alcibiades i-第4章

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therefore　here　present　myself　before　you；　and　I　greatly　hope　that　no

similar　hindrance　will　again　occur。　　Meanwhile；　I　have　observed　that　your

pride　has　been　too　much　for　the　pride　of　your　admirers；　they　were　numerous

and　high…spirited；　but　they　have　all　run　away；　overpowered　by　your　superior

force　of　character；　not　one　of　them　remains。　　And　I　want　you　to　understand

the　reason　why　you　have　been　too　much　for　them。　　You　think　that　you　have　no

need　of　them　or　of　any　other　man；　for　you　have　great　possessions　and　lack

nothing；　beginning　with　the　body；　and　ending　with　the　soul。　　In　the　first

place；　you　say　to　yourself　that　you　are　the　fairest　and　tallest　of　the

citizens；　and　this　every　one　who　has　eyes　may　see　to　be　true；　in　the　second

place；　that　you　are　among　the　noblest　of　them；　highly　connected　both　on　the

father's　and　the　mother's　side；　and　sprung　from　one　of　the　most

distinguished　families　in　your　own　state；　which　is　the　greatest　in　Hellas；

and　having　many　friends　and　kinsmen　of　the　best　sort；　who　can　assist　you

when　in　need；　and　there　is　one　potent　relative；　who　is　more　to　you　than　all

the　rest；　Pericles　the　son　of　Xanthippus；　whom　your　father　left　guardian　of

you；　and　of　your　brother；　and　who　can　do　as　he　pleases　not　only　in　this

city；　but　in　all　Hellas；　and　among　many　and　mighty　barbarous　nations。　

Moreover；　you　are　rich；　but　I　must　say　that　you　value　yourself　least　of　all

upon　your　possessions。　　And　all　these　things　have　lifted　you　up；　you　have

overcome　your　lovers；　and　they　have　acknowledged　that　you　were　too　much　for

them。　　Have　you　not　remarked　their　absence？　　And　now　I　know　that　you　wonder

why　I；　unlike　the　rest　of　them；　have　not　gone　away；　and　what　can　be　my

motive　in　remaining。



ALCIBIADES：　　Perhaps；　Socrates；　you　are　not　aware　that　I　was　just　going　to

ask　you　the　very　same　questionWhat　do　you　want？　　And　what　is　your　motive

in　annoying　me；　and　always；　wherever　I　am；　making　a　point　of　coming？　

（Compare　Symp。）　　I　do　really　wonder　what　you　mean；　and　should　greatly　like

to　know。



SOCRATES：　　Then　if；　as　you　say；　you　desire　to　know；　I　suppose　that　you　will

be　willing　to　hear；　and　I　may　consider　myself　to　be　speaking　to　an　auditor

who　will　remain；　and　will　not　run　away？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly；　let　me　hear。



SOCRATES：　　You　had　better　be　careful；　for　I　may　very　likely　be　as　unwilling

to　end　as　I　have　hitherto　been　to　begin。



ALCIBIADES：　　Proceed；　my　good　man；　and　I　will　listen。



SOCRATES：　　I　will　proceed；　and；　although　no　lover　likes　to　speak　with　one

who　has　no　feeling　of　love　in　him　（compare　Symp。）；　I　will　make　an　effort；

and　tell　you　what　I　meant：　　My　love；　Alcibiades；　which　I　hardly　like　to

confess；　would　long　ago　have　passed　away；　as　I　flatter　myself；　if　I　saw　you

loving　your　good　things；　or　thinking　that　you　ought　to　pass　life　in　the

enjoyment　of　them。　　But　I　shall　reveal　other　thoughts　of　yours；　which　you

keep　to　yourself；　whereby　you　will　know　that　I　have　always　had　my　eye　on

you。　　Suppose　that　at　this　moment　some　God　came　to　you　and　said：　

Alcibiades；　will　you　live　as　you　are；　or　die　in　an　instant　if　you　are

forbidden　to　make　any　further　acquisition？I　verily　believe　that　you　would

choose　death。　　And　I　will　tell　you　the　hope　in　which　you　are　at　present

living：　　Before　many　days　have　elapsed；　you　think　that　you　will　come　before

the　Athenian　assembly；　and　will　prove　to　them　that　you　are　more　worthy　of

honour　than　Pericles；　or　any　other　man　that　ever　lived；　and　having　proved

this；　you　will　have　the　greatest　power　in　the　state。　　When　you　have　gained

the　greatest　power　among　us；　you　will　go　on　to　other　Hellenic　states；　and

not　only　to　Hellenes；　but　to　all　the　barbarians　who　inhabit　the　same

continent　with　us。　　And　if　the　God　were　then　to　say　to　you　again：　　Here　in

Europe　is　to　be　your　seat　of　empire；　and　you　must　not　cross　over　into　Asia

or　meddle　with　Asiatic　affairs；　I　do　not　believe　that　you　would　choose　to

live　upon　these　terms；　but　the　world；　as　I　may　say；　must　be　filled　with

your　power　and　nameno　man　less　than　Cyrus　and　Xerxes　is　of　any　account

with　you。　　Such　I　know　to　be　your　hopesI　am　not　guessing　onlyand　very

likely　you；　who　know　that　I　am　speaking　the　truth；　will　reply；　Well；

Socrates；　but　what　have　my　hopes　to　do　with　the　explanation　which　you

promised　of　your　unwillingness　to　leave　me？　　And　that　is　what　I　am　now

going　to　tell　you；　sweet　son　of　Cleinias　and　Dinomache。　　The　explanation

is；　that　all　these　designs　of　yours　cannot　be　accomplished　by　you　without

my　help；　so　great　is　the　power　which　I　believe　myself　to　have　over　you　and

your　concerns；　and　this　I　conceive　to　be　the　reason　why　the　God　has

hitherto　forbidden　me　to　converse　with　you；　and　I　have　been　long　expecting

his　permission。　　For；　as　you　hope　to　prove　your　own　great　value　to　the

state；　and　having　proved　it；　to　attain　at　once　to　absolute　power；　so　do　I

indulge　a　hope　that　I　shall　be　the　supreme　power　over　you；　if　I　am　able　to

prove　my　own　great　value　to　you；　and　to　show　you　that　neither　guardian；　nor

kinsman；　nor　any　one　is　able　to　deliver　into　your　hands　the　power　which　you

desire；　but　I　only；　God　being　my　helper。　　When　you　were　young　（compare

Symp。）　and　your　hopes　were　not　yet　matured；　I　should　have　wasted　my　time；

and　therefore；　as　I　conceive；　the　God　forbade　me　to　converse　with　you；　but

now；　having　his　permission；　I　will　speak；　for　now　you　will　listen　to　me。



ALCIBIADES：　　Your　silence；　Socrates；　was　always　a　surprise　to　me。　　I　never

could　understand　why　you　followed　me　about；　and　now　that　you　have　begun　to

speak　again；　I　am　still　more　amazed。　　Whether　I　think　all　this　or　not；　is　a

matter　about　which　you　seem　to　have　already　made　up　your　mind；　and

therefore　my　denial　will　have　no　effect　upon　you。　　But　granting；　if　I　must；

that　you　have　perfectly　divined　my　purposes；　why　is　your　assistance

necessary　to　the　attainment　of　them？　　Can　you　tell　me　why？



SOCRATES：　　You　want　to　know　whether　I　can　make　a　long　speech；　such　as　you

are　in　the　habit　of　hearing；　but　that　is　not　my　way。　　I　think；　however；

that　I　can　prove　to　you　the　truth　of　what　I　am　saying；　if　you　will　grant　me

one　little　favour。



ALCIBIADES：　　Yes；　if　the　favour　which　you　mean　be　not　a　troublesome　one。



SOCRATES：　　Will　you　be　troubled　at　having　questions　to　answer？



ALCIBIADES：　　Not　at　all。



SOCRATES：　　Then　please　to　answer。



ALCIBIADES：　　Ask　me。



SOCRATES：　　Have　you　not　the　intention　which　I　attribute　to　you？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　will　grant　anything　you　like；　in　the　hope　of　hearing　what

more　you　have　to　say。



SOCRATES：　　You　do；　then；　mean；　as　I　was　saying；　to　come　forward　in　a　little

while　in　the　character　of　an　adviser　of　the　Athenians？　　And　suppose　that

when　you　are　ascending　the　bema；　I　pull　you　by　the　sleeve　and　say；

Alcibiades；　you　are　getting　up　to　advise　the　Atheniansdo　you　know　the

matter　about　which　they　are　going　to　deliberate；　better　than　they？How

would　you　answer？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　should　reply；　that　I　was　going　to　advise　them　about　a　matter

which　I　do　know　better　than　they。



SOCRATES：　　Then　you　are　a　good　adviser　about　the　things　which　you　know？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　And　do　you　know　anything　but　what　you　have　learned　of　others；　or

found　out　yourself？



ALCIBIADES：　　That　is　all。



SOCRATES：　　And　would　you　have　ever　learned　or　discovered　anything；　if　you

had　not　been　willing　either　to　learn　of　others　or　to　examine　yourself？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　should　not。



SOCRATES：　　And　would　you　have　been　willing　to　learn　or　to　examine　what　you

supposed　that　you　knew？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly　not。



SOCRATES：　　Then　there　was　a　time　when　you　thought　that　you　did　not　know

what　you　are　now　supposed　to　know？



ALCIBIADES：　　Certainly。



SOCRATES：　　I　think　that　I　know　tolerably　well　the　extent　of　your

acquirements；　and　you　must　tell　me　if　I　forget　any　of　them：　　according　to

my　recollection；　you　learned　the　arts　of　writing；　of　playing　on　the　lyre；

and　of　wrestling；　the　flute