the seventh letter-第2章

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


this　I　seem　to　have　been　unaware　that　I　was；　in　a　fashion；　without


knowing　it；　contriving　the　overthrow　of　the　tyranny　which；


subsequently　took　place。　For　Dion；　who　rapidly　assimilated　my　teaching


as　he　did　all　forms　of　knowledge；　listened　to　me　with　an　eagerness


which　I　had　never　seen　equalled　in　any　young　man；　and　resolved　to　live


for　the　future　in　a　better　way　than　the　majority　of　Italian　and


Sicilian　Greeks；　having　set　his　affection　on　virtue　in　preference　to


pleasure　and　self…indulgence。　The　result　was　that　until　the　death　of


Dionysios　he　lived　in　a　way　which　rendered　him　somewhat　unpopular


among　those　whose　manner　of　life　was　that　which　is　usual　in　the　courts


of　despots。


　　After　that　event　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　this　conviction；


which　he　himself　had　gained　under　the　influence　of　good　teaching；


was　not　likely　to　be　confined　to　himself。　Indeed；　he　saw　it　being


actually　implanted　in　other　minds…not　many　perhaps；　but　certainly　in


some；　and　he　thought　that　with　the　aid　of　the　Gods；　Dionysios　might


perhaps　become　one　of　these；　and　that；　if　such　a　thing　did　come　to


pass；　the　result　would　be　a　life　of　unspeakable　happiness　both　for


himself　and　for　the　rest　of　the　Syracusans。　Further；　he　thought　it


essential　that　I　should　come　to　Syracuse　by　all　manner　of　means　and


with　the　utmost　possible　speed　to　be　his　partner　in　these　plans；


remembering　in　his　own　case　how　readily　intercourse　with　me　had


produced　in　him　a　longing　for　the　noblest　and　best　life。　And　if　it


should　produce　a　similar　effect　on　Dionysios；　as　his　aim　was　that　it


should；　he　had　great　hope　that；　without　bloodshed；　loss　of　life；　and


those　disastrous　events　which　have　now　taken　place；　he　would　be　able


to　introduce　the　true　life　of　happiness　throughout　the　whole


territory。


　　Holding　these　sound　views；　Dion　persuaded　Dionysios　to　send　for


me；　he　also　wrote　himself　entreating　me　to　come　by　all　manner　of　means


and　with　the　utmost　possible　speed；　before　certain　other　persons


coming　in　contact　with　Dionysios　should　turn　him　aside　into　some　way


of　life　other　than　the　best。　What　he　said；　though　perhaps　it　is　rather


long　to　repeat；　was　as　follows：　〃What　opportunities；〃　he　said；


〃shall　we　wait　for；　greater　than　those　now　offered　to　us　by


Providence？〃　And　he　described　the　Syracusan　empire　in　Italy　and


Sicily；　his　own　influential　position　in　it；　and　the　youth　of　Dionysios


and　how　strongly　his　desire　was　directed　towards　philosophy　and


education。　His　own　nephews　and　relatives；　he　said；　would　be　readily


attracted　towards　the　principles　and　manner　of　life　described　by　me；


and　would　be　most　influential　in　attracting　Dionysios　in　the　same


direction；　so　that；　now　if　ever；　we　should　see　the　accomplishment　of


every　hope　that　the　same　persons　might　actually　become　both


philosophers　and　the　rulers　of　great　States。　These　were　the　appeals


addressed　to　me　and　much　more　to　the　same　effect。


　　My　own　opinion；　so　far　as　the　young　men　were　concerned；　and　the


probable　line　which　their　conduct　would　take；　was　full　of


apprehension…for　young　men　are　quick　in　forming　desires；　which　often


take　directions　conflicting　with　one　another。　But　I　knew　that　the


character　of　Dion's　mind　was　naturally　a　stable　one　and　had　also　the


advantage　of　somewhat　advanced　years。


　　Therefore；　I　pondered　the　matter　and　was　in　two　minds　as　to


whether　I　ought　to　listen　to　entreaties　and　go；　or　how　I　ought　to　act；


and　finally　the　scale　turned　in　favour　of　the　view　that；　if　ever


anyone　was　to　try　to　carry　out　in　practice　my　ideas　about　laws　and


constitutions；　now　was　the　time　for　making　the　attempt；　for　if　only


I　could　fully　convince　one　man；　I　should　have　secured　thereby　the


accomplishment　of　all　good　things。


　　With　these　views　and　thus　nerved　to　the　task；　I　sailed　from　home；　in


the　spirit　which　some　imagined；　but　principally　through　a　feeling　of


shame　with　regard　to　myself；　lest　I　might　some　day　appear　to　myself


wholly　and　solely　a　mere　man　of　words；　one　who　would　never　of　his


own　will　lay　his　hand　to　any　act。　Also　there　was　reason　to　think


that　I　should　be　betraying　first　and　foremost　my　friendship　and


comradeship　with　Dion；　who　in　very　truth　was　in　a　position　of


considerable　danger。　If　therefore　anything　should　happen　to　him；　or　if


he　were　banished　by　Dionysios　and　his　other　enemies　and　coming　to　us


as　exile　addressed　this　question　to　me：　〃Plato；　I　have　come　to　you


as　a　fugitive；　not　for　want　of　hoplites；　nor　because　I　had　no


cavalry　for　defence　against　my　enemies；　but　for　want　of　words　and


power　of　persuasion；　which　I　knew　to　be　a　special　gift　of　yours；


enabling　you　to　lead　young　men　into　the　path　of　goodness　and


justice；　and　to　establish　in　every　case　relations　of　friendship　and


comradeship　among　them。　It　is　for　the　want　of　this　assistance　on


your　part　that　I　have　left　Syracuse　and　am　here　now。　And　the


disgrace　attaching　to　your　treatment　of　me　is　a　small　matter。　But


philosophy…whose　praises　you　are　always　singing；　while　you　say　she


is　held　in　dishonour　by　the　rest　of　mankind…must　we　not　say　that


philosophy　along　with　me　has　now　been　betrayed；　so　far　as　your


action　was　concerned？　Had　I　been　living　at　Megara；　you　would　certainly


have　come　to　give　me　your　aid　towards　the　objects　for　which　I　asked


it；　or　you　would　have　thought　yourself　the　most　contemptible　of


mankind。　But　as　it　is；　do　you　think　that　you　will　escape　the


reputation　of　cowardice　by　making　excuses　about　the　distance　of　the


journey；　the　length　of　the　sea　voyage；　and　the　amount　of　labour


involved？　Far　from　it。〃　To　reproaches　of　this　kind　what　creditable


reply　could　I　have　made？　Surely　none。


　　I　took　my　departure；　therefore；　acting；　so　far　as　a　man　can　act；


in　obedience　to　reason　and　justice；　and　for　these　reasons　leaving　my


own　occupations；　which　were　certainly　not　discreditable　ones；　to　put


myself　under　a　tyranny　which　did　not　seem　likely　to　harmonise　with


my　teaching　or　with　myself。　By　my　departure　I　secured　my　own　freedom


from　the　displeasure　of　Zeus　Xenios；　and　made　myself　clear　of　any


charge　on　the　part　of　philosophy；　which　would　have　been　exposed　to


detraction；　if　any　disgrace　had　come　upon　me　for　faint…heartedness　and


cowardice。


　　On　my　arrival；　to　cut　a　long　story　short；　I　found　the　court　of


Dionysios　full　of　intrigues　and　of　attempts　to　create　in　the　sovereign


ill…feeling　against　Dion。　I　combated　these　as　far　as　I　could；　but　with


very　little　success；　and　in　the　fourth　month　or　thereabouts；


charging　Dion　with　conspiracy　to　seize　the　throne；　Dionysios　put　him


on　board　a　small　boat　and　expelled　him　from　Syracuse　with　ignominy。


All　of　us　who　were　Dion's　friends　were　afraid　that　he　might　take


vengeance　on　one　or　other　of　us　as　an　accomplice　in　Dion's　conspiracy。


With　regard　to　me；　there　was　even　a　rumour　current　in　Syracuse　that


I　had　been　put　to　death　by　Dionysios　as　the　cause　of　all　that　had


occurred。　Perceiving　that　we　were　all　in　this　state　of　mind　and


apprehending　that　our　fears　might　lead　to　some　serious　consequence；　he


now　tried　to　win　all　of　us　over　by　kindness：　me　in　particular　he


encouraged；　bidding　me　be　of　good　cheer　and　entreating　me　on　all


grounds　to　remain。　For　my　flight　from　him　was　not　likely　to　redound　to


his　credit；　but　my　staying　might　do　so。　Therefore；　he　made　a　great


pretence　of　entreating　me。　And　we　know　that　the　entreaties　of


sovereigns　are　mixed　with　compulsion。　So　to　secure　his　object　he


proceeded　to　render　my　departure　impossible；　bringing　me　into　the


acropolis；　and　establishing　me　in　quarters　from　which　not　a　single


ship's　captain　would　have　taken　me　away　against　the　will　of　Dionysios；


nor　indeed　without　a　special　messenger　sent　by　him　to　order　my


removal。　Nor　was　there　a　single　merchant；　or　a　single　official　in


charge　of　points　of　departure　from　the　country；　who　would　have　allowed


me　to　depart　unaccompanied；　and　would　not　have　promptly　seized　me


and　taken　me　back　to　Dionysios；　especially　since　a　statement　had　now