Eryxias.docx
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Eryxias.docx
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Eryxias
Eryxias
byaPlatonicImitator(seeAppendixII)
TranslatedbyBenjaminJowett
APPENDIXII.
Thetwodialogueswhicharetranslatedinthesecondappendixarenot
mentionedbyAristotle,orbyanyearlyauthority,andhavenoclaimtobe
ascribedtoPlato.TheyareexamplesofPlatonicdialoguestobeassigned
probablytothesecondorthirdgenerationafterPlato,whenhiswritings
werewellknownatAthensandAlexandria.Theyexhibitconsiderable
originality,andareremarkableforcontainingseveralthoughtsofthesort
whichwesupposetobemodernratherthanancient,andwhichthereforehave
apeculiarinterestforus.TheSecondAlcibiadesshowsthatthe
difficultiesaboutprayerwhichhaveperplexedChristiantheologianswere
notunknownamongthefollowersofPlato.TheEryxiaswasdoubtedbythe
ancientsthemselves:
yetitmayclaimthedistinctionofbeing,amongall
GreekorRomanwritings,theonewhichanticipatesinthemoststriking
mannerthemodernscienceofpoliticaleconomyandgivesanabstractform
tosomeofitsprincipaldoctrines.
ForthetranslationofthesetwodialoguesIamindebtedtomyfriendand
secretary,Mr.Knight.
ThattheDialoguewhichgoesbythenameoftheSecondAlcibiadesisa
genuinewritingofPlatowillnotbemaintainedbyanymoderncritic,and
washardlybelievedbytheancientsthemselves.Thedialecticispoorand
weak.Thereisnopoweroverlanguage,orbeautyofstyle;andthereisa
certainabruptnessandagroikiaintheconversation,whichisveryun-
Platonic.Thebestpassageisprobablythataboutthepoets:
--theremark
thatthepoet,whoisofareserveddisposition,isuncommonlydifficultto
understand,andtheridiculousinterpretationofHomer,areentirelyinthe
spiritofPlato(compareProtag;Ion;Apol.).Thecharactersareill-
drawn.Socratesassumesthe'superiorperson'andpreachestoomuch,while
Alcibiadesisstupidandheavy-in-hand.TherearetracesofStoic
influenceinthegeneraltoneandphraseologyoftheDialogue(compareopos
meleseitis...kaka:
otipasaphronmainetai):
andthewriterseemsto
havebeenacquaintedwiththe'Laws'ofPlato(compareLaws).Anincident
fromtheSymposiumisratherclumsilyintroduced,andtwosomewhat
hackneyedquotations(Symp.,Gorg.)recur.Thereferencetothedeathof
Archelausashavingoccurred'quitelately'isonlyafiction,probably
suggestedbytheGorgias,wherethestoryofArchelausistold,anda
similarphraseoccurs;--tagarechtheskaiproengegonotatauta,k.t.l.
Thereareseveralpassageswhichareeithercorruptorextremelyill-
expressed.Butthereisamoderninterestinthesubjectofthedialogue;
anditisagoodexampleofashortspuriouswork,whichmaybeattributed
tothesecondorthirdcenturybeforeChrist.
ERYXIAS
by
PlatonicImitator(seeAppendixIIabove)
TranslatedbyBenjaminJowett
INTRODUCTION.
MuchcannotbesaidinpraiseofthestyleorconceptionoftheEryxias.
Itisfrequentlyobscure;liketheexerciseofastudent,itisfullof
smallimitationsofPlato:
--PhaeaxreturningfromanexpeditiontoSicily
(compareSocratesintheCharmidesfromthearmyatPotidaea),thefigure
ofthegameatdraughts,borrowedfromtheRepublic,etc.Ithasalsoin
manypassagestheringofsophistry.Ontheotherhand,therather
unhandsometreatmentwhichisexhibitedtowardsProdicusisquiteunlike
theurbanityofPlato.
Yettherearesomepointsintheargumentwhicharedeservingofattention.
(1)Thatwealthdependsupontheneedofitordemandforit,isthefirst
anticipationinanabstractformofoneofthegreatprinciplesofmodern
politicaleconomy,andthenearestapproachtoittobefoundinanancient
writer.
(2)Theresolutionofwealthintoitssimplestimplementsgoingon
toinfinityisasubtleandrefinedthought.(3)Thatwealthisrelative
tocircumstancesisasoundconception.(4)Thattheartsandsciences
whichreceivepaymentarelikewisetobecomprehendedunderthenotionof
wealth,alsotouchesaquestionofmodernpoliticaleconomy.(5)The
distinctionofposthocandpropterhoc,oftenlostsightofinmodernas
wellasinancienttimes.Thesemetaphysicalconceptionsanddistinctions
showconsiderablepowerofthoughtinthewriter,whateverwemaythinkof
hismeritsasanimitatorofPlato.
ERYXIAS
by
PlatonicImitator(seeAppendixIIabove)
TranslatedbyBenjaminJowett
PERSONSOFTHEDIALOGUE:
Socrates,Eryxias,Erasistratus,Critias.
SCENE:
TheporticoofatempleofZeus.
IthappenedbychancethatEryxiastheSteirianwaswalkingwithmeinthe
PorticoofZeustheDeliverer,whentherecameuptousCritiasand
Erasistratus,thelatterthesonofPhaeax,whowasthenephewof
Erasistratus.NowErasistratushadjustarrivedfromSicilyandthatpart
oftheworld.Astheyapproached,hesaid,Hail,Socrates!
SOCRATES:
Thesametoyou,Isaid;haveyouanygoodnewsfromSicilyto
tellus?
ERASISTRATUS:
Mostexcellent.But,ifyouplease,letusfirstsitdown;
forIamtiredwithmyyesterday'sjourneyfromMegara.
SOCRATES:
Gladly,ifthatisyourdesire.
ERASISTRATUS:
Whatwouldyouwishtohearfirst?
hesaid.Whatthe
Siciliansaredoing,orhowtheyaredisposedtowardsourcity?
Tomy
mind,theyareverylikewasps:
solongasyouonlycausethemalittle
annoyancetheyarequiteunmanageable;youmustdestroytheirnestsifyou
wishtogetthebetterofthem.Andinasimilarway,theSyracusans,
unlesswesettoworkinearnest,andgoagainstthemwithagreat
expedition,willneversubmittoourrule.Thepettyinjurieswhichweat
presentinflictmerelyirritatethemenoughtomakethemutterly
intractable.AndnowtheyhavesentambassadorstoAthens,andintend,I
suspect,toplayussometrick.--Whileweweretalking,theSyracusan
envoyschancedtogoby,andErasistratus,pointingtooneofthem,saidto
me,That,Socrates,istherichestmaninallItalyandSicily.Forwho
haslargerestatesormorelandathisdisposaltocultivateifheplease?
Andtheyareofaquality,too,finerthananyotherlandinHellas.
Moreover,hehasallthethingswhichgotomakeupwealth,slavesand
horsesinnumerable,goldandsilverwithoutend.
Isawthathewasinclinedtoexpatiateontherichesoftheman;soI
askedhim,Well,Erasistratus,andwhatsortofcharacterdoeshebearin
Sicily?
ERASISTRATUS:
Heisesteemedtobe,andreallyis,thewickedestofall
theSiciliansandItalians,andevenmorewickedthanheisrich;indeed,
ifyouweretoaskanySicilianwhomhethoughttobetheworstandthe
richestofmankind,youwouldneverhearanyoneelsenamed.
Ireflectedthatwewerespeaking,notoftrivialmatters,butaboutwealth
andvirtue,whicharedeemedtobeofthegreatestmoment,andIasked
Erasistratuswhomheconsideredthewealthier,--hewhowasthepossessorof
atalentofsilverorhewhohadafieldworthtwotalents?
ERASISTRATUS:
Theownerofthefield.
SOCRATES:
Andonthesameprinciplehewhohadrobesandbeddingandsuch
thingswhichareofgreatervaluetohimthantoastrangerwouldbericher
thanthestranger?
ERASISTRATUS:
True.
SOCRATES:
Andifanyonegaveyouachoice,whichofthesewouldyou
prefer?
ERASISTRATUS:
Thatwhichwasmostvaluable.
SOCRATES:
Inwhichwaydoyouthinkyouwouldbethericher?
ERASISTRATUS:
BychoosingasIsaid.
SOCRATES:
Andheappearstoyoutobetherichestwhohasgoodsofthe
greatestvalue?
ERASISTRATUS:
Hedoes.
SOCRATES:
Andarenotthehealthyricherthanthesick,sincehealthisa
possessionmorevaluablethanrichestothesick?
Surelythereisnoone
whowouldnotprefertobepoorandwell,ratherthantohavealltheKing
ofPersia'swealthandtobeill.Andthisprovesthatmensethealth
abovewealth,elsetheywouldneverchoosetheoneinpreferencetothe
other.
ERASISTRATUS:
True.
SOCRATES:
Andifanythingappearedtobemorevaluablethanhealth,he
wouldbetherichestwhopossessedit?
ERASISTRATUS:
Hewould.
SOCRATES:
Supposethatsomeonecametousatthismomentandweretoask,
Well,SocratesandEryxiasandErasistratus,canyoutellmewhatisofthe
greatestvaluetomen?
Isitnotthatofwhichthepossessionwillbest
enableamantoadvisehowhisownandhisfriend'saffairsshouldbe
administered?
--Whatwillbeourreply?
ERASISTRATUS:
Ishouldsay,Socrates,thathappinesswasthemostprecious
ofhumanpossessions.
SOCRATES:
Notabadanswer.Butdowenotdeemthosemenwhoaremost
prosperoustobethehappiest?
ERASISTRATUS:
Thatismyopinion.
SOCRATES:
Andaretheynotmostprosperouswhocommitthefewesterrorsin
respecteitherofthemselvesorofothermen?
ERASISTRATUS:
Certainly.
SOCRATES:
Andtheywhoknowwhatisevilandwhatisgood;whatshouldbe
doneandwhatshouldbeleftundone;--thesebehavethemostwiselyandmake
thefewestmistakes?
Erasistratusagreedtothis.
SOCRATES:
Thenthewisestandthosewhodobestandthemostfortunateand
therichestwouldappeartobealloneandthesame,ifwisdomisreally
themostvaluableofourpossessions?
Yes,saidEryxias,interposing,butwhatusewoulditbeifamanhadthe
wisdomofNestorandwantedthenecessariesoflife,foodanddrinkand
clothesandthelike?
Wherewouldbetheadvantageofwisdomthen?
Orhow
couldhebetherichestofmenwhomightevenhavetogobegging,because
hehadnotwherewithaltolive?
IthoughtthatwhatEryxiaswassayinghadsomeweight,andIreplied,
Wouldthewisemanreallysufferinthisway,ifheweresoill-provided;
whereasifhehadthehouseofPolytion,andthehouse
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