alcibiades ii-第4章

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SOCRATES：　　Do　you　not　see　that　I　was　really　speaking　the　truth　when　I

affirmed　that　the　possession　of　any　other　kind　of　knowledge　was　more　likely

to　injure　than　to　benefit　the　possessor；　unless　he　had　also　the　knowledge

of　the　best？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　do　now；　if　I　did　not　before；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　The　state　or　the　soul；　therefore；　which　wishes　to　have　a　right

existence　must　hold　firmly　to　this　knowledge；　just　as　the　sick　man　clings

to　the　physician；　or　the　passenger　depends　for　safety　on　the　pilot。　　And　if

the　soul　does　not　set　sail　until　she　have　obtained　this　she　will　be　all　the

safer　in　the　voyage　through　life。　　But　when　she　rushes　in　pursuit　of　wealth

or　bodily　strength　or　anything　else；　not　having　the　knowledge　of　the　best；

so　much　the　more　is　she　likely　to　meet　with　misfortune。　　And　he　who　has　the

love　of　learning　（Or；　reading　polumatheian；　'abundant　learning。'）；　and　is

skilful　in　many　arts；　and　does　not　possess　the　knowledge　of　the　best；　but

is　under　some　other　guidance；　will　make；　as　he　deserves；　a　sorry　voyage：

he　will；　I　believe；　hurry　through　the　brief　space　of　human　life；　pilotless

in　mid…ocean；　and　the　words　will　apply　to　him　in　which　the　poet　blamed　his

enemy：



'。。。Full　many　a　thing　he　knew；

But　knew　them　all　badly。'　　（A　fragment　from　the　pseudo…Homeric　poem；

'Margites。'）



ALCIBIADES：　　How　in　the　world；　Socrates；　do　the　words　of　the　poet　apply　to

him？　　They　seem　to　me　to　have　no　bearing　on　the　point　whatever。



SOCRATES：　　Quite　the　contrary；　my　sweet　friend：　　only　the　poet　is　talking

in　riddles　after　the　fashion　of　his　tribe。　　For　all　poetry　has　by　nature　an

enigmatical　character；　and　it　is　by　no　means　everybody　who　can　interpret

it。　　And　if；　moreover；　the　spirit　of　poetry　happen　to　seize　on　a　man　who　is

of　a　begrudging　temper　and　does　not　care　to　manifest　his　wisdom　but　keeps

it　to　himself　as　far　as　he　can；　it　does　indeed　require　an　almost　superhuman

wisdom　to　discover　what　the　poet　would　be　at。　　You　surely　do　not　suppose

that　Homer；　the　wisest　and　most　divine　of　poets；　was　unaware　of　the

impossibility　of　knowing　a　thing　badly：　　for　it　was　no　less　a　person　than

he　who　said　of　Margites　that　'he　knew　many　things；　but　knew　them　all

badly。'　　The　solution　of　the　riddle　is　this；　I　imagine：By　'badly'　Homer

meant　'bad'　and　'knew'　stands　for　'to　know。'　　Put　the　words　together；the

metre　will　suffer；　but　the　poet's　meaning　is　clear；'Margites　knew　all

these　things；　but　it　was　bad　for　him　to　know　them。'　　And；　obviously；　if　it

was　bad　for　him　to　know　so　many　things；　he　must　have　been　a　good…for…

nothing；　unless　the　argument　has　played　us　false。



ALCIBIADES：　　But　I　do　not　think　that　it　has；　Socrates：　　at　least；　if　the

argument　is　fallacious；　it　would　be　difficult　for　me　to　find　another　which

I　could　trust。



SOCRATES：　　And　you　are　right　in　thinking　so。



ALCIBIADES：　　Well；　that　is　my　opinion。



SOCRATES：　　But　tell　me；　by　Heaven：you　must　see　now　the　nature　and

greatness　of　the　difficulty　in　which　you；　like　others；　have　your　part。　　For

you　change　about　in　all　directions；　and　never　come　to　rest　anywhere：　　what

you　once　most　strongly　inclined　to　suppose；　you　put　aside　again　and　quite

alter　your　mind。　　If　the　God　to　whose　shrine　you　are　going　should　appear　at

this　moment；　and　ask　before　you　made　your　prayer；　'Whether　you　would　desire

to　have　one　of　the　things　which　we　mentioned　at　first；　or　whether　he　should

leave　you　to　make　your　own　request：'what　in　either　case；　think　you；　would

be　the　best　way　to　take　advantage　of　the　opportunity？



ALCIBIADES：　　Indeed；　Socrates；　I　could　not　answer　you　without

consideration。　　It　seems　to　me　to　be　a　wild　thing　（The　Homeric　word　margos

is　said　to　be　here　employed　in　allusion　to　the　quotation　from　the

'Margites'　which　Socrates　has　just　made；　but　it　is　not　used　in　the　sense

which　it　has　in　Homer。）　to　make　such　a　request；　a　man　must　be　very　careful

lest　he　pray　for　evil　under　the　idea　that　he　is　asking　for　good；　when

shortly　after　he　may　have　to　recall　his　prayer；　and；　as　you　were　saying；

demand　the　opposite　of　what　he　at　first　requested。



SOCRATES：　　And　was　not　the　poet　whose　words　I　originally　quoted　wiser　than

we　are；　when　he　bade　us　（pray　God）　to　defend　us　from　evil　even　though　we

asked　for　it？



ALCIBIADES：　　I　believe　that　you　are　right。



SOCRATES：　　The　Lacedaemonians；　too；　whether　from　admiration　of　the　poet　or

because　they　have　discovered　the　idea　for　themselves；　are　wont　to　offer　the

prayer　alike　in　public　and　private；　that　the　Gods　will　give　unto　them　the

beautiful　as　well　as　the　good：no　one　is　likely　to　hear　them　make　any

further　petition。　　And　yet　up　to　the　present　time　they　have　not　been　less

fortunate　than　other　men；　or　if　they　have　sometimes　met　with　misfortune；

the　fault　has　not　been　due　to　their　prayer。　　For　surely；　as　I　conceive；　the

Gods　have　power　either　to　grant　our　requests；　or　to　send　us　the　contrary　of

what　we　ask。



And　now　I　will　relate　to　you　a　story　which　I　have　heard　from　certain　of　our

elders。　　It　chanced　that　when　the　Athenians　and　Lacedaemonians　were　at　war；

our　city　lost　every　battle　by　land　and　sea　and　never　gained　a　victory。　　The

Athenians　being　annoyed　and　perplexed　how　to　find　a　remedy　for　their

troubles；　decided　to　send　and　enquire　at　the　shrine　of　Ammon。　　Their　envoys

were　also　to　ask；　'Why　the　Gods　always　granted　the　victory　to　the

Lacedaemonians？'　　'We；'　（they　were　to　say；）　'offer　them　more　and　finer

sacrifices　than　any　other　Hellenic　state；　and　adorn　their　temples　with

gifts；　as　nobody　else　does；　moreover；　we　make　the　most　solemn　and　costly

processions　to　them　every　year；　and　spend　more　money　in　their　service　than

all　the　rest　of　the　Hellenes　put　together。　　But　the　Lacedaemonians　take　no

thought　of　such　matters；　and　pay　so　little　respect　to　the　Gods　that　they

have　a　habit　of　sacrificing　blemished　animals　to　them；　and　in　various　ways

are　less　zealous　than　we　are；　although　their　wealth　is　quite　equal　to

ours。'　　When　they　had　thus　spoken；　and　had　made　their　request　to　know　what

remedy　they　could　find　against　the　evils　which　troubled　them；　the　prophet

made　no　direct　answer；clearly　because　he　was　not　allowed　by　the　God　to　do

so；but　he　summoned　them　to　him　and　said：　　'Thus　saith　Ammon　to　the

Athenians：　　〃The　silent　worship　of　the　Lacedaemonians　pleaseth　me　better

than　all　the　offerings　of　the　other　Hellenes。〃'　　Such　were　the　words　of　the

God；　and　nothing　more。　　He　seems　to　have　meant　by　'silent　worship'　the

prayer　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　which　is　indeed　widely　different　from　the

usual　requests　of　the　Hellenes。　　For　they　either　bring　to　the　altar　bulls

with　gilded　horns　or　make　offerings　to　the　Gods；　and　beg　at　random　for　what

they　need；　good　or　bad。　　When；　therefore；　the　Gods　hear　them　using　words　of

ill　omen　they　reject　these　costly　processions　and　sacrifices　of　theirs。　

And　we　ought；　I　think；　to　be　very　careful　and　consider　well　what　we　should

say　and　what　leave　unsaid。　　Homer；　too；　will　furnish　us　with　similar

stories。　　For　he　tells　us　how　the　Trojans　in　making　their　encampment；



'Offered　up　whole　hecatombs　to　the　immortals；'



and　how　the　'sweet　savour'　was　borne　'to　the　heavens　by　the　winds；



'But　the　blessed　Gods　were　averse　and　received　it　not。

For　exceedingly　did　they　hate　the　holy　Ilium；

Both　Priam　and　the　people　of　the　spear…skilled　king。'



So　that　it　was　in　vain　for　them　to　sacrifice　and　offer　gifts；　seeing　that

they　were　hateful　to　the　Gods；　who　are　not；　like　vile　usurers；　to　be　gained

over　by　bribes。　　And　it　is　foolish　for　us　to　boast　that　we　are　superior　to

the　Lacedaemonians　by　reason　of　our　much　worship。　　The　idea　is

inconceivable　that　the　Gods　have　regard；　not　to　the　justice　and　purity　of

our　souls；　but　to　costly　processions　and　sacrifices；　which　men　may

celebrate　year　after　year；　although　they　have　committed　innumerable　crimes

against　the　Gods　or　against　their　fellow…men　or　the　state。　　For　the　Gods；

as　Ammon　and　his　prophet　declare；　are　no　receivers　of　gifts；　and