laches-第4章

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fortune　among　other　nations；　just　as　a　tragic　poet　would　who　is　honoured



among　ourselves；　which　is　the　reason　why　he　who　fancies　that　he　can　write　a



tragedy　does　not　go　about　itinerating　in　the　neighbouring　states；　but



rushes　hither　straight；　and　exhibits　at　Athens；　and　this　is　natural。　



Whereas　I　perceive　that　these　fighters　in　armour　regard　Lacedaemon　as　a



sacred　inviolable　territory；　which　they　do　not　touch　with　the　point　of



their　foot；　but　they　make　a　circuit　of　the　neighbouring　states；　and　would



rather　exhibit　to　any　others　than　to　the　Spartans；　and　particularly　to



those　who　would　themselves　acknowledge　that　they　are　by　no　means　firstrate



in　the　arts　of　war。　　Further；　Lysimachus；　I　have　encountered　a　good　many　of



these　gentlemen　in　actual　service；　and　have　taken　their　measure；　which　I



can　give　you　at　once；　for　none　of　these　masters　of　fence　have　ever　been



distinguished　in　war；there　has　been　a　sort　of　fatality　about　them；　while



in　all　other　arts　the　men　of　note　have　been　always　those　who　have　practised



the　art；　they　appear　to　be　a　most　unfortunate　exception。　　For　example；　this



very　Stesilaus；　whom　you　and　I　have　just　witnessed　exhibiting　in　all　that



crowd　and　making　such　great　professions　of　his　powers；　I　have　seen　at



another　time　making；　in　sober　truth；　an　involuntary　exhibition　of　himself；



which　was　a　far　better　spectacle。　　He　was　a　marine　on　board　a　ship　which



struck　a　transport　vessel；　and　was　armed　with　a　weapon；　half　spear；　half



scythe；　the　singularity　of　this　weapon　was　worthy　of　the　singularity　of　the



man。　　To　make　a　long　story　short；　I　will　only　tell　you　what　happened　to



this　notable　invention　of　the　scythe　spear。　　He　was　fighting；　and　the



scythe　was　caught　in　the　rigging　of　the　other　ship；　and　stuck　fast；　and　he



tugged；　but　was　unable　to　get　his　weapon　free。　　The　two　ships　were　passing



one　another。　　He　first　ran　along　his　own　ship　holding　on　to　the　spear；　but



as　the　other　ship　passed　by　and　drew　him　after　as　he　was　holding　on；　he　let



the　spear　slip　through　his　hand　until　he　retained　only　the　end　of　the



handle。　　The　people　in　the　transport　clapped　their　hands；　and　laughed　at



his　ridiculous　figure；　and　when　some　one　threw　a　stone；　which　fell　on　the



deck　at　his　feet；　and　he　quitted　his　hold　of　the　scythe…spear；　the　crew　of



his　own　trireme　also　burst　out　laughing；　they　could　not　refrain　when　they



beheld　the　weapon　waving　in　the　air；　suspended　from　the　transport。　　Now　I



do　not　deny　that　there　may　be　something　in　such　an　art；　as　Nicias　asserts；



but　I　tell　you　my　experience；　and；　as　I　said　at　first；　whether　this　be　an



art　of　which　the　advantage　is　so　slight；　or　not　an　art　at　all；　but　only　an



imposition；　in　either　case　such　an　acquirement　is　not　worth　having。　　For　my



opinion　is；　that　if　the　professor　of　this　art　be　a　coward；　he　will　be



likely　to　become　rash；　and　his　character　will　be　only　more　notorious；　or　if



he　be　brave；　and　fail　ever　so　little；　other　men　will　be　on　the　watch；　and



he　will　be　greatly　traduced；　for　there　is　a　jealousy　of　such　pretenders；



and　unless　a　man　be　pre…eminent　in　valour；　he　cannot　help　being　ridiculous；



if　he　says　that　he　has　this　sort　of　skill。　　Such　is　my　judgment；



Lysimachus；　of　the　desirableness　of　this　art；　but；　as　I　said　at　first；　ask



Socrates；　and　do　not　let　him　go　until　he　has　given　you　his　opinion　of　the



matter。







LYSIMACHUS：　　I　am　going　to　ask　this　favour　of　you；　Socrates；　as　is　the　more



necessary　because　the　two　councillors　disagree；　and　some　one　is　in　a　manner



still　needed　who　will　decide　between　them。　　Had　they　agreed；　no　arbiter



would　have　been　required。　　But　as　Laches　has　voted　one　way　and　Nicias



another；　I　should　like　to　hear　with　which　of　our　two　friends　you　agree。







SOCRATES：　　What；　Lysimachus；　are　you　going　to　accept　the　opinion　of　the



majority？







LYSIMACHUS：　　Why；　yes；　Socrates；　what　else　am　I　to　do？







SOCRATES：　　And　would　you　do　so　too；　Melesias？　　If　you　were　deliberating



about　the　gymnastic　training　of　your　son；　would　you　follow　the　advice　of



the　majority　of　us；　or　the　opinion　of　the　one　who　had　been　trained　and



exercised　under　a　skilful　master？







MELESIAS：　　The　latter；　Socrates；　as　would　surely　be　reasonable。







SOCRATES：　　His　one　vote　would　be　worth　more　than　the　vote　of　all　us　four？







MELESIAS：　　Certainly。







SOCRATES：　　And　for　this　reason；　as　I　imagine；because　a　good　decision　is



based　on　knowledge　and　not　on　numbers？







MELESIAS：　　To　be　sure。







SOCRATES：　　Must　we　not　then　first　of　all　ask；　whether　there　is　any　one　of



us　who　has　knowledge　of　that　about　which　we　are　deliberating？　　If　there　is；



let　us　take　his　advice；　though　he　be　one　only；　and　not　mind　the　rest；　if



there　is　not；　let　us　seek　further　counsel。　　Is　this　a　slight　matter　about



which　you　and　Lysimachus　are　deliberating？　　Are　you　not　risking　the



greatest　of　your　possessions？　　For　children　are　your　riches；　and　upon　their



turning　out　well　or　ill　depends　the　whole　order　of　their　father's　house。







MELESIAS：　　That　is　true。







SOCRATES：　　Great　care；　then；　is　required　in　this　matter？







MELESIAS：　　Certainly。







SOCRATES：　　Suppose；　as　I　was　just　now　saying；　that　we　were　considering；　or



wanting　to　consider；　who　was　the　best　trainer。　　Should　we　not　select　him



who　knew　and　had　practised　the　art；　and　had　the　best　teachers？







MELESIAS：　　I　think　that　we　should。







SOCRATES：　　But　would　there　not　arise　a　prior　question　about　the　nature　of



the　art　of　which　we　want　to　find　the　masters？







MELESIAS：　　I　do　not　understand。







SOCRATES：　　Let　me　try　to　make　my　meaning　plainer　then。　　I　do　not　think　that



we　have　as　yet　decided　what　that　is　about　which　we　are　consulting；　when　we



ask　which　of　us　is　or　is　not　skilled　in　the　art；　and　has　or　has　not　had　a



teacher　of　the　art。







NICIAS：　　Why；　Socrates；　is　not　the　question　whether　young　men　ought　or



ought　not　to　learn　the　art　of　fighting　in　armour？







SOCRATES：　　Yes；　Nicias；　but　there　is　also　a　prior　question；　which　I　may



illustrate　in　this　way：　　When　a　person　considers　about　applying　a　medicine



to　the　eyes；　would　you　say　that　he　is　consulting　about　the　medicine　or



about　the　eyes？







NICIAS：　　About　the　eyes。







SOCRATES：　　And　when　he　considers　whether　he　shall　set　a　bridle　on　a　horse



and　at　what　time；　he　is　thinking　of　the　horse　and　not　of　the　bridle？







NICIAS：　　True。







SOCRATES：　　And　in　a　word；　when　he　considers　anything　for　the　sake　of



another　thing；　he　thinks　of　the　end　and　not　of　the　means？







NICIAS：　　Certainly。







SOCRATES：　　And　when　you　call　in　an　adviser；　you　should　see　whether　he　too





is　skilful　in　the　accomplishment　of　the　end　which　you　have　in　view？







NICIAS：　　Most　true。







SOCRATES：　　And　at　present　we　have　in　view　some　knowledge；　of　which　the　end



is　the　soul　of　youth？







NICIAS：　　Yes。







SOCRATES：　　And　we　are　enquiring；　Which　of　us　is　skilful　or　successful　in



the　treatment　of　the　soul；　and　which　of　us　has　had　good　teachers？







LACHES：　　Well　but；　Socrates；　did　you　never　observe　that　some　persons；　who



have　had　no　teachers；　are　more　skilful　than　those　who　have；　in　some　things？







SOCRATES：　　Yes；　Laches；　I　have　observed　that；　but　you　would　not　be　very



willing　to　trust　them　if　they　only　professed　to　be　masters　of　their　art；



unless　they　could　show　some　proof　of　their　skill　or　excellence　in　one　or



more　works。







LACHES：　　That　is　true。







SOCRATES：　　And　therefore；　Laches　and　Nicias；　as　Lysimachus　and　Melesias；　in



their　anxiety　t