ΞΕ. τὴν δὴ βασιλικὴν συμπλοκήν, ὡς ἔοικε, λεκτέον ποία τέ ἐστι καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ συμπλέκουσα ποῖον ἡμῖν ὕφασμα ἀποδίδωσιν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. δῆλον.
ΞΕ. ἦ χαλεπὸν ἐνδείξασθαι πρᾶγμα ἀναγκαῖον ἄρα γέγονεν, ὡς φαίνεται.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πάντως γε μὴν ῥητέον.
ΞΕ. τὸ γὰρ ἀρετῆς μέρος ἀρετῆς εἴδει διάφορον εἶναί τινα τρόπον τοῖς περὶ λόγους ἀμφισβητητικοῖς καὶ μάλʼ εὐεπίθετον πρὸς τὰς τῶν πολλῶν δόξας.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. οὐκ ἔμαθον.
ΞΕ. ἀλλʼ ὧδε πάλιν. ἀνδρείαν γὰρ οἶμαί σε ἡγεῖσθαι μέρος ἓν ἀρετῆς ἡμῖν εἶναι.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πάνυ γε.
ΞΕ. καὶ μὴν σωφροσύνην γε ἀνδρείας μὲν ἕτερον, ἓν δʼ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο μόριον ἧς κἀκεῖνο.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
ΞΕ. τούτων δὴ πέρι θαυμαστόν τινα λόγον ἀποφαίνεσθαι τολμητέον.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ποῖον;
ΞΕ. ὡς ἐστὸν κατὰ δή τινα τρόπον εὖ μάλα πρὸς ἀλλήλας ἔχθραν καὶ στάσιν ἐναντίαν ἔχοντε ἐν πολλοῖς τῶν ὄντων.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς λέγεις;
ΞΕ. οὐκ εἰωθότα λόγον οὐδαμῶς· πάντα γὰρ οὖν δὴ ἀλλήλοις τά γε τῆς ἀρετῆς μόρια λέγεταί που φίλια.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
ΞΕ. σκοπῶμεν δὴ προσσχόντες τὸν νοῦν εὖ μάλα πότερον οὕτως ἁπλοῦν ἐστι τοῦτο, ἢ παντὸς μᾶλλον αὐτῶν ἔχει διαφορὰν τοῖς συγγενέσιν ἔς τι;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί, λέγοις ἂν πῇ σκεπτέον.
ΞΕ. ἐν τοῖς σύμπασι χρὴ ζητεῖν ὅσα καλὰ μὲν λέγομεν, εἰς δύο δὲ αὐτὰ τίθεμεν ἐναντία ἀλλήλων εἴδη.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. λέγʼ ἔτι σαφέστερον.
ΞΕ. ὀξύτητα καὶ τάχος, εἴτε κατὰ σώματα εἴτʼ ἐν ψυχαῖς εἴτε κατὰ φωνῆς φοράν, εἴτε αὐτῶν τούτων εἴτε ἐν εἰδώλοις ὄντων, ὁπόσα μουσικὴ μιμουμένη καὶ ἔτι γραφικὴ μιμήματα παρέχεται, τούτων τινὸς ἐπαινέτης εἴτε αὐτὸς πώποτε γέγονας εἴτε ἄλλου παρὼν ἐπαινοῦντος ᾔσθησαι;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί μήν;
ΞΕ. ἦ καὶ μνήμην ἔχεις ὅντινα τρόπον αὐτὸ δρῶσιν ἐν ἑκάστοις τούτων;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. οὐδαμῶς.
ΞΕ. ἆρʼ οὖν δυνατὸς αὐτὸ ἂν γενοίμην, ὥσπερ καὶ διανοοῦμαι, διὰ λόγων ἐνδείξασθαί σοι;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί δʼ οὔ;
ΞΕ. ῥᾴδιον ἔοικας ἡγεῖσθαι τὸ τοιοῦτον· σκοπώμεθα δʼ οὖν αὐτὸ ἐν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις γένεσι. τῶν γὰρ δὴ πράξεων ἐν πολλαῖς καὶ πολλάκις ἑκάστοτε τάχος καὶ σφοδρότητα καὶ ὀξύτητα διανοήσεώς τε καὶ σώματος, ἔτι δὲ καὶ φωνῆς, ὅταν ἀγασθῶμεν, λέγομεν αὐτὸ ἐπαινοῦντες μιᾷ χρώμενοι προσρήσει τῇ τῆς ἀνδρείας.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς;
ΞΕ. ὀξὺ καὶ ἀνδρεῖον πρῶτόν πού φαμεν, καὶ ταχὺ καὶ ἀνδρικόν, καὶ σφοδρὸν ὡσαύτως· καὶ πάντως ἐπιφέροντες τοὔνομα ὃ λέγω κοινὸν πάσαις ταῖς φύσεσι ταύταις ἐπαινοῦμεν αὐτάς.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ναί.
Str. Then the kingly process of weaving must be described, its nature, the manner in which it combines the threads, and the kind of web it produces.
Y. Soc. Evidently.
Str. It has, apparently, become necessary, after all, to explain a difficult matter.
Y. Soc. But certainly the explanation must be made.
Str. It is difficult, for the assertion that one part of virtue is in a way at variance with another sort of virtue may very easily be assailed by those who appeal to popular opinion in contentious arguments.
Y. Soc. I do not understand.
Str. I will say it again in another way. I suppose you believe that courage is one part of virtue.
Y. Soc. Certainly.
Str. And, of course, that self-restraint is different from courage, but is also a part of virtue of which courage is a part.
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. Now I must venture to utter a strange doctrine about them.
Y. Soc. What is it?
Str. That, in a way, they are in a condition of great hostility and opposition to each other in many beings.
Y. Soc. What do you mean?
Str. Something quite unusual; for, you know, all the parts of virtue are usually said to be friendly to one another.
Y. Soc. Yes.
Str. Now shall we pay careful attention and see whether this is so simple, or, quite the contrary, there is in some respects a variance between them and their kin?
Y. Soc. Yes; please tell how we shall investigate the question.
Str. Among all the parts we must look for those which we call excellent but place in two opposite classes.
Y. Soc. Say more clearly what you mean.
Str. Acuteness and quickness, whether in body or soul or vocal utterance, whether they are real or exist in such likenesses as music and graphic art produce in imitation of them—have you never yourself praised one of them or heard them praised by others?
Y. Soc. Yes, of course.
Str. And do you remember in what way they praise them as occasion offers?
Y. Soc. Not in the least.
Str. I wonder if I can express to you in words what I have in mind.
Y. Soc. Why not?
Str. You seem to think that is an easy thing to do. However, let us consider the matter as it appears in the opposite classes. For example, when we admire, as we frequently do in many actions, quickness and energy and acuteness of mind or body or even of voice, we express our praise of them by one word, courage.
Y. Soc. How so?
Str. We say acute and courageous in the first instance, also quick and courageous, and energetic and courageous; and when we apply this word as a common term applicable to all persons and actions of this class, we praise them.
Y. Soc. Yes, we do.
ΞΕ. τί δέ; τὸ τῆς ἠρεμαίας αὖ γενέσεως εἶδος ἆρʼ οὐ πολλάκις ἐπῃνέκαμεν ἐν πολλαῖς τῶν πράξεων;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. καὶ σφόδρα γε.
ΞΕ. μῶν οὖν οὐ τἀναντία λέγοντες ἢ περὶ ἐκείνων τοῦτο φθεγγόμεθα;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς;
ΞΕ. ὡς ἡσυχαῖά πού φαμεν ἑκάστοτε καὶ σωφρονικά, περί τε διάνοιαν πραττόμενα ἀγασθέντες καὶ κατὰ τὰς πράξεις αὖ βραδέα καὶ μαλακά, καὶ ἔτι περὶ φωνὰς γιγνόμενα λεῖα καὶ βαρέα, καὶ πᾶσαν ῥυθμικὴν κίνησιν καὶ ὅλην μοῦσαν ἐν καιρῷ βραδυτῆτι προσχρωμένην, οὐ τὸ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς κοσμιότητος ὄνομα ἐπιφέρομεν αὐτοῖς σύμπασιν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ἀληθέστατα.
ΞΕ. καὶ μὴν ὁπόταν αὖ γε ἀμφότερα γίγνηται ταῦθʼ ἡμῖν ἄκαιρα, μεταβάλλοντες ἑκάτερα αὐτῶν ψέγομεν ἐπὶ τἀναντία πάλιν ἀπονέμοντες τοῖς ὀνόμασιν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πῶς;
ΞΕ. ὀξύτερα μὲν αὐτὰ γιγνόμενα τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ θάττω καὶ σκληρότερα φαινόμενα [καὶ] ὑβριστικὰ καὶ μανικὰ λέγοντες, τὰ δὲ βαρύτερα καὶ βραδύτερα καὶ μαλακώτερα δειλὰ καὶ βλακικά· καὶ σχεδὸν ὡς τὸ πολὺ ταῦτά τε καὶ τὴν σώφρονα φύσιν καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων, οἷον πολεμίαν διαλαχούσας στάσιν ἰδέας, οὔτʼ ἀλλήλαις μειγνυμένας ἐφευρίσκομεν ἐν ταῖς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράξεσιν, ἔτι τε τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτὰς ἴσχοντας διαφερομένους ἀλλήλοις ὀψόμεθα ἐὰν μεταδιώκωμεν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ποῦ δὴ λέγεις;
ΞΕ. ἐν πᾶσί τε δὴ τούτοις οἷς νῦν εἴπομεν, ὡς εἰκός τε ἐν ἑτέροις πολλοῖς. κατὰ γὰρ οἶμαι τὴν αὑτῶν ἑκατέροις συγγένειαν τὰ μὲν ἐπαινοῦντες ὡς οἰκεῖα σφέτερα, τὰ δὲ τῶν διαφόρων ψέγοντες ὡς ἀλλότρια, πολλὴν εἰς ἔχθραν ἀλλήλοις καὶ πολλῶν πέρι καθίστανται.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. κινδυνεύουσιν.
ΞΕ. παιδιὰ τοίνυν αὕτη γέ τις ἡ διαφορὰ τούτων ἐστὶ τῶν εἰδῶν· περὶ δὲ τὰ μέγιστα νόσος συμβαίνει πασῶν ἐχθίστη γίγνεσθαι ταῖς πόλεσιν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. περὶ δὴ ποῖα φῄς;
ΞΕ. περὶ ὅλην, ὥς γε εἰκός, τὴν τοῦ ζῆν παρασκευήν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ δὴ διαφερόντως ὄντες κόσμιοι τὸν ἥσυχον ἀεὶ βίον ἕτοιμοι ζῆν, αὐτοὶ καθʼ αὑτοὺς μόνοι τὰ σφέτερα αὐτῶν πράττοντες, οἴκοι τε αὖ πρὸς ἅπαντας οὕτως ὁμιλοῦντες, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἔξωθεν πόλεις ὡσαύτως ἕτοιμοι πάντα ὄντες τρόπον τινὰ ἄγειν εἰρήνην· καὶ διὰ τὸν ἔρωτα δὴ τοῦτον ἀκαιρότερον ὄντα ἢ χρή, ὅταν ἃ βούλονται πράττωσιν, ἔλαθον αὐτοί τε ἀπολέμως ἴσχοντες καὶ τοὺς νέους ὡσαύτως διατιθέντες, ὄντες τε ἀεὶ τῶν ἐπιτιθεμένων, ἐξ ὧν οὐκ ἐν πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν αὐτοὶ καὶ παῖδες καὶ σύμπασα ἡ πόλις ἀντʼ ἐλευθέρων πολλάκις ἔλαθον αὑτοὺς γενόμενοι δοῦλοι.
Str. But do we not also praise the gentle type of movement in many actions?
Y. Soc. We do, decidedly.
Str. And in doing so, do we not say the opposite of what we said about the other class?
Y. Soc. How is that?
Str. We are always saying “How quiet!” and “How restrained!” when we are admiring the workings of the mind, and again we speak of actions as slow and gentle, of the voice as smooth and deep, and of every rhythmic motion and of music in general as having appropriate slowness; and we apply to them all the term which signifies, not courage, but decorum.
Y. Soc. Very true.
Str. And again, on the other hand, when these two classes seem to us out of place, we change our attitude and blame them each in turn; then we use the terms in the opposite sense.
Y. Soc. How is that?
Str. Why, whatsoever is sharper than the occasion warrants, or seems to be too quick or too hard, is called violent or mad, and whatever is too heavy or slow or gentle, is called cowardly and sluggish; and almost always we find that the restraint of one class of qualities and the courage of the opposite class, like two parties arrayed in hostility to each other, do not mix with each other in the actions that are concerned with such qualities. Moreover, if we pursue the inquiry, we shall see that the men who have these qualities in their souls are at variance with one another.
Y. Soc. In what do you mean that they are at variance?
Str. In all those points which we just mentioned, and probably in many others. For men who are akin to each class, I imagine, praise some qualities as their own and find fault with those of their opposites as alien to themselves, and thus great enmity arises between them on many grounds.
Y. Soc. Yes, that is likely to be the case.
Str. Now this opposition of these two classes is mere child’s play but when it affects the most important matters it becomes a most detestable disease in the state.
Y. Soc. What matters does it affect?
Str. The whole course of life, in all probability. For those who are especially decorous are ready to live always a quiet and retired life and to mind their own business; this is the manner of their intercourse with every one at home, and they are equally ready at all times to keep peace in some way or other with foreign states. And because of this desire of theirs, which is often inopportune and excessive, when they have their own way they quite unconsciously become unwarlike, and they make the young men unwarlike also; they are at the mercy of aggressors; and thus in a few years they and their children and the whole state often pass by imperceptible degrees from freedom to slavery.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. χαλεπὸν εἶπες καὶ δεινὸν πάθος.
ΞΕ. τί δʼ οἱ πρὸς τὴν ἀνδρείαν μᾶλλον ῥέποντες; ἆρʼ οὐκ ἐπὶ πόλεμον ἀεί τινα τὰς αὑτῶν συντείνοντες πόλεις διὰ τὴν τοῦ τοιούτου βίου σφοδροτέραν τοῦ δέοντος ἐπιθυμίαν εἰς ἔχθραν πολλοῖς καὶ δυνατοῖς καταστάντες ἢ πάμπαν διώλεσαν ἢ δούλας αὖ καὶ ὑποχειρίους τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὑπέθεσαν τὰς αὑτῶν πατρίδας;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. ἔστι καὶ ταῦτα.
ΞΕ. πῶς οὖν μὴ φῶμεν ἐν τούτοις ἀμφότερα ταῦτα τὰ γένη πολλὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα ἀεὶ καὶ τὴν μεγίστην ἴσχειν ἔχθραν καὶ στάσιν;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. οὐδαμῶς ὡς οὐ φήσομεν.
ΞΕ. οὐκοῦν ὅπερ ἐπεσκοποῦμεν κατʼ ἀρχὰς ἀνηυρήκαμεν, ὅτι μόρια ἀρετῆς οὐ σμικρὰ ἀλλήλοις διαφέρεσθον φύσει καὶ δὴ καὶ τοὺς ἴσχοντας δρᾶτον τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο;
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. κινδυνεύετον.
ΞΕ. τόδε τοίνυν αὖ λάβωμεν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τὸ ποῖον;
ΞΕ. εἴ τίς που τῶν συνθετικῶν ἐπιστημῶν πρᾶγμα ὁτιοῦν τῶν αὑτῆς ἔργων, κἂν εἰ τὸ φαυλότατον, ἑκοῦσα ἐκ μοχθηρῶν καὶ χρηστῶν τινων συνίστησιν, ἢ πᾶσα ἐπιστήμη πανταχοῦ τὰ μὲν μοχθηρὰ εἰς δύναμιν ἀποβάλλει, τὰ δὲ ἐπιτήδεια καὶ [τὰ] χρηστὰ ἔλαβεν, ἐκ τούτων δὲ καὶ ὁμοίων καὶ ἀνομοίων ὄντων, πάντα εἰς ἓν αὐτὰ συνάγουσα, μίαν τινὰ δύναμιν καὶ ἰδέαν δημιουργεῖ.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. τί μήν;
ΞΕ. οὐδʼ ἄρα ἡ κατὰ φύσιν ἀληθῶς οὖσα ἡμῖν πολιτικὴ μή ποτε ἐκ χρηστῶν καὶ κακῶν ἀνθρώπων ἑκοῦσα εἶναι συστήσηται πόλιν τινά, ἀλλʼ εὔδηλον ὅτι παιδιᾷ πρῶτον βασανιεῖ, μετὰ δὲ τὴν βάσανον αὖ τοῖς δυναμένοις παιδεύειν καὶ ὑπηρετεῖν πρὸς τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ παραδώσει, προστάττουσα καὶ ἐπιστατοῦσα αὐτή, καθάπερ ὑφαντικὴ τοῖς τε ξαίνουσι καὶ τοῖς τἆλλα προπαρασκευάζουσιν ὅσα πρὸς τὴν πλέξιν αὐτῆς συμπαρακολουθοῦσα προστάττει καὶ ἐπιστατεῖ, τοιαῦτα ἑκάστοις ἐνδεικνῦσα τὰ ἔργα ἀποτελεῖν οἷα ἂν ἐπιτήδεια ἡγῆται πρὸς τὴν αὑτῆς εἶναι συμπλοκήν.
ΝΕ. ΣΩ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
Y. Soc. That is a hard and terrible experience.
Str. But how about those who incline towards courage? Do they not constantly urge their countries to war, because of their excessive desire for a warlike life? Do they not involve them in hostilities with many powerful opponents and either utterly destroy their native lands or enslave and subject them to their foes?
Y. Soc. Yes, that is true, too.
Str. Then in these examples how can we deny that these two classes are always filled with the greatest hostility and opposition to one another?
Y. Soc. We certainly cannot deny it.
Str. Have we not, then, found just what we had in view in the beginning, that important parts of virtue are by nature at variance with one another and also that the persons who possess them exhibit the same opposition?
Y. Soc. Yes, I suppose that is true.
Str. Let us then take up another question.
Y. Soc. What question?
Str. Whether any constructive science voluntarily composes any, even the most worthless, of its works out of good and bad materials, or every science invariably rejects the bad, so far as possible, taking only the materials which are good and fitting, out of which, whether they be like or unlike, it gathers all elements together and produces one form or value.
Y. Soc. The latter, of course.
Str. Then neither will the true natural art of statecraft ever voluntarily compose a state of good and bad men; but obviously it will first test them in play, and after the test will entrust them in turn to those who are able to teach and help them to attain the end in view; it will itself give orders and exercise supervision, just as the art of weaving constantly commands and supervises the carders and others who prepare the materials for its web, directing each person to do the tasks which it thinks are requisite for its fabric.
Y. Soc. Certainly.
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