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and Simmias come all the way from Thebes to stay with me？ Be assured
these things cannot happen without diverse love…charms and
incantations and magic wheels。
＇16＇ For Apollodorus see 〃Apol。〃 28； Plat。 〃Symp。〃 172 A； 〃Phaed。〃 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；
〃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 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 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
spring in the temple of Asclepius？＇3＇
＇3＇ In the Hieron at Epidauros pr