gorgias-第17章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


on　the　very　day　on　which　the　men　were　to　die；　the　judges　were　alive；　and　the　men　were　alive；　and　the　consequence　was　that　the　judgments　were　not　well　given。　Then　Pluto　and　the　authorities　from　the　Islands　of　the　Blessed　came　to　Zeus；　and　said　that　the　souls　found　their　way　to　the　wrong　places。　Zeus　said：　〃I　shall　put　a　stop　to　this；　the　judgments　are　not　well　given；　because　the　persons　who　are　judged　have　their　clothes　on；　for　they　are　alive；　and　there　are　many　who；　having　evil　souls；　are　apparelled　in　fair　bodies；　or　encased　in　wealth　or　rank；　and；　when　the　day　of　judgment　arrives；　numerous　witnesses　come　forward　and　testify　on　their　behalf　that　they　have　lived　righteously。　The　judges　are　awed　by　them；　and　they　themselves　too　have　their　clothes　on　when　judging；　their　eyes　and　ears　and　their　whole　bodies　are　interposed　as　a　well　before　their　own　souls。　All　this　is　a　hindrance　to　them；　there　are　the　clothes　of　the　judges　and　the　clothes　of　the　judged…What　is　to　be　done？　I　will　tell　you：…In　the　first　place；　I　will　deprive　men　of　the　foreknowledge　of　death；　which　they　possess　at　present：　this　power　which　they　have　Prometheus　has　already　received　my　orders　to　take　from　them：　in　the　second　place；　they　shall　be　entirely　stripped　before　they　are　judged；　for　they　shall　be　judged　when　they　are　dead；　and　the　judge　too　shall　be　naked；　that　is　to　say；　dead…he　with　his　naked　soul　shall　pierce　into　the　other　naked　souls；　and　they　shall　die　suddenly　and　be　deprived　of　all　their　kindred；　and　leave　their　brave　attire　strewn　upon　the　earth…conducted　in　this　manner；　the　judgment　will　be　just。　I　knew　all　about　the　matter　before　any　of　you；　and　therefore　I　have　made　my　sons　judges；　two　from　Asia；　Minos　and　Rhadamanthus；　and　one　from　Europe；　Aeacus。　And　these；　when　they　are　dead；　shall　give　judgment　in　the　meadow　at　the　parting　of　the　ways；　whence　the　two　roads　lead；　one　to　the　Islands　of　the　Blessed；　and　the　other　to　Tartarus。　Rhadamanthus　shall　judge　those　who　come　from　Asia；　and　Aeacus　those　who　come　from　Europe。　And　to　Minos　I　shall　give　the　primacy；　and　he　shall　hold　a　court　of　appeal；　in　case　either　of　the　two　others　are　in　any　doubt：…then　the　judgment　respecting　the　last　journey　of　men　will　be　as　just　as　possible。〃　　　From　this　tale；　Callicles；　which　I　have　heard　and　believe；　I　draw　the　following　inferences：…Death；　if　I　am　right；　is　in　the　first　place　the　separation　from　one　another　of　two　things；　soul　and　body；　nothing　else。　And　after　they　are　separated　they　retain　their　several　natures；　as　in　life；　the　body　keeps　the　same　habit；　and　the　results　of　treatment　or　accident　are　distinctly　visible　in　it：　for　example；　he　who　by　nature　or　training　or　both；　was　a　tall　man　while　he　was　alive；　will　remain　as　he　was；　after　he　is　dead；　and　the　fat　man　will　remain　fat；　and　so　on；　and　the　dead　man；　who　in　life　had　a　fancy　to　have　flowing　hair；　will　have　flowing　hair。　And　if　he　was　marked　with　the　whip　and　had　the　prints　of　the　scourge；　or　of　wounds　in　him　when　he　was　alive；　you　might　see　the　same　in　the　dead　body；　and　if　his　limbs　were　broken　or　misshapen　when　he　was　alive；　the　same　appearance　would　be　visible　in　the　dead。　And　in　a　word；　whatever　was　the　habit　of　the　body　during　life　would　be　distinguishable　after　death；　either　perfectly；　or　in　a　great　measure　and　for　a　certain　time。　And　I　should　imagine　that　this　is　equally　true　of　the　soul；　Callicles；　when　a　man　is　stripped　of　the　body；　all　the　natural　or　acquired　affections　of　the　soul　are　laid　open　to　view。　And　when　they　come　to　the　judge；　as　those　from　Asia　come　to　Rhadamanthus；　he　places　them　near　him　and　inspects　them　quite　impartially；　not　knowing　whose　the　soul　is：　perhaps　he　may　lay　hands　on　the　soul　of　the　great　king；　or　of　some　other　king　or　potentate；　who　has　no　soundness　in　him；　but　his　soul　is　marked　with　the　whip；　and　is　full　of　the　prints　and　scars　of　perjuries　and　crimes　with　which　each　action　has　stained　him；　and　he　is　all　crooked　with　falsehood　and　imposture；　and　has　no　straightness；　because　he　has　lived　without　truth。　Him　Rhadamanthus　beholds；　full　of　all　deformity　and　disproportion；　which　is　caused　by　licence　and　luxury　and　insolence　and　incontinence；　and　despatches　him　ignominiously　to　his　prison；　and　there　he　undergoes　the　punishment　which　he　deserves。　　　Now　the　proper　office　of　punishment　is　twofold：　he　who　is　rightly　punished　ought　either　to　become　better　and　profit　by　it；　or　he　ought　to　be　made　an　example　to　his　fellows；　that　they　may　see　what　he　suffers；　and　fear　and　become　better。　Those　who　are　improved　when　they　are　punished　by　gods　and　men；　are　those　whose　sins　are　curable；　and　they　are　improved；　as　in　this　world　so　also　in　another；　by　pain　and　suffering；　for　there　is　no　other　way　in　which　they　can　be　delivered　from　their　evil。　But　they　who　have　been　guilty　of　the　worst　crimes；　and　are　incurable　by　reason　of　their　crimes；　are　made　examples；　for；　as　they　are　incurable；　the　time　has　passed　at　which　they　can　receive　any　benefit。　They　get　no　good　themselves；　but　others　get　good　when　they　behold　them　enduring　for　ever　the　most　terrible　and　painful　and　fearful　sufferings　as　the　penalty　of　their　sins…there　they　are；　hanging　up　as　examples；　in　the　prison…house　of　the　world　below；　a　spectacle　and　a　warning　to　all　unrighteous　men　who　come　thither。　And　among　them；　as　I　confidently　affirm；　will　be　found　Archelaus；　if　Polus　truly　reports　of　him；　and　any　other　tyrant　who　is　like　him。　Of　these　fearful　examples；　most；　as　I　believe；　are　taken　from　the　class　of　tyrants　and　kings　and　potentates　and　public　men；　for　they　are　the　authors　of　the　greatest　and　most　impious　crimes；　because　they　have　the　power。　And　Homer　witnesses　to　the　truth　of　this；　for　they　are　always　kings　and　potentates　whom　he　has　described　as　suffering　everlasting　punishment　in　the　world　below：　such　were　Tantalus　and　Sisyphus　and　Tityus。　But　no　one　ever　described　Thersites；　or　any　private　person　who　was　a　villain；　as　suffering　everlasting　punishment；　or　as　incurable。　For　to　commit　the　worst　crimes；　as　I　am　inclined　to　think；　was　not　in　his　power；　and　he　was　happier　than　those　who　had　the　power。　No；　Callicles；　the　very　bad　men　come　from　the　class　of　those　who　have　power。　And　yet　in　that　very　class　there　may　arise　good　men；　and　worthy　of　all　admiration　they　are；　for　where　there　is　great　power　to　do　wrong；　to　live　and　to　die　justly　is　a　hard　thing；　and　greatly　to　be　praised；　and　few　there　are　who　attain　to　this。　Such　good　and　true　men；　however；　there　have　been；　and　will　be　again；　at　Athens　and　in　other　states；　who　have　fulfilled　their　trust　righteously；　and　there　is　one　who　is　quite　famous　all　over　Hellas；　Aristeides；　the　son　of　Lysimachus。　But；　in　general；　great　men　are　also　bad；　my　friend。　　　As　I　was　saying；　Rhadamanthus；　when　he　gets　a　soul　of　the　bad　kind；　knows　nothing　about　him；　neither　who　he　is；　nor　who　his　parents　are；　he　knows　only　that　he　has　got　hold　of　a　villain；　and　seeing　this；　he　stamps　him　as　curable　or　incurable；　and　sends　him　away　to　Tartarus；　whither　he　goes　and　receives　his　proper　recompense。　Or；　again；　he　looks　with　admiration　on　the　soul　of　some　just　one　who　has　lived　in　holiness　and　truth；　he　may　have　been　a　private　man　or　not；　and　I　should　say；　Callicles；　that　he　is　most　likely　to　have　been　a　philosopher　who　has　done　his　own　work；　and　not　troubled　himself　with　the　doings　of　other　in　his　lifetime；　him　Rhadamanthus　sends　to　the　Islands　of　the　Blessed。　Aeacus　does　the　same；　and　they　both　have　sceptres；　and　judge；　but　Minos　alone　has　a　golden　sceptre　and　is　seated　looking　on；　as　Odysseus　in　Homer　declares　that　he　saw　him：

　　　　Holding　a　sceptre　of　gold；　and　giving　laws　to　the　dead。

Now　I；　Callicles；　am　persuaded　of　the　truth　of　these　things；　and　I　consider　how　I　shall　present　my　soul　whole　and　undefiled　before　the　judge　in　that　day。　Renouncing　the　honours　at　which　the　world　aims；　I　desire　only　to　know　the　truth；　and　to　live　as　well　as　I　can；　and；　when　I　die；　to　die　as　well　as　I　can。　And；　to　the　utmost　of　my　power；　I　exhort　all　other　men　to　do　the　same。　And；　in　return　for　your　exhortation　of　me；　I　exhort　you　also　to　take　part　in　the　great　combat；　which　is　the　combat　of　life；　and　greater　than　every　other　earthly　conflict。　And　I　retort　your　reproach　of　me；　and　say；　that　you　will　not　be　able　to　help　yourself　when　the　day　of　trial　and　judgment；　of　which　I　was　speaking；　comes　upon　you；　you　will　go　before　the　judge；　the　son　of　Aegina；　and；　when　he　has　got　you　in　his　grip　and　is　carrying　you　off；　you　will　gape　and　your　head　will　swim　round；　just　as　mine　would　in　the　courts　of　this　world；　and　very　likely　some　one　will　shamefully　box　you　on　the　ears；　and　put　upon　you　any　sort　of　insult。　　　Perhaps　this　may　appear　to　you　to　be　only　an　old　wife's　tale；　which　you　will　contemn。　And　there　might　be　reason　in　your　contemning　such　tales；　if　by　searching　we　could　find　out　anything　better　or　truer：　but　now　you　see　that　you　and　Polus　and　Gorgias；　who　are　the　three　wisest　of　the　Greeks　of　our　day；　are　not　able　to　show　that　we　ought　to　live　any　life　which　does　not　profit　in　another　world　as　well　as　in　this。　And　of　all　that　has　been　said；　nothing　remains　unshaken　but　the　saying；　that　to　do　injustice　is　more　to　be　avoided　than　to　suffer　injustice；　and　that　the　reality　and　not　the　appearance　of　virtue　is　to　be　followed　above　all　things；　as　well　in　public　as　in　private　life；　and　that　when　any　one　has　been　wrong　in　anything；　he　is　to　be　chastised；　and　that　the　next　best　thing　to　a　man　being　just　is　that　he　should　become　just；　and　be　chastised　and　punished；　also　that　he　should　avoid　all　flattery　of　himself　as　well　as　of　others；　of　the　few　or　of　the　many：　and　rhetoric　and　any　other　art　should　be　used　by　him；　and　all　his　actions　should　be　done　always；　with　a　view　to　justice。　　　Follow　me　then；　and　I　will　lead　you　where　you　will　be　happy　in　life　and　after　death；　as　the　argument　shows。　And　never　mind　if　some　one　despises　you　as　a　fool；　and　insults　you；　if　he　has　a　mind；　let　him　strike　you；　by　Zeus；　and　do　you　be　of　good　cheer；　and　do　not　mind　the　insulting　blow；　for　you　will　never　come　to　any　harm　in　the　practise　of　virtue；　if　you　are　a　really　good　and　true　man。　When　we　have　practised　virtue　together；　we　will　apply　ourselves　to　politics；　if　that　seems　desirable；　or　we　will　advise　about　whatever　else　may　seem　good　to　us；　for　we　shall　be　better　able　to　judge　then。　In　our　present　condition　we　ought　not　to　give　ourselves　airs；　for　even　on　the　most　important　subjects　we　are　always　changing　our　minds；　so　utterly　stupid　are　we！　Let　us；　then；　take　the　argument　as　our　guide；　which　has　revealed　to　us　that　the　best　way　of　life　is　to　practise　justice　and　every　virtue　in　life　and　death。　This　way　let　us　go；　and　in　this　exhort　all　men　to　follow；　not　in　the　way　to　which　you　trust　and　in　which　you　exhort　me　to　follow　you；　for　that　way；　Callicles；　is　nothing　worth。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…　。