| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Alcibiades I by Plato: ALCIBIADES: Certainly, Socrates.
SOCRATES: And are you now conscious of your own state? And do you know
whether you are a freeman or not?
ALCIBIADES: I think that I am very conscious indeed of my own state.
SOCRATES: And do you know how to escape out of a state which I do not even
like to name to my beauty?
ALCIBIADES: Yes, I do.
SOCRATES: How?
ALCIBIADES: By your help, Socrates.
SOCRATES: That is not well said, Alcibiades.
ALCIBIADES: What ought I to have said?
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: when he had nothing to fear than he registered vows in time of
apprehension.
He was accustomed in the midst of anxiety to wear an aspect of gaiety,
but, when the victory was won, of gentleness.
Amongst friends his warmest greeting was reserved, not for the most
powerful, but for the most ardent; and if he hated, it was not him
who, being evil entreated, retaliated, but one who, having had
kindness done to him, seemed incapable of gratitude.
He rejoiced when sordid greed was rewarded with poverty; and still
more if he might himself enrich a righteous man, since his wish was to
render uprightness more profitable than iniquity.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: rich, and if you are visited by a dream of luck your one thought is to
offer sacrifice to Heaven to avert misfortune.[54]
[54] Or, "you wake up in a fright, and offer sacrifice to the
'Averters.'" For {tois apotropaiois} see Aristoph. "Plutus," 359;
Plat. "Laws," 854 B; "Hell." III. iii. 4.
Char. No, that I do not. On the contrary, I run my head into each
danger most adventurously. I endure, if haply I may see a chance of
getting something from some quarter of the sky some day.
Come now (Socrates exclaimed), it lies with you, sir, you,
Antisthenes, to explain to us, how it is that you, with means so
scanty, make so loud a boast of wealth.
The Symposium |
