the memorabilia(纪念品)-第30章
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59 A； 117 D。 For Antisthenes see above。 For Cebes and Simmias see
above； I。 ii。 48； Plat。 〃Crit。〃 45 B； 〃Phaed。〃 passim。
Theod。 I wish you would lend me your magic…wheel；＇17＇ then； and I
will set it spinning first of all for you。
＇17＇ Cf。 Theocr。 ii。 17； Schneider ad loc。
Soc。 Ah！ but I do not wish to be drawn to you。 I wish you to come to
me。
Theod。 Then I will come。 Only； will you be 〃at home〃 to me？
Soc。 Yes； I will welcome you； unless some one still dearer holds me
engaged； and I must needs be 〃not at home。〃
XII
Seeing one of those who were with him； a young man； but feeble of
body； named Epigenes；＇1＇ he addressed him。
＇1＇ Epigenes； possibly the son of Antiphon。 See Plat。 〃Apol。〃 33 E；
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〃Phaed。〃 59 B。
Soc。 You have not the athletic appearance of a youth in training；＇2＇
Epigenes。
＇2＇ ｛idiotikos｝； lit。 of the person untrained in gymnastics。 See A。 R。
Cluer ad loc。 Cf。 Plat。 〃Laws；〃 839 E； I。 ii。 4； III。 v。 15； 〃Symp。〃 ii。
17。
And he： That may well be； seeing I am an amateur and not in training。
Soc。 As little of an amateur； I take it； as any one who ever entered the
lists of Olympia； unless you are prepared to make light of that contest for
life and death against the public foe which the Athenians will institute
when the day comes。＇3＇ And yet they are not a few who； owing to a bad
habit of body； either perish outright in the perils of war； or are ignobly
saved。 Many are they who for the self…same cause are taken prisoners； and
being taken must； if it so betide； endure the pains of slavery for the rest of
their days； or； after falling into dolorous straits；＇4＇ when they have paid to
the uttermost farthing of all； or may be more than the worth of all； that
they possess； must drag on a miserable existence in want of the barest
necessaries until death release them。 Many also are they who gain an evil
repute through infirmity of body； being thought to play the coward。 Can it
be that you despise these penalties affixed to an evil habit？ Do you think
you could lightly endure them？ Far lighter； I imagine； nay； pleasant even
by comparison； are the toils which he will undergo who duly cultivates a
healthy bodily condition。 Or do you maintain that the evil habit is healthier；
and in general more useful than the good？ Do you pour contempt upon
those blessings which flow from the healthy state？ And yet the very
opposite of that which befalls the ill attends the sound condition。 Does not
the very soundness imply at once health and strength？＇5＇ Many a man
with no other talisman than this has passed safely through the ordeal of
war； stepping； not without dignity；＇6＇ through all its horrors unscathed。
Many with no other support than this have come to the rescue of friends；
or stood forth as benefactors of their fatherland； whereby they were
thought worthy of gratitude； and obtained a great renown and received as a
recompense the highest honours of the State； to whom is also reserved a
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happier and brighter passage through what is left to them of life； and at
their death they leave to their children the legacy of a fairer starting…point
in the race of life。
＇3＇ Or； 〃should chance betide。〃 Is the author thinking of a life…and…
death struggle with Thebes？
＇4＇ e。g。 the prisoners in the Latomiae。 Thuc。 vii。 87。
＇5＇ It is almost a proverb〃Sound of body and limb is hale and
strong。〃 〃Qui valet praevalebit。〃
＇6＇ e。g。 Socrates himself； according to Alcibiades； ap。 Plat。 〃Symp。〃
221 B； and for the word ｛euskhemonos｝ see Arist。 〃Wasps；〃 1210；
〃like a gentleman〃； L。 and S。； 〃Cyr。〃 I。 iii。 8； Aristot。 〃Eth。 N。〃 i。 10；
13； 〃gracefully。〃
Because our city does not practise military training in public；＇7＇ that is
no reason for neglecting it in private； but rather a reason for making it a
foremost care。 For be you assured that there is no contest of any sort； nor
any transaction； in which you will be the worse off for being well prepared
in body； and in fact there is nothing which men do for which the body is
not a help。 In every demand； therefore； which can be laid upon the body it
is much better that it should be in the best condition； since； even where
you might imagine the claims upon the body to be slightestin the act of
reasoningwho does not know the terrible stumbles which are made
through being out of health？ It suffices to say that forgetfulness； and
despondency； and moroseness； and madness take occasion often of ill…
health to visit the intellectual faculties so severely as to expel all
knowledge＇8＇ from the brain。 But he who is in good bodily plight has
large security。 He runs no risk of incurring any such catastrophe through
ill…health at any rate； he has the expectation rather that a good habit must
procure consequences the opposite to those of an evil habit；＇9＇ and surely
to this end there is nothing a man in his senses would not undergo。 。 。 。 It is
a base thing for a man to wax old in careless self…neglect before he has
lifted up his eyes and seen what manner of man he was made to be； in the
full perfection of bodily strength and beauty。 But these glories are
withheld from him who is guilty of self…neglect； for they are not wont to
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blaze forth unbidden。＇10＇
＇7＇ Cf。 〃Pol。 Ath。〃 i。 13； and above； III。 v。 15。
＇8＇ Or； 〃whole branches of knowledge〃 （｛tas epistemas｝）。
＇9＇ Or； 〃he may well hope to be insured by his good habit against the
evils attendant on its opposite。〃
＇10＇ Or； 〃to present themselves spontaneously。〃
XII
Once when some one was in a fury of indignation because he had
bidden a passer…by good…day and the salutation was not returned； Socrates
said： 〃It is enough to make one laugh！ If you met a man in a wretched
condition of body； you would not fall into a rage； but because you stumble
upon a poor soul somewhat boorishly disposed； you feel annoyed。〃
To the remark of another who complained that he did not take his foot
with pleasure； he said： 〃Acumenus＇1＇ has a good prescription for that。〃
And when the other asked： 〃And what may that be？〃 〃To stop eating；〃 he
said。 〃On the score of pleasure； economy； and health； total abstinence has
much in its favour。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ A well…known physician。 See Plat。 〃Phaedr。〃 227 A； 269 A；
〃Symp。〃 176 B。 A similar story is told of Dr。 Abernethy； I think。
＇2＇ Lit。 〃he would live a happier； thriftier； and healthier life； if he
stopped eating。〃
And when some one else lamented that 〃the drinking…water in his
house was hot；〃 he replied： 〃Then when you want a warm bath you will
not have to wait。〃
The Other。 But for bathing purposes it is cold。
Soc。 Do you find that your domestics seem to mind drinking it or
washing in it？
The Other。 Quite the reverse； it is a constant marvel to me how
contentedly they use it for either purpose。
Soc。 Which is hotter to the tastethe water in your house or the hot
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spring in the temple of Asclepius？＇3＇
＇3＇ In the Hieron at Epidauros probably。 See Baedeker； 〃Greece；〃 p。
240 foll。
The Other。 The water in the temple of Asclepius。
Soc。 And which is colder for bathingyours or the cold spring in the
cave of Amphiaraus？＇4＇
＇4＇ Possibly at Oropos。 Cf。 Paus。 i。 34。 3。
The Other。 The water in the cave of Amphiaraus。
Soc。 Then please to observe： if you do not take care； they will set you
down as harder to please than a domestic servant or an invalid。＇5＇
＇5＇ i。e。 〃the least and the most fastidious of men。〃
A man had administered a severe whipping to the slave in attendance
on him； and when Socrates asked： 〃Why he was so wroth with his own
serving…man？〃 excused himself on the ground that 〃the fellow was a lazy；
gourmandising； good…for…nothing doltfonder of money than of work。〃 To
which Socrates： 〃Did it ever strike you to consider which of the two in that
case the more deserves a whippingthe master or the man？〃
When some one was apprehending the journey to Olympia； 〃Why are
you afraid of the long distance？〃 he asked。 〃Here at home you spend
nearly all your day in taking walks。＇6＇ Well； on your road to Olympia you
will take a walk and breakfast； and then you will take another walk and
dine； and go to bed。 Do you not see； if you take and tack together five or
six days' length of walks； and stretch them out in one long line； it will soon
reach from Athens to Olympia？ I would recommend you； however； to set
off a day too soon rather than a day too late。 To be forced to lengthen the
day's journey beyond a reasonable amount may well be a nuisance； but to
take one day's journey beyond what is necessary is pure relaxation。 Make
haste to start； I say； and not while on the road。〃＇7＇
＇6＇ ｛peripateis｝； 〃promenading up and down。〃
＇7＇ 〃Festina lente〃that is your motto。
When some one else remarked 〃he was utterly prostrated after a long
journey；〃 Socrates asked him： 〃Had he had any baggage to carry？〃
〃Not I；〃 replied the complainer； 〃only my cloak。〃
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Soc。 Were you travelling alone； or was your man…servant with you？
He。 Yes； I had my man。
Soc。 Empty…handed； or had he something to carry？
He。 Of cour
