condition； since； even where you might
imagine the claims upon the body to be slightestin the act of
reasoningwho does not know the terrible stumbles which are made
through being out of health？ It suffices to say that forgetfulness；
and despondency； and moroseness； and madness take occasion often of
ill…health to visit the intellectual faculties so severely as to expel
all knowledge＇8＇ from the brain。 But he who is in good bodily plight
has large security。 He runs no risk of incurring any such catastrophe
through ill…health at any rate； he has the expectation rather that a
good habit must procure consequences the opposite to those of an evil
habit；＇9＇ and surely to this end there is nothing a man in his senses
would not undergo。 。 。 。 It
