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This etext as prepare" by .ue >sscher ?asschers@aia&net&auA

ME;ERE;<. by Plato Csee >ppen"ix 2D

Translate" by ,enja%in 3o ett

>PPE;(2R 2& 2t see%s i%possible to separate by any exact line the genuine ritings of Plato fro% the spurious& The only external e!i"ence to the% hich is of %uch !alue is that of >ristotleM for the >lexan"rian catalogues of a century later inclu"e %anifest forgeries& E!en the !alue of the >ristotelian authority is a goo" "eal i%paire" by the uncertainty concerning the "ate an" authorship of the ritings hich are ascribe" to hi%& >n" se!eral of the citations of >ristotle o%it the na%e of Plato, an" so%e of the% o%it the na%e of the "ialogue fro% hich they are ta#en& Prior, ho e!er, to the enTuiry about the ritings of a particular author, general consi"erations hich eTually affect all e!i"ence to the genuineness

of ancient ritings are the follo ingB .horter or#s are %ore li#ely to ha!e been forge", or to ha!e recei!e" an erroneous "esignation, than longer onesM an" so%e #in"s of co%position, such as epistles or panegyrical orations, are %ore liable to suspicion than othersM those, again, hich ha!e a taste of sophistry in the%, or the ring of a later age, or the slighter character of a rhetorical exercise, or in hich a %oti!e or so%e affinity to spurious ritings can be "etecte", or hich see% to ha!e originate" in a na%e or state%ent really occurring in so%e classical author, are also of "oubtful cre"itM hile there is no instance of any ancient riting pro!e" to be a forgery, hich co%bines excellence ith length& > really great an" original riter oul" ha!e no object in fathering his or#s on PlatoM an" to the forger or i%itator, the Nliterary hac#N of >lexan"ria an" >thens, the Go"s "i" not grant originality or genius& )urther, in atte%pting to balance the e!i"ence for an" against a Platonic "ialogue, e %ust not forget that the for% of the Platonic riting as co%%on to se!eral of his conte%poraries& >eschines, Eucli", Phae"o, >ntisthenes, an" in the next generation >ristotle, are all sai" to ha!e co%pose" "ialoguesM an" %ista#es of na%es are !ery li#ely to ha!e occurre"& Gree# literature in the thir" century before Christ as al%ost as !olu%inous as our o n, an" ithout the safeguar"s of regular publication, or printing, or bin"ing, or e!en of "istinct titles& >n un#no n riting as naturally attribute" to a #no n riter hose or#s bore the sa%e characterM an" the na%e once appen"e" easily obtaine" authority& > ten"ency %ay also be obser!e" to blen" the or#s an" opinions of the %aster ith those of his scholars& To a later Platonist, the "ifference bet een Plato an" his i%itators as not so perceptible as to oursel!es& The Me%orabilia of Renophon an" the (ialogues of Plato are but a part of a consi"erable .ocratic literature hich has passe" a ay& >n" e %ust consi"er ho e shoul" regar" the Tuestion of the genuineness of a particular riting, if this lost literature ha" been preser!e" to us& These consi"erations lea" us to a"opt the follo ing criteria of genuinenessB C/D That is %ost certainly PlatoNs hich >ristotle attributes to hi% by na%e, hich C2D is of consi"erable length, of C3D great excellence, an" also CGD in har%ony ith the general spirit of the Platonic ritings& ,ut the testi%ony of >ristotle cannot al ays be "istinguishe" fro% that of a later age Csee abo!eDM an" has !arious "egrees of i%portance& Those ritings hich he cites ithout %entioning Plato, un"er

their o n na%es, e&g& the -ippias, the )uneral :ration, the Phae"o, etc&, ha!e an inferior "egree of e!i"ence in their fa!our& They %ay ha!e been suppose" by hi% to be the ritings of another, although in the case of really great or#s, e&g& the Phae"o, this is not cre"ibleM those again hich are Tuote" but not na%e", are still %ore "efecti!e in their external cre"entials& There %ay be also a possibility that >ristotle as %ista#en, or %ay ha!e confuse" the %aster an" his scholars in the case of a short ritingM but this is inconcei!able about a %ore i%portant or#, e&g& the =a s, especially hen e re%e%ber that he as li!ing at >thens, an" a freTuenter of the gro!es of the >ca"e%y, "uring the last t enty years of PlatoNs life& ;or %ust e forget that in all his nu%erous citations fro% the Platonic ritings he ne!er attributes any passage foun" in the extant "ialogues to any one but Plato& >n" lastly, e %ay re%ar# that one or t o great ritings, such as the Par%eni"es an" the Politicus, hich are holly "e!oi" of >ristotelian C/D cre"entials %ay be fairly attribute" to Plato, on the groun" of C2D length, C3D excellence, an" CGD accor"ance ith the general spirit of his ritings& 2n"ee" the greater part of the e!i"ence for the genuineness of ancient Gree# authors %ay be su%%e" up un"er t o hea"s onlyB C/D excellenceM an" C2D unifor%ity of tra"itionFFa #in" of e!i"ence, hich though in %any cases sufficient, is of inferior !alue& Procee"ing upon these principles e appear to arri!e at the conclusion that nineteenFt entieths of all the ritings hich ha!e e!er been ascribe" to Plato, are un"oubte"ly genuine& There is another portion of the%, inclu"ing the Epistles, the Epino%is, the "ialogues rejecte" by the ancients the%sel!es, na%ely, the >xiochus, (e justo, (e !irtute, (e%o"ocus, .isyphus, Eryxias, hich on groun"s, both of internal an" external e!i"ence, e are able ith eTual certainty to reject& ,ut there still re%ains a s%all portion of hich e are unable to affir% either that they are genuine or spurious& They %ay ha!e been ritten in youth, or possibly li#e the or#s of so%e painters, %ay be partly or holly the co%positions of pupilsM or they %ay ha!e been the ritings of so%e conte%porary transferre" by acci"ent to the %ore celebrate" na%e of Plato, or of so%e Platonist in the next generation ho aspire" to i%itate his %aster& ;ot that on groun"s either of language or philosophy e shoul" lightly reject the%& .o%e "ifference of style, or inferiority of execution, or inconsistency of thought, can har"ly be consi"ere" "ecisi!e of their spurious character& )or ho al ays "oes justice to hi%self, or ho rites ith eTual care at all ti%esS Certainly not Plato, ho exhibits the

greatest "ifferences in "ra%atic po er, in the for%ation of sentences, an" in the use of or"s, if his earlier ritings are co%pare" ith his later ones, say the Protagoras or Phae"rus ith the =a s& :r ho can be expecte" to thin# in the sa%e %anner "uring a perio" of authorship exten"ing o!er abo!e fifty years, in an age of great intellectual acti!ity, as ell as of political an" literary transitionS Certainly not Plato, hose earlier ritings are separate" fro% his later ones by as i"e an inter!al of philosophical speculation as that hich separates his later ritings fro% >ristotle& The "ialogues hich ha!e been translate" in the first >ppen"ix, an" hich appear to ha!e the next clai% to genuineness a%ong the Platonic ritings, are the =esser -ippias, the Menexenus or )uneral :ration, the )irst >lcibia"es& :f these, the =esser -ippias an" the )uneral :ration are cite" by >ristotleM the first in the Metaphysics, the latter in the +hetoric& ;either of the% are expressly attribute" to Plato, but in his citation of both of the% he see%s to be referring to passages in the extant "ialogues& )ro% the %ention of N-ippiasN in the singular by >ristotle, e %ay perhaps infer that he as unacTuainte" ith a secon" "ialogue bearing the sa%e na%e& Moreo!er, the %ere existence of a Greater an" =esser -ippias, an" of a )irst an" .econ" >lcibia"es, "oes to a certain extent thro a "oubt upon both of the%& Though a !ery cle!er an" ingenious or#, the =esser -ippias "oes not appear to contain anything beyon" the po er of an i%itator, ho as also a careful stu"ent of the earlier Platonic ritings, to in!ent& The %oti!e or lea"ing thought of the "ialogue %ay be "etecte" in Ren& Me%&, an" there is no si%ilar instance of a N%oti!eN hich is ta#en fro% Renophon in an un"oubte" "ialogue of Plato& :n the other han", the uphol"ers of the genuineness of the "ialogue ill fin" in the -ippias a true .ocratic spiritM they ill co%pare the 2on as being a#in both in subject an" treat%entM they ill urge the authority of >ristotleM an" they ill "etect in the treat%ent of the .ophist, in the satirical reasoning upon -o%er, in the re"uctio a" absur"u% of the "octrine that !ice is ignorance, traces of a Platonic authorship& 2n reference to the last point e are "oubtful, as in so%e of the other "ialogues, hether the author is asserting or o!erthro ing the para"ox of .ocrates, or %erely follo ing the argu%ent N hither the in" blo s&N That no conclusion is arri!e" at is also in accor"ance ith the character of the earlier "ialogues& The rese%blances or i%itations of the Gorgias, Protagoras, an" Euthy"e%us, hich ha!e been

obser!e" in the -ippias, cannot ith certainty be a""uce" on either si"e of the argu%ent& :n the hole, %ore %ay be sai" in fa!our of the genuineness of the -ippias than against it& The Menexenus or )uneral :ration is cite" by >ristotle, an" is interesting as supplying an exa%ple of the %anner in hich the orators praise" Nthe >thenians a%ong the >thenians,N falsifying persons an" "ates, an" casting a !eil o!er the gloo%ier e!ents of >thenian history& 2t exhibits an acTuaintance ith the funeral oration of Thucy"i"es, an" as, perhaps, inten"e" to ri!al that great or#& 2f genuine, the proper place of the Menexenus oul" be at the en" of the Phae"rus& The satirical opening an" the conclu"ing or"s bear a great rese%blance to the earlier "ialoguesM the oration itself is professe"ly a %i%etic or#, li#e the speeches in the Phae"rus, an" cannot therefore be teste" by a co%parison of the other ritings of Plato& The funeral oration of Pericles is expressly %entione" in the Phae"rus, an" this %ay ha!e suggeste" the subject, in the sa%e %anner that the Cleitophon appears to be suggeste" by the slight %ention of Cleitophon an" his attach%ent to Thrasy%achus in the +epublicM an" the Theages by the %ention of Theages in the >pology an" +epublicM or as the .econ" >lcibia"es see%s to be foun"e" upon the text of Renophon, Me%& > si%ilar taste for paro"y appears not only in the Phae"rus, but in the Protagoras, in the .y%posiu%, an" to a certain extent in the Par%eni"es& To these t o "oubtful ritings of Plato 2 ha!e a""e" the )irst >lcibia"es, hich, of all the "ispute" "ialogues of Plato, has the greatest %erit, an" is so%e hat longer than any of the%, though not !erifie" by the testi%ony of >ristotle, an" in %any respects at !ariance ith the .y%posiu% in the "escription of the relations of .ocrates an" >lcibia"es& =i#e the =esser -ippias an" the Menexenus, it is to be co%pare" to the earlier ritings of Plato& The %oti!e of the piece %ay, perhaps, be foun" in that passage of the .y%posiu% in hich >lcibia"es "escribes hi%self as selfFcon!icte" by the or"s of .ocrates& )or the "isparaging %anner in hich .chleier%acher has spo#en of this "ialogue there see%s to be no sufficient foun"ation& >t the sa%e ti%e, the lesson i%parte" is si%ple, an" the irony %ore transparent than in the un"oubte" "ialogues of Plato& 'e #no , too, that >lcibia"es as a fa!ourite thesis, an" that at least fi!e or six "ialogues bearing this na%e passe" current in antiTuity, an" are attribute" to conte%poraries of .ocrates an" Plato& C/D 2n the entire absence of real external e!i"ence Cfor the catalogues of the >lexan"rian librarians cannot

be regar"e" as trust orthyDM an" C2D in the absence of the highest %ar#s either of poetical or philosophical excellenceM an" C3D consi"ering that e ha!e express testi%ony to the existence of conte%porary ritings bearing the na%e of >lcibia"es, e are co%pelle" to suspen" our ju"g%ent on the genuineness of the extant "ialogue& ;either at this point, nor at any other, "o e propose to "ra an absolute line of "e%arcation bet een genuine an" spurious ritings of Plato& They fa"e off i%perceptibly fro% one class to another& There %ay ha!e been "egrees of genuineness in the "ialogues the%sel!es, as there are certainly "egrees of e!i"ence by hich they are supporte"& The tra"itions of the oral "iscourses both of .ocrates an" Plato %ay ha!e for%e" the basis of se%iFPlatonic ritingsM so%e of the% %ay be of the sa%e %ixe" character hich is apparent in >ristotle an" -ippocrates, although the for% of the% is "ifferent& ,ut the ritings of Plato, unli#e the ritings of >ristotle, see% ne!er to ha!e been confuse" ith the ritings of his "isciplesB this as probably "ue to their "efinite for%, an" to their ini%itable excellence& The three "ialogues hich e ha!e offere" in the >ppen"ix to the criticis% of the rea"er %ay be partly spurious an" partly genuineM they %ay be altogether spuriousMFFthat is an alternati!e hich %ust be fran#ly a"%itte"& ;or can e %aintain of so%e other "ialogues, such as the Par%eni"es, an" the .ophist, an" Politicus, that no consi"erable objection can be urge" against the%, though greatly o!erbalance" by the eight CchieflyD of internal e!i"ence in their fa!our& ;or, on the other han", can e exclu"e a bare possibility that so%e "ialogues hich are usually rejecte", such as the Greater -ippias an" the Cleitophon, %ay be genuine& The nature an" object of these se%iFPlatonic ritings reTuire %ore careful stu"y an" %ore co%parison of the% ith one another, an" ith forge" ritings in general, than they ha!e yet recei!e", before e can finally "eci"e on their character& 'e "o not consi"er the% all as genuine until they can be pro!e" to be spurious, as is often %aintaine" an" still %ore often i%plie" in this an" si%ilar "iscussionsM but shoul" say of so%e of the%, that their genuineness is neither pro!en nor "ispro!en until further e!i"ence about the% can be a""uce"& >n" e are as confi"ent that the Epistles are spurious, as that the +epublic, the Ti%aeus, an" the =a s are genuine& :n the hole, not a t entieth part of the ritings hich pass un"er the na%e of Plato, if e exclu"e the or#s rejecte" by the ancients the%sel!es an" t o or three other plausible in!entions, can be fairly "oubte" by those

ho are illing to allo that a consi"erable change an" gro th %ay ha!e ta#en place in his philosophy Csee abo!eD& That t entieth "ebatable portion scarcely in any "egree affects our ju"g%ent of Plato, either as a thin#er or a riter, an" though suggesting so%e interesting Tuestions to the scholar an" critic, is of little i%portance to the general rea"er& ME;ERE;<. by Plato Csee >ppen"ix 2 abo!eD Translate" by ,enja%in 3o ett 2;T+:(<CT2:;& The Menexenus has %ore the character of a rhetorical exercise than any other of the Platonic or#s& The riter see%s to ha!e ishe" to e%ulate Thucy"i"es, an" the far slighter or# of =ysias& 2n his ri!alry ith the latter, to ho% in the Phae"rus Plato sho s a strong antipathy, he is entirely successful, but he is not eTual to Thucy"i"es& The Menexenus, though not ithout real -ellenic interest, falls !ery far short of the rugge" gran"eur an" political insight of the great historian& The fiction of the speech ha!ing been in!ente" by >spasia is ell sustaine", an" is in the %anner of Plato, not ithstan"ing the anachronis% hich puts into her %outh an allusion to the peace of >ntalci"as, an e!ent occurring forty years after the "ate of the suppose" oration& ,ut Plato, li#e .ha#espeare, is careless of such anachronis%s, hich are not suppose" to stri#e the %in" of the rea"er& The effect pro"uce" by these gran"iloTuent orations on .ocrates, ho "oes not reco!er after ha!ing hear" one of the% for three "ays an" %ore, is truly Platonic& .uch "iscourses, if e %ay for% a ju"g%ent fro% the three hich are extant Cfor the soFcalle" )uneral :ration of (e%osthenes is a ba" an" spurious i%itation of Thucy"i"es an" =ysiasD, confor%e" to a regular type& They began ith Go"s an" ancestors, an" the legen"ary history of >thens, to hich succee"e" an al%ost eTually fictitious account of later ti%es& The Persian ar usually for%e" the centre of the narrati!eM in the age of

2socrates an" (e%osthenes the >thenians ere still li!ing on the glories of Marathon an" .ala%is& The Menexenus !eils in panegyric the ea# places of >thenian history& The ar of >thens an" ,oeotia is a ar of liberationM the >thenians ga!e bac# the .partans ta#en at .phacteria out of #in"nessFF in"ee", the only fault of the city as too great #in"ness to their ene%ies, ho ere %ore honoure" than the frien"s of others Cco%pare Thucy"&, hich see%s to contain the ger% of the i"eaDM e "e%ocrats are the aristocracy of !irtue, an" the li#e& These are the platitu"es an" falsehoo"s in hich history is "isguise"& The ta#ing of >thens is har"ly %entione"& The author of the Menexenus, hether Plato or not, is e!i"ently inten"ing to ri"icule the practice, an" at the sa%e ti%e to sho that he can beat the rhetoricians in their o n line, as in the Phae"rus he %ay be suppose" to offer an exa%ple of hat =ysias %ight ha!e sai", an" of ho %uch better he %ight ha!e ritten in his o n style& The orators ha" recourse to their fa!ourite loci co%%unes, one of hich, as e fin" in =ysias, as the shortness of the ti%e allo e" the% for preparation& ,ut .ocrates points out that they ha" the% al ays rea"y for "eli!ery, an" that there as no "ifficulty in i%pro!ising any nu%ber of such orations& To praise the >thenians a%ong the >thenians as easy,FFto praise the% a%ong the =ace"ae%onians oul" ha!e been a %uch %ore "ifficult tas#& .ocrates hi%self has turne" rhetorician, ha!ing learne" of a o%an, >spasia, the %istress of PericlesM an" any one hose teachers ha" been far inferior to his o nFFsay, one ho ha" learne" fro% >ntiphon the +ha%nusianFF oul" be Tuite eTual to the tas# of praising %en to the%sel!es& 'hen e re%e%ber that >ntiphon is "escribe" by Thucy"i"es as the best plea"er of his "ay, the satire on hi% an" on the hole tribe of rhetoricians is transparent& The ironical assu%ption of .ocrates, that he %ust be a goo" orator because he ha" learnt of >spasia, is not coarse, as .chleier%acher supposes, but is rather to be regar"e" as fanciful& ;or can e say that the offer of .ocrates to "ance na#e" out of lo!e for Menexenus, is any %ore unFPlatonic than the threat of physical force hich Phae"rus uses to ar"s .ocrates& ;or is there any real !ulgarity in the fear hich .ocrates expresses that he ill get a beating fro% his %istress, >spasiaB this is the natural exaggeration of hat %ight be expecte" fro% an i%perious o%an& .ocrates

is not to be ta#en seriously in all that he says, an" Plato, both in the .y%posiu% an" else here, is not slo to a"%it a sort of >ristophanic hu%our& -o a great original genius li#e Plato %ight or %ight not ha!e ritten, hat as his conception of hu%our, or hat li%its he oul" ha!e prescribe" to hi%self, if any, in "ra ing the picture of the .ilenus .ocrates, are proble%s hich no critical instinct can "eter%ine& :n the other han", the "ialogue has se!eral Platonic traits, hether original or i%itate" %ay be uncertain& .ocrates, hen he "eparts fro% his character of a N#no nothingN an" "eli!ers a speech, generally preten"s that hat he is spea#ing is not his o n co%position& Thus in the Cratylus he is run a ay ithM in the Phae"rus he has hear" so%ebo"y say so%ethingFF is inspire" by the genius lociM in the .y%posiu% he "eri!es his is"o% fro% (ioti%a of Mantinea, an" the li#e& ,ut he "oes not i%pose on Menexenus by his "issi%ulation& 'ithout !iolating the character of .ocrates, Plato, ho #no s so ell ho to gi!e a hint, or so%e one riting in his na%e, inti%ates clearly enough that the speech in the Menexenus li#e that in the Phae"rus is to be attribute" to .ocrates& The a""ress of the "ea" to the li!ing at the en" of the oration %ay also be co%pare" to the nu%erous a""resses of the sa%e #in" hich occur in Plato, in ho% the "ra%atic ele%ent is al ays ten"ing to pre!ail o!er the rhetorical& The re%ar# has been often %a"e, that in the )uneral :ration of Thucy"i"es there is no allusion to the existence of the "ea"& ,ut in the Menexenus a future state is clearly, although not strongly, asserte"& 'hether the Menexenus is a genuine riting of Plato, or an i%itation only, re%ains uncertain& 2n either case, the thoughts are partly borro e" fro% the )uneral :ration of Thucy"i"esM an" the fact that they are so, is not in fa!our of the genuineness of the or#& 2nternal e!i"ence see%s to lea!e the Tuestion of authorship in "oubt& There are %erits an" there are "efects hich %ight lea" to either conclusion& The for% of the greater part of the or# %a#es the enTuiry "ifficultM the intro"uction an" the finale certainly ear the loo# either of Plato or of an extre%ely s#ilful i%itator& The excellence of the forgery %ay be fairly a""uce" as an argu%ent that it is not a forgery at all& 2n this uncertainty the express testi%ony of >ristotle, ho Tuotes, in the +hetoric, the ellF#no n or"s, N2t is easy to praise the >thenians a%ong the >thenians,N fro% the )uneral :ration, %ay perhaps turn the balance in its fa!our& 2t %ust be re%e%bere" also that the or# as fa%ous in antiTuity, an" is inclu"e" in the

>lexan"rian catalogues of Platonic ritings& ME;ERE;<. by Plato Csee >ppen"ix 2 abo!eD Translate" by ,enja%in 3o ett PE+.:;. :) T-E (2>=:G<EB .ocrates an" Menexenus& .:C+>TE.B 'hence co%e you, MenexenusS >re you fro% the >goraS ME;ERE;<.B Qes, .ocratesM 2 ha!e been at the Council& .:C+>TE.B >n" hat %ight you be "oing at the CouncilS >n" yet 2 nee" har"ly as#, for 2 see that you, belie!ing yourself to ha!e arri!e" at the en" of e"ucation an" of philosophy, an" to ha!e ha" enough of the%, are %ounting up ar"s to things higher still, an", though rather young for the post, are inten"ing to go!ern us el"er %en, li#e the rest of your fa%ily, hich has al ays pro!i"e" so%e one ho #in"ly too# care of us& ME;ERE;<.B Qes, .ocrates, 2 shall be rea"y to hol" office, if you allo an" a"!ise that 2 shoul", but not if you thin# other ise& 2 ent to the council cha%ber because 2 hear" that the Council as about to choose so%e one ho as to spea# o!er the "ea"& )or you #no that there is to be a public funeralS .:C+>TE.B Qes, 2 #no & >n" ho% "i" they chooseS ME;ERE;<.B ;o oneM they "elaye" the election until to%orro , but 2 belie!e that either >rchinus or (ion ill be chosen& .:C+>TE.B : Menexenus$ (eath in battle is certainly in %any respects a noble thing& The "ea" %an gets a fine an" costly funeral, although he %ay

ha!e been poor, an" an elaborate speech is %a"e o!er hi% by a ise %an ho has long ago prepare" hat he has to say, although he ho is praise" %ay not ha!e been goo" for %uch& The spea#ers praise hi% for hat he has "one an" for hat he has not "oneFFthat is the beauty of the%FFan" they steal a ay our souls ith their e%bellishe" or"sM in e!ery concei!able for% they praise the cityM an" they praise those ho "ie" in ar, an" all our ancestors ho ent before usM an" they praise oursel!es also ho are still ali!e, until 2 feel Tuite ele!ate" by their lau"ations, an" 2 stan" listening to their or"s, Menexenus, an" beco%e enchante" by the%, an" all in a %o%ent 2 i%agine %yself to ha!e beco%e a greater an" nobler an" finer %an than 2 as before& >n" if, as often happens, there are any foreigners ho acco%pany %e to the speech, 2 beco%e su""enly conscious of ha!ing a sort of triu%ph o!er the%, an" they see% to experience a correspon"ing feeling of a"%iration at %e, an" at the greatness of the city, hich appears to the%, hen they are un"er the influence of the spea#er, %ore on"erful than e!er& This consciousness of "ignity lasts %e %ore than three "ays, an" not until the fourth or fifth "ay "o 2 co%e to %y senses an" #no here 2 a%M in the %eanti%e 2 ha!e been li!ing in the 2slan"s of the ,lest& .uch is the art of our rhetoricians, an" in such %anner "oes the soun" of their or"s #eep ringing in %y ears& ME;ERE;<.B Qou are al ays %a#ing fun of the rhetoricians, .ocratesM this ti%e, ho e!er, 2 a% incline" to thin# that the spea#er ho is chosen ill not ha!e %uch to say, for he has been calle" upon to spea# at a %o%entNs notice, an" he ill be co%pelle" al%ost to i%pro!ise& .:C+>TE.B ,ut hy, %y frien", shoul" he not ha!e plenty to sayS E!ery rhetorician has speeches rea"y %a"eM nor is there any "ifficulty in i%pro!ising that sort of stuff& -a" the orator to praise >thenians a%ong Peloponnesians, or Peloponnesians a%ong >thenians, he %ust be a goo" rhetorician ho coul" succee" an" gain cre"it& ,ut there is no "ifficulty in a %anNs inning applause hen he is conten"ing for fa%e a%ong the persons ho% he is praising& ME;ERE;<.B (o you thin# not, .ocratesS .:C+>TE.B Certainly Nnot&N

ME;ERE;<.B (o you thin# that you coul" spea# yourself if there shoul" be a necessity, an" if the Council ere to choose youS .:C+>TE.B That 2 shoul" be able to spea# is no great on"er, Menexenus, consi"ering that 2 ha!e an excellent %istress in the art of rhetoric,FFshe ho has %a"e so %any goo" spea#ers, an" one ho as the best a%ong all the -ellenesFFPericles, the son of Ranthippus& ME;ERE;<.B >n" ho is sheS 2 suppose that you %ean >spasia& .:C+>TE.B Qes, 2 "oM an" besi"es her 2 ha" Connus, the son of Metrobius, as a %aster, an" he as %y %aster in %usic, as she as in rhetoric& ;o on"er that a %an ho has recei!e" such an e"ucation shoul" be a finishe" spea#erM e!en the pupil of !ery inferior %asters, say, for exa%ple, one ho ha" learne" %usic of =a%prus, an" rhetoric of >ntiphon the +ha%nusian, %ight %a#e a figure if he ere to praise the >thenians a%ong the >thenians& ME;ERE;<.B >n" hat oul" you be able to say if you ha" to spea#S .:C+>TE.B :f %y o n it, %ost li#ely nothingM but yester"ay 2 hear" >spasia co%posing a funeral oration about these !ery "ea"& )or she ha" been tol", as you ere saying, that the >thenians ere going to choose a spea#er, an" she repeate" to %e the sort of speech hich he shoul" "eli!er, partly i%pro!ising an" partly fro% pre!ious thought, putting together frag%ents of the funeral oration hich Pericles spo#e, but hich, as 2 belie!e, she co%pose"& ME;ERE;<.B >n" can you re%e%ber hat >spasia sai"S .:C+>TE.B 2 ought to be able, for she taught %e, an" she as rea"y to stri#e %e because 2 as al ays forgetting& ME;ERE;<.B Then hy ill you not rehearse hat she sai"S

.:C+>TE.B ,ecause 2 a% afrai" that %y %istress %ay be angry ith %e if 2 publish her speech& ME;ERE;<.B ;ay, .ocrates, let us ha!e the speech, hether >spasiaNs or any one elseNs, no %atter& 2 hope that you ill oblige %e& .:C+>TE.B ,ut 2 a% afrai" that you ill laugh at %e if 2 continue the ga%es of youth in ol" age& ME;ERE;<.B )ar other ise, .ocratesM let us by all %eans ha!e the speech& .:C+>TE.B Truly 2 ha!e such a "isposition to oblige you, that if you bi" %e "ance na#e" 2 shoul" not li#e to refuse, since e are alone& =isten thenB 2f 2 re%e%ber rightly, she began as follo s, ith the %ention of the "ea"BFF CThucy"&D There is a tribute of "ee"s an" of or"s& The "eparte" ha!e alrea"y ha" the first, hen going forth on their "estine" journey they ere atten"e" on their ay by the state an" by their frien"sM the tribute of or"s re%ains to be gi!en to the%, as is %eet an" by la or"aine"& )or noble or"s are a %e%orial an" a cro n of noble actions, hich are gi!en to the "oers of the% by the hearers& > or" is nee"e" hich ill "uly praise the "ea" an" gently a"%onish the li!ing, exhorting the brethren an" "escen"ants of the "eparte" to i%itate their !irtue, an" consoling their fathers an" %others an" the sur!i!ors, if any, ho %ay chance to be ali!e of the pre!ious generation& 'hat sort of a or" ill this be, an" ho shall e rightly begin the praises of these bra!e %enS 2n their life they rejoice" their o n frien"s ith their !alour, an" their "eath they ga!e in exchange for the sal!ation of the li!ing& >n" 2 thin# that e shoul" praise the% in the or"er in hich nature %a"e the% goo", for they ere goo" because they ere sprung fro% goo" fathers& 'herefore let us first of all praise the goo"ness of their birthM secon"ly, their nurture an" e"ucationM an" then let us set forth ho noble their actions ere, an" ho orthy of the e"ucation hich they ha" recei!e"& >n" first as to their birth& Their ancestors ere not strangers, nor are

these their "escen"ants sojourners only, hose fathers ha!e co%e fro% another countryM but they are the chil"ren of the soil, " elling an" li!ing in their o n lan"& >n" the country hich brought the% up is not li#e other countries, a step%other to her chil"ren, but their o n true %otherM she bore the% an" nourishe" the% an" recei!e" the%, an" in her boso% they no repose& 2t is %eet an" right, therefore, that e shoul" begin by praising the lan" hich is their %other, an" that ill be a ay of praising their noble birth& The country is orthy to be praise", not only by us, but by all %an#in"M first, an" abo!e all, as being "ear to the Go"s& This is pro!e" by the strife an" contention of the Go"s respecting her& >n" ought not the country hich the Go"s praise to be praise" by all %an#in"S The secon" praise hich %ay be fairly clai%e" by her, is that at the ti%e hen the hole earth as sen"ing forth an" creating "i!erse ani%als, ta%e an" il", she our %other as free an" pure fro% sa!age %onsters, an" out of all ani%als selecte" an" brought forth %an, ho is superior to the rest in un"erstan"ing, an" alone has justice an" religion& >n" a great proof that she brought forth the co%%on ancestors of us an" of the "eparte", is that she pro!i"e" the %eans of support for her offspring& )or as a o%an pro!es her %otherhoo" by gi!ing %il# to her young ones Can" she ho has no fountain of %il# is not a %otherD, so "i" this our lan" pro!e that she as the %other of %en, for in those "ays she alone an" first of all brought forth heat an" barley for hu%an foo", hich is the best an" noblest sustenance for %an, ho% she regar"e" as her true offspring& >n" these are truer proofs of %otherhoo" in a country than in a o%an, for the o%an in her conception an" generation is but the i%itation of the earth, an" not the earth of the o%an& >n" of the fruit of the earth she ga!e a plenteous supply, not only to her o n, but to others alsoM an" after ar"s she %a"e the oli!e to spring up to be a boon to her chil"ren, an" to help the% in their toils& >n" hen she ha" herself nurse" the% an" brought the% up to %anhoo", she ga!e the% Go"s to be their rulers an" teachers, hose na%es are ell #no n, an" nee" not no be repeate"& They are the Go"s ho first or"ere" our li!es, an" instructe" us in the arts for the supply of our "aily nee"s, an" taught us the acTuisition an" use of ar%s for the "efence of the country& Thus born into the orl" an" thus e"ucate", the ancestors of the "eparte" li!e" an" %a"e the%sel!es a go!ern%ent, hich 2 ought briefly to

co%%e%orate& )or go!ern%ent is the nurture of %an, an" the go!ern%ent of goo" %en is goo", an" of ba" %en ba"& >n" 2 %ust sho that our ancestors ere traine" un"er a goo" go!ern%ent, an" for this reason they ere goo", an" our conte%poraries are also goo", a%ong ho% our "eparte" frien"s are to be rec#one"& Then as no , an" in"ee" al ays, fro% that ti%e to this, spea#ing generally, our go!ern%ent as an aristocracyFFa for% of go!ern%ent hich recei!es !arious na%es, accor"ing to the fancies of %en, an" is so%eti%es calle" "e%ocracy, but is really an aristocracy or go!ern%ent of the best hich has the appro!al of the %any& )or #ings e ha!e al ays ha", first here"itary an" then electe", an" authority is %ostly in the han"s of the people, ho "ispense offices an" po er to those ho appear to be %ost "eser!ing of the%& ;either is a %an rejecte" fro% ea#ness or po!erty or obscurity of origin, nor honoure" by reason of the opposite, as in other states, but there is one principleFFhe ho appears to be ise an" goo" is a go!ernor an" ruler& The basis of this our go!ern%ent is eTuality of birthM for other states are %a"e up of all sorts an" uneTual con"itions of %en, an" therefore their go!ern%ents are uneTualM there are tyrannies an" there are oligarchies, in hich the one party are sla!es an" the others %asters& ,ut e an" our citi9ens are brethren, the chil"ren all of one %other, an" e "o not thin# it right to be one anotherNs %asters or ser!antsM but the natural eTuality of birth co%pels us to see# for legal eTuality, an" to recogni9e no superiority except in the reputation of !irtue an" is"o%& >n" so their an" our fathers, an" these, too, our brethren, being nobly born an" ha!ing been brought up in all free"o%, "i" both in their public an" pri!ate capacity %any noble "ee"s fa%ous o!er the hole orl"& They ere the "ee"s of %en ho thought that they ought to fight both against -ellenes for the sa#e of -ellenes on behalf of free"o%, an" against barbarians in the co%%on interest of -ellas& Ti%e oul" fail %e to tell of their "efence of their country against the in!asion of Eu%olpus an" the >%a9ons, or of their "efence of the >rgi!es against the Ca"%eians, or of the -eraclei"s against the >rgi!esM besi"es, the poets ha!e alrea"y "eclare" in song to all %an#in" their glory, an" therefore any co%%e%oration of their "ee"s in prose hich e %ight atte%pt oul" hol" a secon" place& They alrea"y ha!e their re ar", an" 2 say no %ore of the%M but there are other orthy "ee"s of hich no poet has orthily sung, an" hich are still ooing the poetNs %use& :f these 2 a% boun" to %a#e

honourable %ention, an" shall in!o#e others to sing of the% also in lyric an" other strains, in a %anner beco%ing the actors& >n" first 2 ill tell ho the Persians, lor"s of >sia, ere ensla!ing Europe, an" ho the chil"ren of this lan", ho ere our fathers, hel" the% bac#& :f these 2 ill spea# first, an" praise their !alour, as is %eet an" fitting& -e ho oul" rightly esti%ate the% shoul" place hi%self in thought at that ti%e, hen the hole of >sia as subject to the thir" #ing of Persia& The first #ing, Cyrus, by his !alour free" the Persians, ho ere his country%en, an" subjecte" the Me"es, ho ere their lor"s, an" he rule" o!er the rest of >sia, as far as EgyptM an" after hi% ca%e his son, ho rule" all the accessible part of Egypt an" =ibyaM the thir" #ing as (arius, ho exten"e" the lan" boun"aries of the e%pire to .cythia, an" ith his fleet hel" the sea an" the islan"s& ;one presu%e" to be his eTualM the %in"s of all %en ere enthralle" by hi%FFso %any an" %ighty an" arli#e nations ha" the po er of Persia sub"ue"& ;o (arius ha" a Tuarrel against us an" the Eretrians, because, as he sai", e ha" conspire" against .ar"is, an" he sent L88,888 %en in transports an" !essels of ar, an" 388 ships, an" (atis as co%%an"er, telling hi% to bring the Eretrians an" >thenians to the #ing, if he ishe" to #eep his hea" on his shoul"ers& -e saile" against the Eretrians, ho ere repute" to be a%ongst the noblest an" %ost arli#e of the -ellenes of that "ay, an" they ere nu%erous, but he conTuere" the% all in three "aysM an" hen he ha" conTuere" the%, in or"er that no one %ight escape, he searche" the hole country after this %annerB his sol"iers, co%ing to the bor"ers of Eretria an" sprea"ing fro% sea to sea, joine" han"s an" passe" through the hole country, in or"er that they %ight be able to tell the #ing that no one ha" escape" the%& >n" fro% Eretria they ent to Marathon ith a li#e intention, expecting to bin" the >thenians in the sa%e yo#e of necessity in hich they ha" boun" the Eretrians& -a!ing effecte" oneFhalf of their purpose, they ere in the act of atte%pting the other, an" none of the -ellenes "are" to assist either the Eretrians or the >thenians, except the =ace"ae%onians, an" they arri!e" a "ay too late for the battleM but the rest ere panicFstric#en an" #ept Tuiet, too happy in ha!ing escape" for a ti%e& -e ho has present to his %in" that conflict ill #no hat %anner of %en they ere ho recei!e" the onset of the barbarians at Marathon, an" chastene" the pri"e of the hole of >sia, an" by the !ictory hich they gaine" o!er the barbarians first taught other %en that the po er of the Persians as not in!incible, but that hosts of %en an" the %ultitu"e of riches ali#e yiel" to !alour& >n" 2 assert that those %en are the fathers not only of oursel!es, but of our liberties an" of the liberties of all ho are on the continent, for that as the action to hich

the -ellenes loo#e" bac# hen they !enture" to fight for their o n safety in the battles hich ensue"B they beca%e "isciples of the %en of Marathon& To the%, therefore, 2 assign in %y speech the first place, an" the secon" to those ho fought an" conTuere" in the sea fights at .ala%is an" >rte%isiu%M for of the%, too, one %ight ha!e %any things to sayFFof the assaults hich they en"ure" by sea an" lan", an" ho they repelle" the%& 2 ill %ention only that act of theirs hich appears to %e to be the noblest, an" hich follo e" that of Marathon an" ca%e nearest to itM for the %en of Marathon only sho e" the -ellenes that it as possible to ar" off the barbarians by lan", the %any by the fe M but there as no proof that they coul" be "efeate" by ships, an" at sea the Persians retaine" the reputation of being in!incible in nu%bers an" ealth an" s#ill an" strength& This is the glory of the %en ho fought at sea, that they "ispelle" the secon" terror hich ha" hitherto possesse" the -ellenes, an" so %a"e the fear of nu%bers, hether of ships or %en, to cease a%ong the%& >n" so the sol"iers of Marathon an" the sailors of .ala%is beca%e the school%asters of -ellasM the one teaching an" habituating the -ellenes not to fear the barbarians at sea, an" the others not to fear the% by lan"& Thir" in or"er, for the nu%ber an" !alour of the co%batants, an" thir" in the sal!ation of -ellas, 2 place the battle of Plataea& >n" no the =ace"ae%onians as ell as the >thenians too# part in the struggleM they ere all unite" in this greatest an" %ost terrible conflict of allM herefore their !irtues ill be celebrate" in ti%es to co%e, as they are no celebrate" by us& ,ut at a later perio" %any -ellenic tribes ere still on the si"e of the barbarians, an" there as a report that the great #ing as going to %a#e a ne atte%pt upon the -ellenes, an" therefore justice reTuires that e shoul" also %a#e %ention of those ho cro ne" the pre!ious or# of our sal!ation, an" "ro!e an" purge" a ay all barbarians fro% the sea& These ere the %en ho fought by sea at the ri!er Eury%e"on, an" ho ent on the expe"ition to Cyprus, an" ho saile" to Egypt an" "i!ers other placesM an" they shoul" be gratefully re%e%bere" by us, because they co%pelle" the #ing in fear for hi%self to loo# to his o n safety instea" of plotting the "estruction of -ellas& >n" so the ar against the barbarians as fought out to the en" by the hole city on their o n behalf, an" on behalf of their country%en& There as peace, an" our city as hel" in honourM an" then, as prosperity %a#es %en jealous, there succee"e" a jealousy of her, an" jealousy begat en!y,

an" so she beca%e engage" against her ill in a ar ith the -ellenes& :n the brea#ing out of ar, our citi9ens %et the =ace"ae%onians at Tanagra, an" fought for the free"o% of the ,oeotiansM the issue as "oubtful, an" as "eci"e" by the engage%ent hich follo e"& )or hen the =ace"ae%onians ha" gone on their ay, lea!ing the ,oeotians, ho% they ere ai"ing, on the thir" "ay after the battle of Tanagra, our country%en conTuere" at :enophyta, an" righteously restore" those ho ha" been unrighteously exile"& >n" they ere the first after the Persian ar ho fought on behalf of liberty in ai" of -ellenes against -ellenesM they ere bra!e %en, an" free" those ho% they ai"e", an" ere the first too ho ere honourably interre" in this sepulchre by the state& >fter ar"s there as a %ighty ar, in hich all the -ellenes joine", an" "e!astate" our country, hich as !ery ungrateful of the%M an" our country%en, after "efeating the% in a na!al engage%ent an" ta#ing their lea"ers, the .partans, at .phagia, hen they %ight ha!e "estroye" the%, spare" their li!es, an" ga!e the% bac#, an" %a"e peace, consi"ering that they shoul" ar ith the fello Fcountry%en only until they gaine" a !ictory o!er the%, an" not because of the pri!ate anger of the state "estroy the co%%on interest of -ellasM but that ith barbarians they shoul" ar to the "eath& 'orthy of praise are they also ho age" this ar, an" are here interre"M for they pro!e", if any one "oubte" the superior pro ess of the >thenians in the for%er ar ith the barbarians, that their "oubts ha" no foun"ationFFsho ing by their !ictory in the ci!il ar ith -ellas, in hich they sub"ue" the other chief state of the -ellenes, that they coul" conTuer singleFhan"e" those ith ho% they ha" been allie" in the ar against the barbarians& >fter the peace there follo e" a thir" ar, hich as of a terrible an" "esperate nature, an" in this %any bra!e %en ho are here interre" lost their li!esFF%any of the% ha" on !ictories in .icily, hither they ha" gone o!er the seas to fight for the liberties of the =eontines, to ho% they ere boun" by oathsM but, o ing to the "istance, the city as unable to help the%, an" they lost heart an" ca%e to %isfortune, their !ery ene%ies an" opponents inning %ore reno n for !alour an" te%perance than the frien"s of others& Many also fell in na!al engage%ents at the -ellespont, after ha!ing in one "ay ta#en all the ships of the ene%y, an" "efeate" the% in other na!al engage%ents& >n" hat 2 call the terrible an" "esperate nature of the ar, is that the other -ellenes, in their extre%e ani%osity to ar"s the city, shoul" ha!e

entere" into negotiations ith their bitterest ene%y, the #ing of Persia, ho% they, together ith us, ha" expelle"MFFhi%, ithout us, they again brought bac#, barbarian against -ellenes, an" all the hosts, both of -ellenes an" barbarians, ere unite" against >thens& >n" then shone forth the po er an" !alour of our city& -er ene%ies ha" suppose" that she as exhauste" by the ar, an" our ships ere bloc#a"e" at Mitylene& ,ut the citi9ens the%sel!es e%bar#e", an" ca%e to the rescue ith sixty other ships, an" their !alour as confesse" of all %en, for they conTuere" their ene%ies an" "eli!ere" their frien"s& >n" yet by so%e e!il fortune they ere left to perish at sea, an" therefore are not interre" here& E!er to be re%e%bere" an" honoure" are they, for by their !alour not only that seaF fight as on for us, but the entire ar as "eci"e" by the%, an" through the% the city gaine" the reputation of being in!incible, e!en though attac#e" by all %an#in"& >n" that reputation as a true one, for the "efeat hich ca%e upon us as our o n "oing& 'e ere ne!er conTuere" by others, an" to this "ay e are still unconTuere" by the%M but e ere our o n conTuerors, an" recei!e" "efeat at our o n han"s& >fter ar"s there as Tuiet an" peace abroa", but there sprang up ar at ho%eM an", if %en are "estine" to ha!e ci!il ar, no one coul" ha!e "esire" that his city shoul" ta#e the "isor"er in a %il"er for%& -o joyful an" natural as the reconciliation of those ho ca%e fro% the Piraeus an" those ho ca%e fro% the cityM ith hat %o"eration "i" they or"er the ar against the tyrants in Eleusis, an" in a %anner ho unli#e hat the other -ellenes expecte"$ >n" the reason of this gentleness as the !eritable tie of bloo", hich create" a%ong the% a frien"ship as of #ins%en, faithful not in or" only, but in "ee"& >n" e ought also to re%e%ber those ho then fell by one anotherNs han"s, an" on such occasions as these to reconcile the% ith sacrifices an" prayers, praying to those ho ha!e po er o!er the%, that they %ay be reconcile" e!en as e are reconcile"& )or they "i" not attac# one another out of %alice or en%ity, but they ere unfortunate& >n" that such as the fact e oursel!es are itnesses, ho are of the sa%e race ith the%, an" ha!e %utually recei!e" an" grante" forgi!eness of hat e ha!e "one an" suffere"& >fter this there as perfect peace, an" the city ha" restM an" her feeling as that she forga!e the barbarians, ho ha" se!erely suffere" at her han"s an" se!erely retaliate", but that she as in"ignant at the ingratitu"e of the -ellenes, hen she re%e%bere" ho they ha" recei!e" goo" fro% her an" returne" e!il, ha!ing %a"e co%%on cause ith the

barbarians, "epri!ing her of the ships hich ha" once been their sal!ation, an" "is%antling our alls, hich ha" preser!e" their o n fro% falling& .he thought that she oul" no longer "efen" the -ellenes, hen ensla!e" either by one another or by the barbarians, an" "i" accor"ingly& This as our feeling, hile the =ace"ae%onians ere thin#ing that e ho ere the cha%pions of liberty ha" fallen, an" that their business as to subject the re%aining -ellenes& >n" hy shoul" 2 say %oreS for the e!ents of hich 2 a% spea#ing happene" not long ago an" e can all of us re%e%ber ho the chief peoples of -ellas, >rgi!es an" ,oeotians an" Corinthians, ca%e to feel the nee" of us, an", hat is the greatest %iracle of all, the Persian #ing hi%self as "ri!en to such extre%ity as to co%e roun" to the opinion, that fro% this city, of hich he as the "estroyer, an" fro% no other, his sal!ation oul" procee"& >n" if a person "esire" to bring a "eser!e" accusation against our city, he oul" fin" only one charge hich he coul" justly urgeFFthat she as too co%passionate an" too fa!ourable to the ea#er si"e& >n" in this instance she as not able to hol" out or #eep her resolution of refusing ai" to her injurers hen they ere being ensla!e", but she as softene", an" "i" in fact sen" out ai", an" "eli!ere" the -ellenes fro% sla!ery, an" they ere free until they after ar"s ensla!e" the%sel!es& 'hereas, to the great #ing she refuse" to gi!e the assistance of the state, for she coul" not forget the trophies of Marathon an" .ala%is an" PlataeaM but she allo e" exiles an" !olunteers to assist hi%, an" they ere his sal!ation& >n" she herself, hen she as co%pelle", entere" into the ar, an" built alls an" ships, an" fought ith the =ace"ae%onians on behalf of the Parians& ;o the #ing fearing this city an" anting to stan" aloof, hen he sa the =ace"ae%onians gro ing eary of the ar at sea, as#e" of us, as the price of his alliance ith us an" the other allies, to gi!e up the -ellenes in >sia, ho% the =ace"ae%onians ha" pre!iously han"e" o!er to hi%, he thin#ing that e shoul" refuse, an" that then he %ight ha!e a pretence for ith"ra ing fro% us& >bout the other allies he as %ista#en, for the Corinthians an" >rgi!es an" ,oeotians, an" the other states, ere Tuite illing to let the% go, an" s ore an" co!enante", that, if he oul" pay the% %oney, they oul" %a#e o!er to hi% the -ellenes of the continent, an" e alone refuse" to gi!e the% up an" s ear& .uch as the natural nobility of this city, so soun" an" healthy as the spirit of free"o% a%ong us, an" the instincti!e "isli#e of the barbarian, because e are pure -ellenes, ha!ing no a"%ixture of barbaris% in us& )or e are not li#e %any others,

"escen"ants of Pelops or Ca"%us or Egyptus or (anaus, ho are by nature barbarians, an" yet pass for -ellenes, an" " ell in the %i"st of usM but e are pure -ellenes, unconta%inate" by any foreign ele%ent, an" therefore the hatre" of the foreigner has passe" una"ulterate" into the lifeFbloo" of the city& >n" so, not ithstan"ing our noble senti%ents, e ere again isolate", because e ere un illing to be guilty of the base an" unholy act of gi!ing up -ellenes to barbarians& >n" e ere in the sa%e case as hen e ere sub"ue" beforeM but, by the fa!our of -ea!en, e %anage" better, for e en"e" the ar ithout the loss of our ships or alls or coloniesM the ene%y as only too gla" to be Tuit of us& Qet in this ar e lost %any bra!e %en, such as ere those ho fell o ing to the rugge"ness of the groun" at the battle of Corinth, or by treason at =echaeu%& ,ra!e %en, too, ere those ho "eli!ere" the Persian #ing, an" "ro!e the =ace"ae%onians fro% the sea& 2 re%in" you of the%, an" you %ust celebrate the% together ith %e, an" "o honour to their %e%ories& .uch ere the actions of the %en ho are here interre", an" of others ho ha!e "ie" on behalf of their countryM %any an" glorious things 2 ha!e spo#en of the%, an" there are yet %any %ore an" %ore glorious things re%aining to be tol"FF%any "ays an" nights oul" not suffice to tell of the%& =et the% not be forgotten, an" let e!ery %an re%in" their "escen"ants that they also are sol"iers ho %ust not "esert the ran#s of their ancestors, or fro% co ar"ice fall behin"& E!en as 2 exhort you this "ay, an" in all future ti%e, hene!er 2 %eet ith any of you, shall continue to re%in" an" exhort you, : ye sons of heroes, that you stri!e to be the bra!est of %en& >n" 2 thin# that 2 ought no to repeat hat your fathers "esire" to ha!e sai" to you ho are their sur!i!ors, hen they ent out to battle, in case anything happene" to the%& 2 ill tell you hat 2 hear" the% say, an" hat, if they ha" only speech, they oul" fain be saying, ju"ging fro% hat they then sai"& >n" you %ust i%agine that you hear the% saying hat 2 no repeat to youBFF N.ons, the e!ent pro!es that your fathers ere bra!e %enM for e %ight ha!e li!e" "ishonourably, but ha!e preferre" to "ie honourably rather than bring you an" your chil"ren into "isgrace, an" rather than "ishonour our o n fathers an" forefathersM consi"ering that life is not life to one ho is a "ishonour to his race, an" that to such a one neither %en nor Go"s are frien"ly, either hile he is on the earth or after "eath in the orl" belo & +e%e%ber our or"s, then, an" hate!er is your ai% let !irtue be

the con"ition of the attain%ent of your ai%, an" #no that ithout this all possessions an" pursuits are "ishonourable an" e!il& )or neither "oes ealth bring honour to the o ner, if he be a co ar"M of such a one the ealth belongs to another, an" not to hi%self& ;or "oes beauty an" strength of bo"y, hen " elling in a base an" co ar"ly %an, appear co%ely, but the re!erse of co%ely, %a#ing the possessor %ore conspicuous, an" %anifesting forth his co ar"ice& >n" all #no le"ge, hen separate" fro% justice an" !irtue, is seen to be cunning an" not is"o%M herefore %a#e this your first an" last an" constant an" allFabsorbing ai%, to excee", if possible, not only us but all your ancestors in !irtueM an" #no that to excel you in !irtue only brings us sha%e, but that to be excelle" by you is a source of happiness to us& >n" e shall %ost li#ely be "efeate", an" you ill %ost li#ely be !ictors in the contest, if you learn so to or"er your li!es as not to abuse or aste the reputation of your ancestors, #no ing that to a %an ho has any selfFrespect, nothing is %ore "ishonourable than to be honoure", not for his o n sa#e, but on account of the reputation of his ancestors& The honour of parents is a fair an" noble treasure to their posterity, but to ha!e the use of a treasure of ealth an" honour, an" to lea!e none to your successors, because you ha!e neither %oney nor reputation of your o n, is ali#e base an" "ishonourable& >n" if you follo our precepts you ill be recei!e" by us as frien"s, hen the hour of "estiny brings you hitherM but if you neglect our or"s an" are "isgrace" in your li!es, no one ill elco%e or recei!e you& This is the %essage hich is to be "eli!ere" to our chil"ren& N.o%e of us ha!e fathers an" %others still li!ing, an" e oul" urge the%, if, as is li#ely, e shall "ie, to bear the cala%ity as lightly as possible, an" not to con"ole ith one anotherM for they ha!e sorro s enough, an" ill not nee" any one to stir the% up& 'hile e gently heal their oun"s, let us re%in" the% that the Go"s ha!e hear" the chief part of their prayersM for they praye", not that their chil"ren %ight li!e for e!er, but that they %ight be bra!e an" reno ne"& >n" this, hich is the greatest goo", they ha!e attaine"& > %ortal %an cannot expect to ha!e e!erything in his o n life turning out accor"ing to his illM an" they, if they bear their %isfortunes bra!ely, ill be truly "ee%e" bra!e fathers of the bra!e& ,ut if they gi!e ay to their sorro s, either they ill be suspecte" of not being our parents, or e of not being such as our panegyrists "eclare& =et not either of the t o alternati!es happen, but rather let the% be our chief an" true panegyrists, ho sho in their li!es

that they are true %en, an" ha" %en for their sons& :f ol" the saying, O;othing too %uch,O appeare" to be, an" really as, ell sai"& )or he hose happiness rests ith hi%self, if possible, holly, an" if not, as far as is possible,FF ho is not hanging in suspense on other %en, or changing ith the !icissitu"e of their fortune,FFhas his life or"ere" for the best& -e is the te%perate an" !aliant an" iseM an" hen his riches co%e an" go, hen his chil"ren are gi!en an" ta#en a ay, he ill re%e%ber the pro!erbFF O;either rejoicing o!er%uch nor grie!ing o!er%uch,O for he relies upon hi%self& >n" such e oul" ha!e our parents to beFFthat is our or" an" ish, an" as such e no offer oursel!es, neither la%enting o!er%uch, nor fearing o!er%uch, if e are to "ie at this ti%e& >n" e entreat our fathers an" %others to retain these feelings throughout their future life, an" to be assure" that they ill not please us by sorro ing an" la%enting o!er us& ,ut, if the "ea" ha!e any #no le"ge of the li!ing, they ill "isplease us %ost by %a#ing the%sel!es %iserable an" by ta#ing their %isfortunes too %uch to heart, an" they ill please us best if they bear their loss lightly an" te%perately& )or our life ill ha!e the noblest en" hich is !ouchsafe" to %an, an" shoul" be glorifie" rather than la%ente"& >n" if they ill "irect their %in"s to the care an" nurture of our i!es an" chil"ren, they ill soonest forget their %isfortunes, an" li!e in a better an" nobler ay, an" be "earer to us& NThis is all that e ha!e to say to our fa%iliesB an" to the state e oul" sayFFTa#e care of our parents an" of our sonsB let her orthily cherish the ol" age of our parents, an" bring up our sons in the right ay& ,ut e #no that she ill of her o n accor" ta#e care of the%, an" "oes not nee" any exhortation of ours&N This, : ye chil"ren an" parents of the "ea", is the %essage hich they bi" us "eli!er to you, an" hich 2 "o "eli!er ith the ut%ost seriousness& >n" in their na%e 2 beseech you, the chil"ren, to i%itate your fathers, an" you, parents, to be of goo" cheer about yoursel!esM for e ill nourish your age, an" ta#e care of you both publicly an" pri!ately in any place in hich one of us %ay %eet one of you ho are the parents of the "ea"& >n" the care of you hich the city sho s, you #no yoursel!esM for she has %a"e pro!ision by la concerning the parents an" chil"ren of those ho "ie in arM the highest authority is specially entruste" ith the "uty of atching o!er the% abo!e all other citi9ens, an" they ill see that your fathers an" %others ha!e no rong "one to the%& The city herself shares in the

e"ucation of the chil"ren, "esiring as far as it is possible that their orphanhoo" %ay not be felt by the%M hile they are chil"ren she is a parent to the%, an" hen they ha!e arri!e" at %anNs estate she sen"s the% to their se!eral "uties, in full ar%our cla"M an" bringing freshly to their %in"s the ays of their fathers, she places in their han"s the instru%ents of their fathersN !irtuesM for the sa#e of the o%en, she oul" ha!e the% fro% the first begin to rule o!er their o n houses arraye" in the strength an" ar%s of their fathers& >n" as for the "ea", she ne!er ceases honouring the%, celebrating in co%%on for all rites hich beco%e the property of eachM an" in a""ition to this, hol"ing gy%nastic an" eTuestrian contests, an" %usical festi!als of e!ery sort& .he is to the "ea" in the place of a son an" heir, an" to their sons in the place of a father, an" to their parents an" el"er #in"re" in the place of a guar"ianFFe!er an" al ays caring for the%& Consi"ering this, you ought to bear your cala%ity the %ore gentlyM for thus you ill be %ost en"eare" to the "ea" an" to the li!ing, an" your sorro s ill heal an" be heale"& >n" no "o you an" all, ha!ing la%ente" the "ea" in co%%on accor"ing to the la , go your ays& Qou ha!e hear", Menexenus, the oration of >spasia the Milesian& ME;ERE;<.B Truly, .ocrates, 2 %ar!el that >spasia, ho is only a o%an, shoul" be able to co%pose such a speechM she %ust be a rare one& .:C+>TE.B 'ell, if you are incre"ulous, you %ay co%e ith %e an" hear her& ME;ERE;<.B 2 ha!e often %et >spasia, .ocrates, an" #no li#e& hat she is

.:C+>TE.B 'ell, an" "o you not a"%ire her, an" are you not grateful for her speechS ME;ERE;<.B Qes, .ocrates, 2 a% !ery grateful to her or to hi% ho tol" you, an" still %ore to you ho ha!e tol" %e& .:C+>TE.B *ery goo"& ,ut you %ust ta#e care not to tell of %e, an" then at so%e future ti%e 2 ill repeat to you %any other excellent political speeches of hers&

ME;ERE;<.B )ear not, only let %e hear the%, an" 2 ill #eep the secret& .:C+>TE.B Then 2 ill #eep %y pro%ise&

En" of this Project Gutenberg Etext of Menexus, by Plato