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certain material wealth now held by others； we could not better
stimulate them to lay hands on the objects coveted than by showing
them that these were ancestral possessions＇9＇ to which they had a
natural right。 But since our object is that they should set their
hearts on virtuous pre…eminence； we must prove to them that such
headship combined with virtue is an old time…honoured heritage which
pertains to them beyond all others； and that if they strive earnestly
after it they will soon out…top the world。
＇9＇ Cf。 Solon in the matter of Salamis； Plut。 〃Sol。〃 8； Bergk。 〃Poet。
Lyr。 Gr。 Solon；〃 SALAMIS； i。 2； 3。
Por。 How are we to inculcate this lesson？
Soc。 I think by reminding them of a fact already registered in their
minds；＇10＇ that the oldest of our ancestors whose names are known to
us were also the bravest of heroes。
＇10＇ Or； 〃to which their ears are already opened。〃
Per。 I suppose you refer to that judgment of the gods which； for their
virtue's sake； Cecrops and his followers were called on to decide？＇11＇
＇11＇ See Apollodorus； iii。 14。
Soc。 Yes； I refer to that and to the birth and rearing of
Erectheus；＇12＇ and also to the war＇13＇ which in his days was waged to
stay the tide of invasion from the whole adjoining continent； and that
other war in the days of the Heraclidae＇14＇ against the men of
Peloponnese； and that series of battles fought in the days of
Theseus＇15＇in all which the virtuous pre…eminence of our ancestry
above the men of their own times was made manifest。 Or； if you please；
we may come down to things of a later date； which their descendants
and the heroes of days not so long anterior to our own wrought in the
struggle with the lords of Asia；＇16＇ nay of Europe also； as far as
Macedonia： a people possessing a power and means of attack far
exceeding any who had gone beforewho； moreover； had accomplished the
doughtiest deeds。 These things the men of Athens wrought partly
single…handed；＇17＇ and partly as sharers with the Peloponnesians in
laurels won by land and sea。 Heroes were these men also； far
outshining； as tradition tells us； the peoples of their time。
＇12＇ Cf。 〃Il。〃 ii。 547； ｛'Erekhtheos megaletoros k。t。l。｝
＇13＇ Cf。 Isoc。 〃Paneg。〃 19； who handles all the topics。
＇14＇ Commonly spoken of as 〃the Return。〃 See Grote； 〃H。 G。〃 II。 ch。
xviii。
＇15＇ Against the Amazons and Thracians； cf。 Herod。 ix。 27； Plut。
〃Thes。〃 27。
＇16＇ The 〃Persian〃 wars； cf。 Thucyd。 I。 i。
＇17＇ He omits the Plataeans。
Per。 Yes； so runs the story of their heroism。
Soc。 Therefore it is that； amidst the many changes of inhabitants； and
the migrations which have； wave after wave； swept over Hellas； these
maintained themselves in their own land； unmoved； so that it was a
common thing for others to turn to them as to a court of appeal on
points of right； or to flee to Athens as a harbour of refuge from the
hand of the oppressor。＇18＇
＇18＇ Cf。 （Plat。） 〃Menex。〃； Isocr。 〃Paneg。〃
Then Pericles： And the wonder to me； Socrates； is how our city ever
came to decline。
Soc。 I think we are victims of our own success。 Like some athlete；＇19＇
whose facile preponderance in the arena has betrayed him into laxity
until he eventually succumbs to punier antagonists； so we Athenians；
in the plenitude of our superiority； have neglected ourselves and are
become degenerate。
＇19＇ Reading ｛athletai tines｝； or if ｛alloi tines｝； translate 〃any one
else。〃
Per。 What then ought we to do now to recover our former virtue？
Soc。 There need be no mystery about that； I think。 We can rediscover
the institutions of our forefathersapplying them to the regulation
of our lives with something of their precision； and not improbably
with like success； or we can imitate those who stand at the front of
affairs to…day；＇20＇ adapting to ourselves their rule of life； in which
case； if we live up to the standard of our models； we may hope at
least to rival their excellence； or； by a more conscientious adherence
to what they aim at； rise superior。
＇20＇ Sc。 the Lacedaemonians。 See W。 L。 Newman； op。 cit。 i。 396。
You would seem to suggest （he answered） that the spirit of beautiful
and brave manhood has taken wings and left our city；＇21＇ as； for
instance； when will Athenians； like the Lacedaemonians； reverence old
agethe Athenian； who takes his own father as a starting…point for
the contempt he pours upon grey hairs？ When will he pay as strict an
attention to the body； who is not content with neglecting a good
habit；＇22＇ but laughs to scorn those who are careful in this matter？
When shall we Athenians so obey our magistrateswe who take a pride；
as it were； in despising authority？ When； once more； shall we be
united as a peoplewe who； instead of combining to promote common
interests； delight in blackening each other's characters；＇23＇ envying
one another more than we envy all the world besides； andwhich is our
worst failingwho； in private and public intercourse alike； are torn
by dissension and are caught in a maze of litigation； and prefer to
make capital out of our neighbour's difficulties rather than to render
natural assistance？ To make our conduct consistent； indeed； we treat
our national interests no better than if they were the concerns of
some foreign state； we make them bones of contention to wrangle over；
and rejoice in nothing so much as in possessing means and ability to
indulge these tastes。 From this hotbed is engendered in the state a
spirit of blind folly＇24＇ and cowardice； and in the hearts of the
citizens spreads a tangle of hatred and mutual hostility which； as I
often shudder to think； will some day cause some disaster to befall
the state greater than it can bear。＇25＇
＇21＇ Or； 〃is far enough away from Athens。〃
＇22＇ See below； III。 xii。 5； 〃Pol。 Ath。〃 i。 13； 〃Rev。〃 iv。 52。
＇23＇ Or； 〃to deal despitefully with one another。
＇24＇ Reading ｛ateria｝。 See L。 Dindorf ad loc。； Ox。 ed。 lxii。 Al。
｛apeiria｝； a want of skill； or ｛ataxia｝； disorderliness。 Cf。 〃Pol。
Ath。〃 i。 5。
＇25＇ Possibly the author is thinking of the events of 406； 405 B。C。
（see 〃Hell。〃 I。 vii。 and II。）； and history may repeat itself。
Do not （replied Socrates）； do not； I pray you； permit yourself to
believe that Athenians are smitten with so incurable a depravity。 Do
you not observe their discipline in all naval matters？ Look at their
prompt and orderly obedience to the superintendents at the gymnastic
contests；＇26＇ their quite unrivalled subservience to their teachers in
the training of our choruses。
＇26＇ Epistatoi； i。e。 stewards and training…masters。
Yes （he answered）； there's the wonder of it； to think that all those
good people should so obey their leaders； but that our hoplites and
our cavalry； who may be supposed to rank before the rest of the
citizens in excellence of manhood；＇27＇ should be so entirely
unamenable to discipline。
＇27＇ ｛kalokagathia｝。
Then Socrates： Well； but the council which sits on Areopagos is
composed of citizens of approved＇28＇ character； is it not？
＇28＇ Technically； they must have passed the ｛dokimasia｝。 And for the
〃Aeropagos〃 see Grote； 〃H。 G。〃 v。 498； Aristot。 〃Pol。〃 ii。 12；
〃Ath。 Pol。〃 4。