Alcibiades 1
Plato (428–347 BC)
Plato's Alcibiades 1 in the Greek text edited by John Burnet.
Section 103
Section 104
Section 105
Section 106
Section 107
Section 108
Section 109
Section 110
Section 111
Section 112
Section 113
Section 114
Section 115
Section 116
Section 117
Section 118
Section 119
Section 120
[120] Al. Of whom are you speaking, Socrates?
Soc. Why, you surely know that our city goes to war now and then with the Lacedaemonians and with the great king?
Al. True enough.
Soc. And if you meant to be the ruler of this city, would you not be right in considering that the Lacedaemonian and Persian king were your true rivals?
Al. I believe that you are right.
Soc. Oh no, my friend, I am quite wrong, and I think that you ought rather to turn your attention to Midias the quail-breeder and others like him, who manage our politics; in whom, as the women would remark, you may still see the slaves’ cut of hair, cropping out in their minds as well as on their pates; and they come with their barbarous lingo to flatter us and not to rule us. To these, I say, you should look, and then you need not trouble yourself about your own fitness to contend in such a noble arena: there is no reason why you should either learn what has to be learned, or practise what has to be practised, and only when thoroughly prepared enter on a political career.
Al. There, I think, Socrates, that you are right; I do not suppose, however, that the Spartan generals or the great king are really different from anybody else.
Soc. But, my dear friend, do consider what you are saying.
Al. What am I to consider?
Soc. In the first place, will you be more likely to take care of yourself, if you are in a wholesome fear and dread of them, or if you are not?
Al. Clearly, if I have such a fear of them.
Soc. And do you think that you will sustain any injury if you take care of yourself?
Al. No, I shall be greatly benefited.
Soc. And this is one very important respect in which that notion of yours is bad.
Al. True.
Soc. In the next place, consider that what you say is probably false.
Al. How so?
Soc. Let me ask you whether better natures are likely to be found in noble races or not in noble races?
Al. Clearly in noble races.
Soc. Are not those who are well born and well bred most likely to be perfect in virtue?
Al. Certainly.
Soc. Then let us compare our antecedents with those of the Lacedaemonian and Persian kings; are they inferior to us in descent? Have we not heard that the former are sprung from Heracles, and the latter from Achaemenes, and that the race of Heracles and the race of Achaemenes go back to Perseus, son of Zeus?