Socrates Among His Peers

Three Dialogues

Owen Grazebrook

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN:
  9780429865558
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosophy History & Theory

In this book, first published in 1927, the author presents us with three conversations, fables, that, beautiful in themselves, also have a direct bearing on what is being discussed: Death and the Hereafter; Justice; and the Kingdom of Heaven.

THE VERDICT

THE VERDICT

For Mine enemies speak against me, and they that lay wait for my Soul take their counsel together, saying, God hath forsaken him, persecute him, and take him, for there is none to deliver him.—Psalm Ixxi. 9.

CHARACTERS

Neoptolemus – A rich Athenian

Clinias – – The Host

Eryxias – – An Athenian citizen

Archion – – A Soldier

Neiridion – – A Sailor

Anytus – – An Accuser of Socrates

Meletus – – „ „ „

Aristogiton – A young man

Aristophanes – The Playwright

Diotimus – A Stranger

NEOPTOLEMUS is speaking

THE VERDICT

You must not ask me to believe in political justice. For one thing I have lived too long in this City to believe in anything, and for another I was present when the Trial of the Generals took place, and also at the Trial of Socrates that followed seven years afterwards.

I was old enough to record my vote at this, and I can assure you I took a very serious view of the importance of my decision, but looking back, I am not at all certain that Justice was served either by the decision of my fellow citizens in general, or my vote in particular.

Should you ever go to the theatre and see the old masterpieces performed, you would rightly feel emotion at the time, but, when safely home again, you would remember the excellence of the actor rather than the sufferings of the hero.

I will tell you what was said in the House of Clinias that same night after the trial was over, and Socrates had been committed to the House of the Eleven, and you shall form your own opinion as to the Justice of it.

I know that the story of the death of the hero, or the chief actor, which ever expression you prefer, has been recorded by a great artist, and one who never allowed either his readers or himself to forget that reason should be tinged with emotion, but my art is not that of the playwright, though the discussion partook of both Tragedy and Comedy as you will hear, but rather that of the remembrancer.

You young men, did not have the advantages of our system of education, you were not compelled from your earliest years, aided by the rod, to recite The “Wrath of Achilles” and other masterpieces, so that you have not the memory which we had perforce to acquire, nor have you the gift of happy quotation which is the mark, as the goldsmiths say, of an Athenian Scholar.

As I have told you, I spent the whole day in the Assembly listening to the speeches, but after the judges had delivered their sentence, it was so late in the evening, that I went away, for I had promised Clinias that I would dine at his house. Being quite near the steps, I got out quickly, and was some way down the hill when Clinias himself, walking much faster than his wont, overtook me. Even in those days Clinias was inclined to be fat and hurrying downhill made him short of breath, so he could only pant as he passed: “I am expecting you—Aristophanes refuses to come.” The absence of Aristophanes will leave an empty place, I thought, and as I wondered who would be deemed worthy or willing to come at such short notice, I heard another man behind me, and who should I see but the playwright himself.

Aristophanes would also have passed me without a word, but I spoke to him: Our dinner will be quite spoilt for Clinias tells me that you are not coming to-night.’’ He peered up at me, with his head on one side like a saucy sparrow, and then making up his mind to speak, he ejaculated: “True, Neoptolemus”; and having taken a few steps at my pace he continued in his dryest vein: “I, also, have an oracle, who has spoken to me, and he bids me be alone.” Thinking to please him I said: “We have both seen a great drama to-day, and perhaps you wish to record what is fresh in your memory. If I was a playwright, no doubt I should feel the same.” But my words, harmless enough you would think, enraged him, for he said: “If you were a writer, you would not say such things, nor would you think as you do”, and before I could reply he hurried on.

The boy, who was carrying my chair, was too far away from me to have annoyed him, and many times before going to sleep I have composed suitable and adequate replies to his speech, but I always console myself for saying nothing at the time by remembering that Aristophanes was a dangerous man with whom to bandy words, so I walked alone to my house and roused my slaves, none too kindly, for I will admit I was in a bad temper.

After my bath I was completely restored, and I took especial delight in being shaved, for one thing, it would have annoyed Aristophanes so much. Hot water, and oil and the right selection of scent produce a feeling of virtue, which, in my opinion is more often derived from getting rid of evil (and after all dust is an evil) than merely doing virtuous things. In fact I was so completely restored to my usual genial good humour, that not even the appearance of Eryxias, also on his way to the house of Clinias, could disturb me.

“I do not think that any of you can remember Eryxias as he died very soon after the events of which I speak, but in the Sicilian War he served in the army of Nicias, and was one of those unfortunates surrounded in the olive garden of Polyzalus and sold into the stone quarries of Achradina. Having a strong body he escaped with his life, but with little else.

For some reason he was persuaded that the Goddess herself had come to his rescue, and as a sort of return he vowed himself to her service for the rest of his life. This, as I said, was fortunately short, for neither party, if I may say so, were gainers by the bargain, nor can I personally ever believe that the Goddess had interfered personally on his behalf, for Eryxias in no way resembled Odysseus, for example, or indeed anyone but himself, nevertheless he believed in the whole thing, and retaining both his obsession and his vows, was to be found in the precincts of the temple by day or night, and in time, I have no doubt he would have acquired some official post in the ceremonies, but for his voice, which being small and reedy, made him even more ridiculous.

As you can imagine all these disasters falling on one never renowned for intelligence or moderation, made him rather a nuisance than a pleasant companion, nor were the things he was accustomed to say always suited to his company, so that many treated him as a madman, and indeed his sufferings in Syracus were cruel beyond measure.

At any rate it was with such a one that I walked to the House of Clinias, and on the way he thought fit to regale me with an account, in some detail, of a quarrel among his fellows. As far as I can remember it had been proposed that the Robes of the Statue carried in the Panathenæa should be lengthened but it might have been shortened, in any case it seemed to Eryxias a serious matter. I was myself more concerned with the names of those who were to be of our company that night.

Thus we arrived, my companion still piping his protests like Pan, to find the company assembled. Archion, the soldier, Neiridion whom I had not seen since Arginusæ, two of the orators of the day, Anytus, quiet but triumphant and Meletus triumphant but not quiet, and Aristogiton a youth of great beauty and even greater wealth, to whom Antisthenes the banker had bequeathed the greater part of his vast fortune. The presence of these, some of whom were my friends, reconciled me to the proximity of Eryxias, so that I could sympathise with him almost cheerfully under the trouble which was overwhelming him, though, as I said, I never fully understood what he was talking about.

I noticed that as usual nine couches, one for each of the Muses, had been prepared, and Clinias interpreted my glance. “Aristophanes “he said, “but he will not come.” I should have asked Socrates, had he been acquitted, but since the Fates have decided otherwise, an empty place will remind us all of our mortality—and his fate, therefore, let us enjoy ourselves as far as we can; we are not women that we should cry aloud if one of our number is taken away.”

With these words we took our places, and it was not without care that I placed myself as far as possible from Eryxias.

When the flute players had finished the first music, I turned to our host: “Clinias”, I said, “You have gathered a rare company to-night and it would be a great pity if anything trivial or unworthy was the subject of our conversation, but since you have here two of the victors in the Assembly to-day, would it not be well if we talked of the trial, it being understood that neither Meletus nor Anytus repeated those speeches which we have already heard.” “Certainly”, he said, ‘if that is agreeable to you all.’

But Archion dissented, saying: “It is true that I was not present at this trial, but I am told that our friends spoke for two hours apiece, so that it is impossible for them to have anything fresh to add, even if they are not hoarse.”

Neiridion was on his side too, for he spoke at once. “I am not certain that we have any occasion for rejoicing in this matter. The action of the Assembly in my opinion does no credit to this City, and will not bear looking into. For some of us were the friends of Socrates and loved him too dearly to enjoy hearing people say:

Ay me, wise Peleus Son, very bitter tidings must thou hear,

Such as I would have never been.

Fallen is Patroklus, and they are fighting round his body naked.”

After this, it was impossible for Clinias to continue the subject in harmony so that the flute players began again, playing very sweetly. All the while I was thinking how we could bring in the subject of the day’s trial, but without avail, when something happened which decided the matter finally.

The front doors had been barred for fear lest some wandering revellers should disturb the company, so we heard nothing of the world outside until the voices of strangers came from the garden.

Clinias got up, for such could only come from the bearers of ill tidings, or someone who was familiar with the household, but when he reached the garden entrance we could see Aristophanes and with him a stranger. With that gift for happy quotation, which I still claim is the product of our classical education, Clinias turned to his new guests, declaiming:

“As when a man whom spite of Fate hath cursed in his own land for homicide, that he flieth abroad and seeketh asylum with some Lord, and they that see him are filled with amazement. Even so now Achilles was amazed, as he saw Priam enter, and the men all were amazed, and looked upon each other in terror.”

But Aristophanes paused only to complete the quotation—“ But Priam as Hermes hath bade, bow’d down to beseech him. This I do also Clinias, since I owe you an apology, first for refusing to come, and then breaking in upon your company. But since I left you this afternoon, the Gods have been kind to me. Not that I am guilty of homicide, as yet, nor am I searching for the fallen body of a friend, for I know where my friends spend their nights, but Hermes, no less, has sent to me a stranger from Eos, Diotimus the Son of Gryllus, who having long heard of the virtue that abides always in the City of the Violet Crown, has risked many things on his journey here, in order that he may meet with those most acquainted with virtue. For quite different qualities, I must presume, he came to my house, but learning of his desires, I have brought him here where virtue and knowledge are ever to be found, and more especially about this time.”

Some of the company looked very pleased at this, especially Aristogiton who was young enough to be deceived with the soft beginnings of such a speech, then the playwright continued: “In the house of Clinias, O Diotimus, you are meeting all that remains of virtue in Athens. Let me introduce you! A sailor without a ship, a warrior without a command, a soldier who has tasted of slavery, two of our foremost orators, a rich youth, a man of the world, a poor playwright, and the cultured but portly gentleman at whose feast we are assembled. It is your misfortune that you cannot talk to the most virtuous man of our City, but he is not available to-night, since his fellow citizens have to-day sent him to the House of the Eleven, and the gaoler will not permit us to enter—as guests—after sundown.”

All this time Diotimus, who was a typical Islander, was standing waiting his chance of speaking to Clinias, and saying something elegant or apposite to convince us that the islanders were after all civilised people, but so many names uttered, the one after the other seemed to confuse him, and it was almost with a start that he found Clinias speaking to him. “You are doubly welcome Diotimus to this house and this company, firstly because you come from Eos, and secondly, in that you have brought Aristophanes with you. As you will learn to-night, his presence makes us all—shall I say—at our best. Come sit by me, and ask for what you will, but if you have already eaten join with us in drinking.”

As both the new comers had already dined, figs were brought in with fresh wine, and after we had said such prayers as were suitable or sufficient, we asked Diotimus in turn what things he had seen in our City that seemed to him of the greatest interest, and each of us, as far as our special knowledge would permit, enlightened him answering his questions.

This gave me the chance I had long been seeking, and when it came to my turn, I said: “O Diotimus, such things as temples and Statues may be seen in many cities, nor do I doubt that your island also could show such beautiful buildings as would make us jealous, but to-day, before the whole Assembly the people of Athens have made trial and condemned to death, one of our most famous citizens, the like of which I do not think you can have seen in any other City in Hellas. If therefore you were a witness of that trial, it would interest us all to know how such a thing impressed a Greek, although not of our blood?” To this the stranger Diotimus, replied as follows, in the somewhat laboured and flowery style which passes for courtesy or culture among those beyond the sea.

“I deem it a great honour, Men of Athens, to find myself at last in your great City, but especially do I prize my presence at this banquet. I can assure you that for many years to come your names, gentlemen, will be familiar to my countrymen. In my land, we have long envied the supremacy of your City, both in Art and Laws, nor need I remind you of the sympathy we showed and the perils we shared at your side in the Great War.” He paused at this point sufficiently long for me to look at Archion, to see how he would take such a tribute to an island which, it was notorious, achieved great wealth by trading both with Athens and Sparta, while sending a few hoplites and two ill-found vessels to the fleet, but he merely looked under his eyebrows at the orator who continued.

“Although we can claim Kinship with you, our history is too short for us to have produced those masterpieces of antiquity which we so greatly envy. Sirs, you have an atmosphere, which, if we could, we would copy, since neither buildings nor statues can procure that tradition of mellowed age which we so especially appreciate in our ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• PREFACE
• NIGHT AND THE DREAM
• THE VERDICT
• THE CITY OF GOD