the seventh letter-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SEVENTH　LETTER


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plato


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　J。　Harward





　　PLATO　TO　THE　RELATIVES　AND　FRIENDS　OF　DION。　WELFARE。





　　You　write　to　me　that　I　must　consider　your　views　the　same　as　those　of


Dion；　and　you　urge　me　to　aid　your　cause　so　far　as　I　can　in　word　and


deed。　My　answer　is　that；　if　you　have　the　same　opinion　and　desire　as　he


had；　I　consent　to　aid　your　cause；　but　if　not；　I　shall　think　more


than　once　about　it。　Now　what　his　purpose　and　desire　was；　I　can


inform　you　from　no　mere　conjecture　but　from　positive　knowledge。　For


when　I　made　my　first　visit　to　Sicily；　being　then　about　forty　years


old；　Dion　was　of　the　same　age　as　Hipparinos　is　now；　and　the　opinion


which　he　then　formed　was　that　which　he　always　retained；　I　mean　the


belief　that　the　Syracusans　ought　to　be　free　and　governed　by　the　best


laws。　So　it　is　no　matter　for　surprise　if　some　God　should　make


Hipparinos　adopt　the　same　opinion　as　Dion　about　forms　of　government。


But　it　is　well　worth　while　that　you　should　all；　old　as　well　as


young；　hear　the　way　in　which　this　opinion　was　formed；　and　I　will


attempt　to　give　you　an　account　of　it　from　the　beginning。　For　the


present　is　a　suitable　opportunity。


　　In　my　youth　I　went　through　the　same　experience　as　many　other　men。


I　fancied　that　if；　early　in　life；　I　became　my　own　master；　I　should


at　once　embark　on　a　political　career。　And　I　found　myself　confronted


with　the　following　occurrences　in　the　public　affairs　of　my　own　city。


The　existing　constitution　being　generally　condemned；　a　revolution　took


place；　and　fifty…one　men　came　to　the　front　as　rulers　of　the


revolutionary　government；　namely　eleven　in　the　city　and　ten　in　the


Peiraeus…each　of　these　bodies　being　in　charge　of　the　market　and


municipal　matters…while　thirty　were　appointed　rulers　with　full


powers　over　public　affairs　as　a　whole。　Some　of　these　were　relatives


and　acquaintances　of　mine；　and　they　at　once　invited　me　to　share　in


their　doings；　as　something　to　which　I　had　a　claim。　The　effect　on　me


was　not　surprising　in　the　case　of　a　young　man。　I　considered　that


they　would；　of　course；　so　manage　the　State　as　to　bring　men　out　of　a


bad　way　of　life　into　a　good　one。　So　I　watched　them　very　closely　to　see


what　they　would　do。


　　And　seeing；　as　I　did；　that　in　quite　a　short　time　they　made　the


former　government　seem　by　comparison　something　precious　as　gold…for


among　other　things　they　tried　to　send　a　friend　of　mine；　the　aged


Socrates；　whom　I　should　scarcely　scruple　to　describe　as　the　most


upright　man　of　that　day；　with　some　other　persons　to　carry　off　one　of


the　citizens　by　force　to　execution；　in　order　that；　whether　he　wished


it；　or　not；　he　might　share　the　guilt　of　their　conduct；　but　he　would


not　obey　them；　risking　all　consequences　in　preference　to　becoming　a


partner　in　their　iniquitous　deeds…seeing　all　these　things　and　others


of　the　same　kind　on　a　considerable　scale；　I　disapproved　of　their


proceedings；　and　withdrew　from　any　connection　with　the　abuses　of　the


time。


　　Not　long　after　that　a　revolution　terminated　the　power　of　the


thirty　and　the　form　of　government　as　it　then　was。　And　once　more；


though　with　more　hesitation；　I　began　to　be　moved　by　the　desire　to　take


part　in　public　and　political　affairs。　Well；　even　in　the　new


government；　unsettled　as　it　was；　events　occurred　which　one　would


naturally　view　with　disapproval；　and　it　was　not　surprising　that　in　a


period　of　revolution　excessive　penalties　were　inflicted　by　some


persons　on　political　opponents；　though　those　who　had　returned　from


exile　at　that　time　showed　very　considerable　forbearance。　But　once　more


it　happened　that　some　of　those　in　power　brought　my　friend　Socrates；


whom　I　have　mentioned；　to　trial　before　a　court　of　law；　laying　a　most


iniquitous　charge　against　him　and　one　most　inappropriate　in　his


case：　for　it　was　on　a　charge　of　impiety　that　some　of　them　prosecuted


and　others　condemned　and　executed　the　very　man　who　would　not


participate　in　the　iniquitous　arrest　of　one　of　the　friends　of　the


party　then　in　exile；　at　the　time　when　they　themselves　were　in　exile


and　misfortune。


　　As　I　observed　these　incidents　and　the　men　engaged　in　public　affairs；


the　laws　too　and　the　customs；　the　more　closely　I　examined　them　and　the


farther　I　advanced　in　life；　the　more　difficult　it　seemed　to　me　to


handle　public　affairs　aright。　For　it　was　not　possible　to　be　active


in　politics　without　friends　and　trustworthy　supporters；　and　to　find


these　ready　to　my　hand　was　not　an　easy　matter；　since　public　affairs　at


Athens　were　not　carried　on　in　accordance　with　the　manners　and


practices　of　our　fathers；　nor　was　there　any　ready　method　by　which　I


could　make　new　friends。　The　laws　too；　written　and　unwritten；　were


being　altered　for　the　worse；　and　the　evil　was　growing　with　startling


rapidity。　The　result　was　that；　though　at　first　I　had　been　full　of　a


strong　impulse　towards　political　life；　as　I　looked　at　the　course　of


affairs　and　saw　them　being　swept　in　all　directions　by　contending


currents；　my　head　finally　began　to　swim；　and；　though　I　did　not　stop


looking　to　see　if　there　was　any　likelihood　of　improvement　in　these


symptoms　and　in　the　general　course　of　public　life；　I　postponed


action　till　a　suitable　opportunity　should　arise。　Finally；　it　became


clear　to　me；　with　regard　to　all　existing　cornmunities；　that　they


were　one　and　all　misgoverned。　For　their　laws　have　got　into　a　state


that　is　almost　incurable；　except　by　some　extraordinary　reform　with


good　luck　to　support　it。　And　I　was　forced　to　say；　when　praising　true


philosophy　that　it　is　by　this　that　men　are　enabled　to　see　what　justice


in　public　and　private　life　really　is。　Therefore；　I　said；　there　will　be


no　cessation　of　evils　for　the　sons　of　men；　till　either　those　who　are


pursuing　a　right　and　true　philosophy　receive　sovereign　power　in　the


States；　or　those　in　power　in　the　States　by　some　dispensation　of


providence　become　true　philosophers。


　　With　these　thoughts　in　my　mind　I　came　to　Italy　and　Sicily　on　my


first　visit。　My　first　impressions　on　arrival　were　those　of　strong


disapproval…disapproval　of　the　kind　of　life　which　was　there　called　the


life　of　happiness；　stuffed　full　as　it　was　with　the　banquets　of　the


Italian　Greeks　and　Syracusans；　who　ate　to　repletion　twice　every　day；


and　were　never　without　a　partner　for　the　night；　and　disapproval　of　the


habits　which　this　manner　of　life　produces。　For　with　these　habits


formed　early　in　life；　no　man　under　heaven　could　possibly　attain　to


wisdom…human　nature　is　not　capable　of　such　an　extraordinary


combination。　Temperance　also　is　out　of　the　question　for　such　a　man；


and　the　same　applies　to　virtue　generally。　No　city　could　remain　in　a


state　of　tranquillity　under　any　laws　whatsoever；　when　men　think　it


right　to　squander　all　their　property　in　extravagant；　and　consider　it　a


duty　to　be　idle　in　everything　else　except　eating　and　drinking　and


the　laborious　prosecution　of　debauchery。　It　follows　necessarily　that


the　constitutions　of　such　cities　must　be　constantly　changing；


tyrannies；　oligarchies　and　democracies　succeeding　one　another；　while


those　who　hold　the　power　cannot　so　much　as　endure　the　name　of　any　form


of　government　which　maintains　justice　and　equality　of　rights。


　　With　a　mind　full　of　these　thoughts；　on　the　top　of　my　previous


convictions；　I　crossed　over　to　Syracuse…led　there　perhaps　by


chance…but　it　really　looks　as　if　some　higher　power　was　even　then


planning　to　lay　a　foundation　for　all　that　has　now　come　to　pass　with


regard　to　Dion　and　Syracuse…and　for　further　troubles　too；　I　fear；


unless　you　listen　to　the　advice　which　is　now　for　the　second　time


offered　by　me。　What　do　I　mean　by　saying　that　my　arrival　in　Sicily　at


that　movement　proved　to　be　the　foundation　on　which　all　the　sequel


rests？　I　was　brought　into　close　intercourse　with　Dion　who　was　then　a


young　man；　and　explained　to　him　my　views　as　to　the　ideals　at　which　men


should　aim；　advising　him　to　carry　them　out　in　practice。　In　doing


this　I　seem　to　have　been　unaware　th