eryxias-第2章

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possession　more　valuable　than　riches　to　the　sick？　　Surely　there　is　no　one

who　would　not　prefer　to　be　poor　and　well；　rather　than　to　have　all　the　King

of　Persia's　wealth　and　to　be　ill。　　And　this　proves　that　men　set　health

above　wealth；　else　they　would　never　choose　the　one　in　preference　to　the

other。



ERASISTRATUS：　　True。



SOCRATES：　　And　if　anything　appeared　to　be　more　valuable　than　health；　he

would　be　the　richest　who　possessed　it？



ERASISTRATUS：　　He　would。



SOCRATES：　　Suppose　that　some　one　came　to　us　at　this　moment　and　were　to　ask；

Well；　Socrates　and　Eryxias　and　Erasistratus；　can　you　tell　me　what　is　of　the

greatest　value　to　men？　　Is　it　not　that　of　which　the　possession　will　best

enable　a　man　to　advise　how　his　own　and　his　friend's　affairs　should　be

administered？What　will　be　our　reply？



ERASISTRATUS：　　I　should　say；　Socrates；　that　happiness　was　the　most　precious

of　human　possessions。



SOCRATES：　　Not　a　bad　answer。　　But　do　we　not　deem　those　men　who　are　most

prosperous　to　be　the　happiest？



ERASISTRATUS：　　That　is　my　opinion。



SOCRATES：　　And　are　they　not　most　prosperous　who　commit　the　fewest　errors　in

respect　either　of　themselves　or　of　other　men？



ERASISTRATUS：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　And　they　who　know　what　is　evil　and　what　is　good；　what　should　be

done　and　what　should　be　left　undone；these　behave　the　most　wisely　and　make

the　fewest　mistakes？



Erasistratus　agreed　to　this。



SOCRATES：　　Then　the　wisest　and　those　who　do　best　and　the　most　fortunate　and

the　richest　would　appear　to　be　all　one　and　the　same；　if　wisdom　is　really

the　most　valuable　of　our　possessions？



Yes；　said　Eryxias；　interposing；　but　what　use　would　it　be　if　a　man　had　the

wisdom　of　Nestor　and　wanted　the　necessaries　of　life；　food　and　drink　and

clothes　and　the　like？　　Where　would　be　the　advantage　of　wisdom　then？　　Or　how

could　he　be　the　richest　of　men　who　might　even　have　to　go　begging；　because

he　had　not　wherewithal　to　live？



I　thought　that　what　Eryxias　was　saying　had　some　weight；　and　I　replied；

Would　the　wise　man　really　suffer　in　this　way；　if　he　were　so　ill…provided；

whereas　if　he　had　the　house　of　Polytion；　and　the　house　were　full　of　gold

and　silver；　he　would　lack　nothing？



ERYXIAS：　　Yes；　for　then　he　might　dispose　of　his　property　and　obtain　in

exchange　what　he　needed；　or　he　might　sell　it　for　money　with　which　he　could

supply　his　wants　and　in　a　moment　procure　abundance　of　everything。



SOCRATES：　　True；　if　he　could　find　some　one　who　preferred　such　a　house　to

the　wisdom　of　Nestor。　　But　if　there　are　persons　who　set　great　store　by

wisdom　like　Nestor's　and　the　advantages　accruing　from　it；　to　sell　these；　if

he　were　so　disposed；　would　be　easier　still。　　Or　is　a　house　a　most　useful

and　necessary　possession；　and　does　it　make　a　great　difference　in　the

comfort　of　life　to　have　a　mansion　like　Polytion's　instead　of　living　in　a

shabby　little　cottage；　whereas　wisdom　is　of　small　use　and　it　is　of　no

importance　whether　a　man　is　wise　or　ignorant　about　the　highest　matters？　　Or

is　wisdom　despised　of　men　and　can　find　no　buyers；　although　cypress　wood　and

marble　of　Pentelicus　are　eagerly　bought　by　numerous　purchasers？　　Surely　the

prudent　pilot　or　the　skilful　physician；　or　the　artist　of　any　kind　who　is

proficient　in　his　art；　is　more　worth　than　the　things　which　are　especially

reckoned　among　riches；　and　he　who　can　advise　well　and　prudently　for　himself

and　others　is　able　also　to　sell　the　product　of　his　art；　if　he　so　desire。



Eryxias　looked　askance；　as　if　he　had　received　some　unfair　treatment；　and

said；　I　believe；　Socrates；　that　if　you　were　forced　to　speak　the　truth；　you

would　declare　that　you　were　richer　than　Callias　the　son　of　Hipponicus。　　And

yet；　although　you　claimed　to　be　wiser　about　things　of　real　importance；　you

would　not　any　the　more　be　richer　than　he。



I　dare　say；　Eryxias；　I　said；　that　you　may　regard　these　arguments　of　ours　as

a　kind　of　game；　you　think　that　they　have　no　relation　to　facts；　but　are　like

the　pieces　in　the　game　of　draughts　which　the　player　can　move　in　such　a　way

that　his　opponents　are　unable　to　make　any　countermove。　　（Compare　Republic。）　

And　perhaps；　too；　as　regards　riches　you　are　of　opinion　that　while　facts

remain　the　same；　there　are　arguments；　no　matter　whether　true　or　false；

which　enable　the　user　of　them　to　prove　that　the　wisest　and　the　richest　are

one　and　the　same；　although　he　is　in　the　wrong　and　his　opponents　are　in　the

right。　　There　would　be　nothing　strange　in　this；　it　would　be　as　if　two

persons　were　to　dispute　about　letters；　one　declaring　that　the　word　Socrates

began　with　an　S；　the　other　that　it　began　with　an　A；　and　the　latter　could

gain　the　victory　over　the　former。



Eryxias　glanced　at　the　audience；　laughing　and　blushing　at　once；　as　if　he

had　had　nothing　to　do　with　what　had　just　been　said；　and　replied；No；

indeed；　Socrates；　I　never　supposed　that　our　arguments　should　be　of　a　kind

which　would　never　convince　any　one　of　those　here　present　or　be　of　advantage

to　them。　　For　what　man　of　sense　could　ever　be　persuaded　that　the　wisest　and

the　richest　are　the　same？　　The　truth　is　that　we　are　discussing　the　subject

of　riches；　and　my　notion　is　that　we　should　argue　respecting　the　honest　and

dishonest　means　of　acquiring　them；　and；　generally；　whether　they　are　a　good

thing　or　a　bad。



Very　good；　I　said；　and　I　am　obliged　to　you　for　the　hint：　　in　future　we　will

be　more　careful。　　But　why　do　not　you　yourself；　as　you　introduced　the

argument；　and　do　not　think　that　the　former　discussion　touched　the　point　at

issue；　tell　us　whether　you　consider　riches　to　be　a　good　or　an　evil？



I　am　of　opinion；　he　said；　that　they　are　a　good。　　He　was　about　to　add

something　more；　when　Critias　interrupted　him：Do　you　really　suppose　so；

Eryxias？



Certainly；　replied　Eryxias；　I　should　be　mad　if　I　did　not：　　and　I　do　not

fancy　that　you　would　find　any　one　else　of　a　contrary　opinion。



And　I；　retorted　Critias；　should　say　that　there　is　no　one　whom　I　could　not

compel　to　admit　that　riches　are　bad　for　some　men。　　But　surely；　if　they　were

a　good；　they　could　not　appear　bad　for　any　one？



Here　I　interposed　and　said　to　them：　　If　you　two　were　having　an　argument

about　equitation　and　what　was　the　best　way　of　riding；　supposing　that　I　knew

the　art　myself；　I　should　try　to　bring　you　to　an　agreement。　　For　I　should　be

ashamed　if　I　were　present　and　did　not　do　what　I　could　to　prevent　your

difference。　　And　I　should　do　the　same　if　you　were　quarrelling　about　any

other　art　and　were　likely；　unless　you　agreed　on　the　point　in　dispute；　to

part　as　enemies　instead　of　as　friends。　　But　now；　when　we　are　contending

about　a　thing　of　which　the　usefulness　continues　during　the　whole　of　life；

and　it　makes　an　enormous　difference　whether　we　are　to　regard　it　as

beneficial　or　not；a　thing；　too；　which　is　esteemed　of　the　highest

importance　by　the　Hellenes：（for　parents；　as　soon　as　their　children　are；

as　they　think；　come　to　years　of　discretion；　urge　them　to　consider　how

wealth　may　be　acquired；　since　by　riches　the　value　of　a　man　is　judged）：

When；　I　say；　we　are　thus　in　earnest；　and　you；　who　agree　in　other　respects；

fall　to　disputing　about　a　matter　of　such　moment；　that　is；　about　wealth；　and

not　merely　whether　it　is　black　or　white；　light　or　heavy；　but　whether　it　is

a　good　or　an　evil；　whereby；　although　you　are　now　the　dearest　of　friends　and

kinsmen；　the　most　bitter　hatred　may　arise　betwixt　you；　I　must　hinder　your

dissension　to　the　best　of　my　power。　　If　I　could；　I　would　tell　you　the

truth；　and　so　put　an　end　to　the　dispute；　but　as　I　cannot　do　this；　and　each

of　you　supposes　that　you　can　bring　the　other　to　an　agreement；　I　am

prepared；　as　far　as　my　capacity　admits；　to　help　you　in　solving　the

question。　　Please；　therefore；　Critias；　try　to　make　us　accept　the　doctrines

which　you　yourself　entertain。



CRITIAS：　　I　should　like　to　follow　up　the　argument；　and　will　ask　Eryxias

whether　he　thinks　that　there　are　just　and　unjust　men？



ERYXIAS：　　Most　decidedly。



CRITIAS：　　And　does　injustice　seem