symposium-第14章

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re　you　meditating？〃　he　said。　〃I　think；〃　I　replied；　〃that　of　all　the　lovers　whom　I　have　ever　had　you　are　the　only　one　who　is　worthy　of　me；　and　you　appear　to　be　too　modest　to　speak。　Now　I　feel　that　I　should　be　a　fool　to　refuse　you　this　or　any　other　favour；　and　therefore　I　come　to　lay　at　your　feet　all　that　I　have　and　all　that　my　friends　have；　in　the　hope　that　you　will　assist　me　in　the　way　of　virtue；　which　I　desire　above　all　things；　and　in　which　I　believe　that　you　can　help　me　better　than　any　one　else。　And　I　should　certainly　have　more　reason　to　be　ashamed　of　what　wise　men　would　say　if　I　were　to　refuse　a　favour　to　such　as　you；　than　of　what　the　world　who　are　mostly　fools；　would　say　of　me　if　I　granted　it。〃　To　these　words　he　replied　in　the　ironical　manner　which　is　so　characteristic　of　him：　〃Alcibiades；　my　friend；　you　have　indeed　an　elevated　aim　if　what　you　say　is　true；　and　if　there　really　is　in　me　any　power　by　which　you　may　become　better；　truly　you　must　see　in　me　some　rare　beauty　of　a　kind　infinitely　higher　than　any　which　I　see　in　you。　And　therefore；　if　you　mean　to　share　with　me　and　to　exchange　beauty　for　beauty；　you　will　have　greatly　the　advantage　of　me；　you　will　gain　true　beauty　in　return　for　appearance…like　Diomede；　gold　in　exchange　for　brass。　But　look　again；　sweet　friend；　and　see　whether　you　are　not　deceived　in　me。　The　mind　begins　to　grow　critical　when　the　bodily　eye　fails；　and　it　will　be　a　long　time　before　you　get　old。〃　Hearing　this；　I　said：　〃I　have　told　you　my　purpose；　which　is　quite　serious；　and　do　you　consider　what　you　think　best　for　you　and　me。〃　〃That　is　good；〃　he　said；　〃at　some　other　time　then　we　will　consider　and　act　as　seems　best　about　this　and　about　other　matters。〃　Whereupon；　I　fancied　that　was　smitten；　and　that　the　words　which　I　had　uttered　like　arrows　had　wounded　him；　and　so　without　waiting　to　hear　more　I　got　up；　and　throwing　my　coat　about　him　crept　under　his　threadbare　cloak；　as　the　time　of　year　was　winter；　and　there　I　lay　during　the　whole　night　having　this　wonderful　monster　in　my　arms。　This　again；　Socrates；　will　not　be　denied　by　you。　And　yet；　notwithstanding　all；　he　was　so　superior　to　my　solicitations；　so　contemptuous　and　derisive　and　disdainful　of　my　beauty…which　really；　as　I　fancied；　had　some　attractions…hear；　O　judges；　for　judges　you　shall　be　of　the　haughty　virtue　of　Socrates…nothing　more　happened；　but　in　the　morning　when　I　awoke　（let　all　the　gods　and　goddesses　be　my　witnesses）　I　arose　as　from　the　couch　of　a　father　or　an　elder　brother。　　　What　do　you　suppose　must　have　been　my　feelings；　after　this　rejection；　at　the　thought　of　my　own　dishonour？　And　yet　I　could　not　help　wondering　at　his　natural　temperance　and　self…restraint　and　manliness。　I　never　imagined　that　I　could　have　met　with　a　man　such　as　he　is　in　wisdom　and　endurance。　And　therefore　I　could　not　be　angry　with　him　or　renounce　his　company；　any　more　than　I　could　hope　to　win　him。　For　I　well　knew　that　if　Ajax　could　not　be　wounded　by　steel；　much　less　he　by　money；　and　my　only　chance　of　captivating　him　by　my　personal　attractions　had　faded。　So　I　was　at　my　wit's　end；　no　one　was　ever　more　hopelessly　enslaved　by　another。　All　this　happened　before　he　and　I　went　on　the　expedition　to　Potidaea；　there　we　messed　together；　and　I　had　the　opportunity　of　observing　his　extraordinary　power　of　sustaining　fatigue。　His　endurance　was　simply　marvellous　when；　being　cut　off　from　our　supplies；　we　were　compelled　to　go　without　food…on　such　occasions；　which　often　happen　in　time　of　war；　he　was　superior　not　only　to　me　but　to　everybody；　there　was　no　one　to　be　compared　to　him。　Yet　at　a　festival　he　was　the　only　person　who　had　any　real　powers　of　enjoyment；　though　not　willing　to　drink；　he　could　if　compelled　beat　us　all　at　that；…wonderful　to　relate！　no　human　being　had　ever　seen　Socrates　drunk；　and　his　powers；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　will　be　tested　before　long。　His　fortitude　in　enduring　cold　was　also　surprising。　There　was　a　severe　frost；　for　the　winter　in　that　region　is　really　tremendous；　and　everybody　else　either　remained　indoors；　or　if　they　went　out　had　on　an　amazing　quantity　of　clothes；　and　were　well　shod；　and　had　their　feet　swathed　in　felt　and　fleeces：　in　the　midst　of　this；　Socrates　with　his　bare　feet　on　the　ice　and　in　his　ordinary　dress　marched　better　than　the　other　soldiers　who　had　shoes；　and　they　looked　daggers　at　him　because　he　seemed　to　despise　them。　　　I　have　told　you　one　tale；　and　now　I　must　tell　you　another；　which　is　worth　hearing；　'Of　the　doings　and　sufferings　of　the　enduring　man'；　while　he　was　on　the　expedition。　One　morning　he　was　thinking　about　something　which　he　could　not　resolve；　he　would　not　give　it　up；　but　continued　thinking　from　early　dawn　until　noon…there　he　stood　fixed　in　thought；　and　at　noon　attention　was　drawn　to　him；　and　the　rumour　ran　through　the　wondering　crowd　that　Socrates　had　been　standing　and　thinking　about　something　ever　since　the　break　of　day。　At　last；　in　the　evening　after　supper；　some　Ionians　out　of　curiosity　（I　should　explain　that　this　was　not　in　winter　but　in　summer）；　brought　out　their　mats　and　slept　in　the　open　air　that　they　might　watch　him　and　see　whether　he　would　stand　all　night。　There　he　stood　until　the　following　morning；　and　with　the　return　of　light　he　offered　up　a　prayer　to　the　sun；　and　went　his　way。　I　will　also　tell；　if　you　please…and　indeed　I　am　bound　to　tell　of　his　courage　in　battle；　for　who　but　he　saved　my　life？　Now　this　was　the　engagement　in　which　I　received　the　prize　of　valour：　for　I　was　wounded　and　he　would　not　leave　me；　but　he　rescued　me　and　my　arms；　and　he　ought　to　have　received　the　prize　of　valour　which　the　generals　wanted　to　confer　on　me　partly　on　account　of　my　rank；　and　I　told　them　so；　（this；　again　Socrates　will　not　impeach　or　deny）；　but　he　was　more　eager　than　the　generals　that　I　and　not　he　should　have　the　prize。　There　was　another　occasion　on　which　his　behaviour　was　very　remarkable…in　the　flight　of　the　army　after　the　battle　of　Delium；　where　he　served　among　the　heavy…armed…I　had　a　better　opportunity　of　seeing　him　than　at　Potidaea；　for　I　was　myself　on　horseback；　and　therefore　comparatively　out　of　danger。　He　and　Laches　were　retreating；　for　the　troops　were　in　flight；　and　I　met　them　and　told　them　not　to　be　discouraged；　and　promised　to　remain　with　them；　and　there　you　might　see　him；　Aristophanes；　as　you　describe；　just　as　he　is　in　the　streets　of　Athens；　stalking　like　a　and　rolling　his　eyes；　calmly　contemplating　enemies　as　well　as　friends；　and　making　very　intelligible　to　anybody；　even　from　a　distance；　that　whoever　attacked　him　would　be　likely　to　meet　with　a　stout　resistance；　and　in　this　way　he　and　his　companion　escaped…for　this　is　the　sort　of　man　who　is　never　touched　in　war；　those　only　are　pursued　who　are　running　away　headlong。　I　particularly　observed　how　superior　he　was　to　Laches　in　presence　of　mind。　Many　are　the　marvels　which　I　might　narrate　in　praise　of　Socrates；　most　of　his　ways　might　perhaps　be　paralleled　in　another　man；　but　his　absolute　unlikeness　to　any　human　being　that　is　or　ever　has　been　is　perfectly　astonishing。　You　may　imagine　Brasidas　and　others　to　have　been　like　Achilles；　or　you　may　imagine　Nestor　and　Antenor　to　have　been　like　Perides；　and　the　same　may　be　said　of　other　famous　men；　but　of　this　strange　being　you　will　never　be　able　to　find　any　likeness；　however　remote；　either　among　men　who　now　are　or　who　ever　have　been…other　than　that　which　I　have　already　suggested　of　Silenus　and　the　satyrs；　and　they　represent　in　a　figure　not　only　himself；　but　his　words。　For；　although　I　forgot　to　mention　this　to　you　before；　his　words　are　like　the　images　of　Silenus　which　open；　they　are　ridiculous　when　you　first　hear　them；　he　clothes　himself　in　language　that　is　like　the　skin　of　the　wanton　satyr…for　his　talk　is　of　pack…asses　and　smiths　and　cobblers　and　curriers；　and　he　is　always　repeating　the　same　things　in　the　same　words；　so　that　any　ignorant　or　inexperienced　person　might　feel　disposed　to　laugh　at　him；　but　he　who　opens　the　bust　and　sees　what　is　within　will　find　that　they　are　the　only　words　which　have　a　meaning　in　them；　and　also　the　most　divine；　abounding　in　fair　images　of　virtue；　and　of　the　widest　comprehension；　or　rather　extending　to　the　whole　duty　of　a　good　and　honourable　man。　　　This；　friends；　is　my　praise　of　Socrates。　I　have　added　my　blame　of　him　for　his　ill…treatment　of　me；　and　h