symposium-第3章

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to　the　bravest；　at　such　a　time；　Love　would　inspire　him。　That　courage　which；　as　Homer　says；　the　god　breathes　into　the　souls　of　some　heroes；　Love　of　his　own　nature　infuses　into　the　lover。　　　Love　will　make　men　dare　to　die　for　their　beloved…love　alone；　and　women　as　well　as　men。　Of　this；　Alcestis；　the　daughter　of　Pelias；　is　a　monument　to　all　Hellas；　for　she　was　willing　to　lay　down　her　life　on　behalf　of　her　husband；　when　no　one　else　would；　although　he　had　a　father　and　mother；　but　the　tenderness　of　her　love　so　far　exceeded　theirs；　that　she　made　them　seem　to　be　strangers　in　blood　to　their　own　son；　and　in　name　only　related　to　him；　and　so　noble　did　this　action　of　hers　appear　to　the　gods；　as　well　as　to　men；　that　among　the　many　who　have　done　virtuously　she　is　one　of　the　very　few　to　whom；　in　admiration　of　her　noble　action；　they　have　granted　the　privilege　of　returning　alive　to　earth；　such　exceeding　honour　is　paid　by　the　gods　to　the　devotion　and　virtue　of　love。　But　Orpheus；　the　son　of　Oeagrus；　the　harper；　they　sent　empty　away；　and　presented　to　him　an　apparition　only　of　her　whom　he　sought；　but　herself　they　would　not　give　up；　because　he　showed　no　spirit；　he　was　only　a　harp…player；　and　did　not…dare　like　Alcestis　to　die　for　love；　but　was　contriving　how　he　might　enter　hades　alive；　moreover；　they　afterwards　caused　him　to　suffer　death　at　the　hands　of　women；　as　the　punishment　of　his　cowardliness。　Very　different　was　the　reward　of　the　true　love　of　Achilles　towards　his　lover　Patroclus…his　lover　and　not　his　love　（the　notion　that　Patroclus　was　the　beloved　one　is　a　foolish　error　into　which　Aeschylus　has　fallen；　for　Achilles　was　surely　the　fairer　of　the　two；　fairer　also　than　all　the　other　heroes；　and；　as　Homer　informs　us；　he　was　still　beardless；　and　younger　far）。　And　greatly　as　the　gods　honour　the　virtue　of　love；　still　the　return　of　love　on　the　part　of　the　beloved　to　the　lover　is　more　admired　and　valued　and　rewarded　by　them；　for　the　lover　is　more　divine；　because　he　is　inspired　by　God。　Now　Achilles　was　quite　aware；　for　he　had　been　told　by　his　mother；　that　he　might　avoid　death　and　return　home；　and　live　to　a　good　old　age；　if　he　abstained　from　slaying　Hector。　Nevertheless　he　gave　his　life　to　revenge　his　friend；　and　dared　to　die；　not　only　in　his　defence；　but　after　he　was　dead　Wherefore　the　gods　honoured　him　even　above　Alcestis；　and　sent　him　to　the　Islands　of　the　Blest。　These　are　my　reasons　for　affirming　that　Love　is　the　eldest　and　noblest　and　mightiest　of　the　gods；　and　the　chiefest　author　and　giver　of　virtue　in　life；　and　of　happiness　after　death。　　　This；　or　something　like　this；　was　the　speech　of　Phaedrus；　and　some　other　speeches　followed　which　Aristodemus　did　not　remember；　the　next　which　he　repeated　was　that　of　Pausanias。　Phaedrus；　he　said；　the　argument　has　not　been　set　before　us；　I　think；　quite　in　the　right　form；…we　should　not　be　called　upon　to　praise　Love　in　such　an　indiscriminate　manner。　If　there　were　only　one　Love；　then　what　you　said　would　be　well　enough；　but　since　there　are　more　Loves　than　one；…should　have　begun　by　determining　which　of　them　was　to　be　the　theme　of　our　praises。　I　will　amend　this　defect；　and　first　of　all　I　would　tell　you　which　Love　is　deserving　of　praise；　and　then　try　to　hymn　the　praiseworthy　one　in　a　manner　worthy　of　him。　For　we　all　know　that　Love　is　inseparable　from　Aphrodite；　and　if　there　were　only　one　Aphrodite　there　would　be　only　one　Love；　but　as　there　are　two　goddesses　there　must　be　two　Loves。　　　And　am　I　not　right　in　asserting　that　there　are　two　goddesses？　The　elder　one；　having　no　mother；　who　is　called　the　heavenly　Aphrodite…she　is　the　daughter　of　Uranus；　the　younger；　who　is　the　daughter　of　Zeus　and　Dione…her　we　call　common；　and　the　Love　who　is　her　fellow…worker　is　rightly　named　common；　as　the　other　love　is　called　heavenly。　All　the　gods　ought　to　have　praise　given　to　them；　but　not　without　distinction　of　their　natures；　and　therefore　I　must　try　to　distinguish　the　characters　of　the　two　Loves。　Now　actions　vary　according　to　the　manner　of　their　performance。　Take；　for　example；　that　which　we　are　now　doing；　drinking；　singing　and　talking　these　actions　are　not　in　themselves　either　good　or　evil；　but　they　turn　out　in　this　or　that　way　according　to　the　mode　of　performing　them；　and　when　well　done　they　are　good；　and　when　wrongly　done　they　are　evil；　and　in　like　manner　not　every　love；　but　only　that　which　has　a　noble　purpose；　is　noble　and　worthy　of　praise。　The　Love　who　is　the　offspring　of　the　common　Aphrodite　is　essentially　common；　and　has　no　discrimination；　being　such　as　the　meaner　sort　of　men　feel；　and　is　apt　to　be　of　women　as　well　as　of　youths；　and　is　of　the　body　rather　than　of　the　soul…the　most　foolish　beings　are　the　objects　of　this　love　which　desires　only　to　gain　an　end；　but　never　thinks　of　accomplishing　the　end　nobly；　and　therefore　does　good　and　evil　quite　indiscriminately。　The　goddess　who　is　his　mother　is　far　younger　than　the　other；　and　she　was　born　of　the　union　of　the　male　and　female；　and　partakes　of　both。　　　But　the　offspring　of　the　heavenly　Aphrodite　is　derived　from　a　mother　in　whose　birth　the　female　has　no　part；…she　is　from　the　male　only；　this　is　that　love　which　is　of　youths；　and　the　goddess　being　older；　there　is　nothing　of　wantonness　in　her。　Those　who　are　inspired　by　this　love　turn　to　the　male；　and　delight　in　him　who　is　the　more　valiant　and　intelligent　nature；　any　one　may　recognise　the　pure　enthusiasts　in　the　very　character　of　their　attachments。　For　they　love　not　boys；　but　intelligent；　beings　whose　reason　is　beginning　to　be　developed；　much　about　the　time　at　which　their　beards　begin　to　grow。　And　in　choosing　young　men　to　be　their　companions；　they　mean　to　be　faithful　to　them；　and　pass　their　whole　life　in　company　with　them；　not　to　take　them　in　their　inexperience；　and　deceive　them；　and　play　the　fool　with　them；　or　run　away　from　one　to　another　of　them。　But　the　love　of　young　boys　should　be　forbidden　by　law；　because　their　future　is　uncertain；　they　may　turn　out　good　or　bad；　either　in　body　or　soul；　and　much　noble　enthusiasm　may　be　thrown　away　upon　them；　in　this　matter　the　good　are　a　law　to　themselves；　and　the　coarser　sort　of　lovers　ought　to　be　restrained　by　force；　as　we　restrain　or　attempt　to　restrain　them　from　fixing　their　affections　on　women　of　free　birth。　These　are　the　persons　who　bring　a　reproach　on　love；　and　some　have　been　led　to　deny　the　lawfulness　of　such　attachments　because　they　see　the　impropriety　and　evil　of　them；　for　surely　nothing　that　is　decorously　and　lawfully　done　can　justly　be　censured。　　　Now　here　and　in　Lacedaemon　the　rules　about　love　are　perplexing；　but　in　most　cities　they　are　simple　and　easily　intelligible；　in　Elis　and　Boeotia；　and　in　countries　having　no　gifts　of　eloquence；　they　are　very　straightforward；　the　law　is　simply　in　favour　of　these　connexions；　and　no　one；　whether　young　or　old；　has　anything　to　say　to　their　discredit；　the　reason　being；　as　I　suppose；　that　they　are　men　of　few　words　in　those　parts；　and　therefore　the　lovers　do　not　like　the　trouble　of　pleading　their　suit。　In　Ionia　and　other　places；　and　generally　in　countries　which　are　subject　to　the　barbarians；　the　custom　is　held　to　be　dishonourable；　loves　of　youths　share　the　evil　repute　in　which　philosophy　and　gymnastics　are　held　because　they　are　inimical　to　tyranny；　for　the　interests　of　rulers　require　that　their　subjects　should　be　poor　in　spirit　and　that　there　should　be　no　strong　bond　of　friendship　or　society　among　them；　which　love；　above　all　other　motives；　is　likely　to　inspire；　as　our　Athenian　tyrants…learned　by　experience；　for　the　love　of　Aristogeiton　and　the　constancy　of　Harmodius　had　strength　which　undid　their　power。　And；　therefore；　the　ill…repute　into　which　these　attachments　have　fallen　is　to　be　ascribed　to　the　evil　condition　of　those　who　make　them　to　be　ill…reputed；　that　is　to　say；　to　the　self…seeking　of　the　governors　and　the　cowardice　of　the　governed；　on　the　other　hand；　the　indiscriminate　honour　which　is　given　to　them　in　some　countries　is　attributable　to　the　laziness　of　those　who　hold　this　opinion　of　them。　In　our　own　country　a　far　better　principle　prevails；　but；　as　I　was　saying；　the　explanation　of　it　is　rather　perplexing。　For；　observe　that　open　loves　are　held　to　be　more　honourable　than　secret　ones；　and　that　the　love　of　the　noblest　and　highest；　even　if　their　persons　are　less　beautiful　t