alcibiades i-第10章

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back　to　Perseus；　son　of　Zeus？



ALCIBIADES：　　Why；　so　does　mine　go　back　to　Eurysaces；　and　he　to　Zeus！



SOCRATES：　　And　mine；　noble　Alcibiades；　to　Daedalus；　and　he　to　Hephaestus；

son　of　Zeus。　　But；　for　all　that；　we　are　far　inferior　to　them。　　For　they　are

descended　'from　Zeus；'　through　a　line　of　kingseither　kings　of　Argos　and

Lacedaemon；　or　kings　of　Persia；　a　country　which　the　descendants　of

Achaemenes　have　always　possessed；　besides　being　at　various　times　sovereigns

of　Asia；　as　they　now　are；　whereas；　we　and　our　fathers　were　but　private

persons。　　How　ridiculous　would　you　be　thought　if　you　were　to　make　a　display

of　your　ancestors　and　of　Salamis　the　island　of　Eurysaces；　or　of　Aegina；　the

habitation　of　the　still　more　ancient　Aeacus；　before　Artaxerxes；　son　of

Xerxes。　　You　should　consider　how　inferior　we　are　to　them　both　in　the

derivation　of　our　birth　and　in　other　particulars。　　Did　you　never　observe

how　great　is　the　property　of　the　Spartan　kings？　　And　their　wives　are　under

the　guardianship　of　the　Ephori；　who　are　public　officers　and　watch　over

them；　in　order　to　preserve　as　far　as　possible　the　purity　of　the　Heracleid

blood。　　Still　greater　is　the　difference　among　the　Persians；　for　no　one

entertains　a　suspicion　that　the　father　of　a　prince　of　Persia　can　be　any　one

but　the　king。　　Such　is　the　awe　which　invests　the　person　of　the　queen；　that

any　other　guard　is　needless。　　And　when　the　heir　of　the　kingdom　is　born；　all

the　subjects　of　the　king　feast；　and　the　day　of　his　birth　is　for　ever

afterwards　kept　as　a　holiday　and　time　of　sacrifice　by　all　Asia；　whereas；

when　you　and　I　were　born；　Alcibiades；　as　the　comic　poet　says；　the

neighbours　hardly　knew　of　the　important　event。　　After　the　birth　of　the

royal　child；　he　is　tended；　not　by　a　good…for…nothing　woman…nurse；　but　by

the　best　of　the　royal　eunuchs；　who　are　charged　with　the　care　of　him；　and

especially　with　the　fashioning　and　right　formation　of　his　limbs；　in　order

that　he　may　be　as　shapely　as　possible；　which　being　their　calling；　they　are

held　in　great　honour。　　And　when　the　young　prince　is　seven　years　old　he　is

put　upon　a　horse　and　taken　to　the　riding…masters；　and　begins　to　go　out

hunting。　　And　at　fourteen　years　of　age　he　is　handed　over　to　the　royal

schoolmasters；　as　they　are　termed：　　these　are　four　chosen　men；　reputed　to

be　the　best　among　the　Persians　of　a　certain　age；　and　one　of　them　is　the

wisest；　another　the　justest；　a　third　the　most　temperate；　and　a　fourth　the

most　valiant。　　The　first　instructs　him　in　the　magianism　of　Zoroaster；　the

son　of　Oromasus；　which　is　the　worship　of　the　Gods；　and　teaches　him　also　the

duties　of　his　royal　office；　the　second；　who　is　the　justest；　teaches　him

always　to　speak　the　truth；　the　third；　or　most　temperate；　forbids　him　to

allow　any　pleasure　to　be　lord　over　him；　that　he　may　be　accustomed　to　be　a

freeman　and　king　indeed；lord　of　himself　first；　and　not　a　slave；　the　most

valiant　trains　him　to　be　bold　and　fearless；　telling　him　that　if　he　fears　he

is　to　deem　himself　a　slave；　whereas　Pericles　gave　you；　Alcibiades；　for　a

tutor　Zopyrus　the　Thracian；　a　slave　of　his　who　was　past　all　other　work。　　I

might　enlarge　on　the　nurture　and　education　of　your　rivals；　but　that　would

be　tedious；　and　what　I　have　said　is　a　sufficient　sample　of　what　remains　to

be　said。　　I　have　only　to　remark；　by　way　of　contrast；　that　no　one　cares

about　your　birth　or　nurture　or　education；　or；　I　may　say；　about　that　of　any

other　Athenian；　unless　he　has　a　lover　who　looks　after　him。　　And　if　you　cast

an　eye　on　the　wealth；　the　luxury；　the　garments　with　their　flowing　trains；

the　anointings　with　myrrh；　the　multitudes　of　attendants；　and　all　the　other

bravery　of　the　Persians；　you　will　be　ashamed　when　you　discern　your　own

inferiority；　or　if　you　look　at　the　temperance　and　orderliness　and　ease　and

grace　and　magnanimity　and　courage　and　endurance　and　love　of　toil　and　desire

of　glory　and　ambition　of　the　Lacedaemoniansin　all　these　respects　you　will

see　that　you　are　but　a　child　in　comparison　of　them。　　Even　in　the　matter　of

wealth；　if　you　value　yourself　upon　that；　I　must　reveal　to　you　how　you

stand；　for　if　you　form　an　estimate　of　the　wealth　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　you

will　see　that　our　possessions　fall　far　short　of　theirs。　　For　no　one　here

can　compete　with　them　either　in　the　extent　and　fertility　of　their　own　and

the　Messenian　territory；　or　in　the　number　of　their　slaves；　and　especially

of　the　Helots；　or　of　their　horses；　or　of　the　animals　which　feed　on　the

Messenian　pastures。　　But　I　have　said　enough　of　this：　　and　as　to　gold　and

silver；　there　is　more　of　them　in　Lacedaemon　than　in　all　the　rest　of　Hellas；

for　during　many　generations　gold　has　been　always　flowing　in　to　them　from

the　whole　Hellenic　world；　and　often　from　the　barbarian　also；　and　never

going　out；　as　in　the　fable　of　Aesop　the　fox　said　to　the　lion；　'The　prints

of　the　feet　of　those　going　in　are　distinct　enough；'　but　who　ever　saw　the

trace　of　money　going　out　of　Lacedaemon？　　And　therefore　you　may　safely　infer

that　the　inhabitants　are　the　richest　of　the　Hellenes　in　gold　and　silver；

and　that　their　kings　are　the　richest　of　them；　for　they　have　a　larger　share

of　these　things；　and　they　have　also　a　tribute　paid　to　them　which　is　very

considerable。　　Yet　the　Spartan　wealth；　though　great　in　comparison　of　the

wealth　of　the　other　Hellenes；　is　as　nothing　in　comparison　of　that　of　the

Persians　and　their　kings。　　Why；　I　have　been　informed　by　a　credible　person

who　went　up　to　the　king　（at　Susa）；　that　he　passed　through　a　large　tract　of

excellent　land；　extending　for　nearly　a　day's　journey；　which　the　people　of

the　country　called　the　queen's　girdle；　and　another；　which　they　called　her

veil；　and　several　other　fair　and　fertile　districts；　which　were　reserved　for

the　adornment　of　the　queen；　and　are　named　after　her　several　habiliments。　

Now；　I　cannot　help　thinking　to　myself；　What　if　some　one　were　to　go　to

Amestris；　the　wife　of　Xerxes　and　mother　of　Artaxerxes；　and　say　to　her；

There　is　a　certain　Dinomache；　whose　whole　wardrobe　is　not　worth　fifty

minaeand　that　will　be　more　than　the　valueand　she　has　a　son　who　is

possessed　of　a　three…hundred　acre　patch　at　Erchiae；　and　he　has　a　mind　to　go

to　war　with　your　sonwould　she　not　wonder　to　what　this　Alcibiades　trusts

for　success　in　the　conflict？　　'He　must　rely；'　she　would　say　to　herself；

'upon　his　training　and　wisdomthese　are　the　things　which　Hellenes　value。'　

And　if　she　heard　that　this　Alcibiades　who　is　making　the　attempt　is　not　as

yet　twenty　years　old；　and　is　wholly　uneducated；　and　when　his　lover　tells

him　that　he　ought　to　get　education　and　training　first；　and　then　go　and

fight　the　king；　he　refuses；　and　says　that　he　is　well　enough　as　he　is；　would

she　not　be　amazed；　and　ask　'On　what；　then；　does　the　youth　rely？'　　And　if　we

replied：　　He　relies　on　his　beauty；　and　stature；　and　birth；　and　mental

endowments；　she　would　think　that　we　were　mad；　Alcibiades；　when　she　compared

the　advantages　which　you　possess　with　those　of　her　own　people。　　And　I

believe　that　even　Lampido；　the　daughter　of　Leotychides；　the　wife　of

Archidamus　and　mother　of　Agis；　all　of　whom　were　kings；　would　have　the　same

feeling；　if；　in　your　present　uneducated　state；　you　were　to　turn　your

thoughts　against　her　son；　she　too　would　be　equally　astonished。　　But　how

disgraceful；　that　we　should　not　have　as　high　a　notion　of　what　is　required

in　us　as　our　enemies'　wives　and　mothers　have　of　the　qualities　which　are

required　in　their　assailants！　　O　my　friend；　be　persuaded　by　me；　and　hear

the　Delphian　inscription；　'Know　thyself'not　the　men　whom　you　think；　but

these　kings　are　our　rivals；　and　we　can　only　overcome　them　by　pains　and

skill。　　And　if　you　fail　in　the　required　qualities；　you　will　fail　also　in

becoming　renowned　among　Hellenes　and　Barbarians；　which　you　seem　to　desire

more　than　any　other　man　ever　desired　anything。



ALCIBIADES：　　I　entirely　believe　you；　but　what　are　the　sort　of　pains　which

are　required；　Socrates；can　you　tell　me？



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　I　can；　but　we　must　take　counsel　together　concerning　the

manner　in