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For you are not jealous of her, seeing her dallying with Lysistratus. Nothing is more contentious than the Loves; and how, if you are in love, do you philosophize while enduring such great pain?

64 Socrates to Melanippides Gymnastic trainers and physical instructors are indeed indispensable to children as teachers of self-control. For since children are not yet receptive to wisdom and laws, they restrain their licentiousness with threats; for we disturb children more with words than with whips. But I am amazed at your shamelessness; for neither are the punishments of the courts fearful to you, nor is instructive speech respected. In old age you have a mind more foolish than children. Go then, if you wish, to the pit of destruction. For he whom reason and whips do not teach to be temperate, to persuade this man to abstain from wickedness is very laborious and is more difficult than cleaning the Augean stables or draining the entire Atlantic sea with a cup.

65 Bubalion to Cissybios The son of Gorgias wrongs us. For the all-defiled one rides a pair of horses, and under the pretext of hunting, the most wicked one cloaks his villainy. For neither does a hare frequent our lands, nor does a gazelle dwell here, nor buffaloes, nor deer, nor anything else of those things suitable for hunting. For the fences and snares drive away the hares, by which they are also caught when treading on the grapes, and a scarcity of gazelle and buffalo the neighboring lions. And why indeed should I enumerate to you the countless kinds of wild beasts, with which we also starve? For drought punishes us, and a lack of game punishes the beasts. Since, therefore, you have a kinship with the wrongdoer, Cissybios, propose what is advantageous, and let these present words of yours now teach him to be more temperate. For know that he will be torn apart by dogs, if for the rest of time he should dwell in my fields; for already the female dog with her children guards my little plot of land, eager to taste human fat.

66 Peitho to Hippolytus Those who desire embrace beauty, not a venerable character. For the Loves do not promise self-control, but with beauty of body they entice the licentious eye. If, therefore, you love Rhodocleia for her ways, the Loves do not rule over your pleasures; for an Aphrodisian dart does not touch a philosophizing mind. 67 Eratosthenes to Aeschines You eat your oaths like vegetables, and the matter seems to you to be a gnashing of teeth, and you talk back to your accusers, you all-wicked one: "3The tongue has sworn, but the mind is unsworn,"3 not knowing that an unbridled tongue exacts a punishment greater than the offense. For whatever we sin in words, we shall suffer the punishment in deeds. Keep your tongue temperate, then, being cautious of swearing even to the truth; for an oath seems to be a light thing, but it is more unbearable than any burden. For this reason also Tantalus was punished; for he had a licentious tongue concerning divine things. 68 Seutlion to Coriannus I have at last caught the most wicked fox, and having taken her, I guard the all-defiled one with various bonds. And I shall lead her to the highway, Coriannus, having called together all the country-folk, and I shall lead the enemy in triumph; and she will pay the penalty publicly, suffering one punishment for many wrongs. 6 Calliope to Lais Gorgias prides himself on his top-knot and cicada, his face not yet shaded with the down of youth, and he puts on airs because of his beauty, and he sets forth his comeliness to us as a bait for folly. But I will engrave old age and sickness and grief on tablets, and I would set them up before the doors of the ungrateful one; for these he will one day have as a match for his comeliness. 70 Plato to Axiochus With reins and whips we direct horses, and we sail, at one time having unfurled the ship with its sails, at another time having bridled it with anchors we bring it to moor. Thus must the tongue also be governed, Axiochus, at one time arming it with words, at another putting it to rest with silence.

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οὐ γὰρ ζηλοτυπεῖς ἐπ' αὐτῇ, ἐμφιλοχωροῦσαν τῷ Λυσιστράτῳ θεώμενος. φιλονεικότερον Ἐρώτων οὐδέν· καὶ πῶς, εἰ ἐρᾷς, τηλικαύτης ἀλγηδόνος φιλοσοφεῖς ἀνεχόμενος;

64 Σωκράτης Μελανιππίδῃ Γυμνασταὶ μὲν καὶ παιδοτρίβαι ἀπαραίτητοι τοῖς παισὶν ὡς σωφροσύνης διδάσκαλοι. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ φρονήσεως ἔτι καὶ νόμων οἱ παῖδές εἰσιν ἀνεπίδεκτοι, ἀπειλαῖς χαλινοῦσι τὸ τούτων ἀκόλαστον· τοὺς γὰρ παῖδας λόγοις μᾶλλον ἢ μάστιξιν ἐκταράττομεν. ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν σὴν ἀναίδειαν ἄγαμαι· οὐ γὰρ κολάσεις δικαστηρίων σοι φοβεραί, οὔτε λόγος εἰσηγητικός ἐστιν αἰδέσιμος. τῶν παίδων ἀφρονεστέραν ἐν γήρᾳ τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχεις. ἴθι τοίνυν, εἰ βούλοιο, πρὸς βάραθρον. ὃν γὰρ λόγος καὶ μάστιγες σωφρονεῖν οὐ διδάσκουσι, τοῦτον πείθειν κακίας ἀπέχεσθαι λίαν ἐργῶδες καὶ τοῦ καθαίρειν τὴν Αὐγείου κόπρον ἐστὶ δυσχερέστερον ἢ κοτύλῃ τὸ Ἀτλαντικὸν ἅπαν ἐκροφῆσαι πέλαγος.

65 Βουβαλίων Κισσυβίῳ Ὁ Γοργίου παῖς ἡμᾶς ἀδικεῖ. ξυνωρικεύεται γὰρ ἱππαζόμενος ὁ παμμίαρος, καὶ προσχήματι θήρας περιπέττει τὴν πανουργίαν ὁ κάκιστος. οὔτε γὰρ λαγὼς φοιτᾷ παρ' ἡμῖν οὔτε δορκὰς ἐνδημεῖ, οὐ βουβαλίδες, οὐκ ἔλαφοι, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν πρὸς θήραν ἐπιτηδείων ὄντων. αἱ μὲν γὰρ εἱρκταὶ καὶ πάγαι τοὺς λαγὼς ἀπελαύνουσι, δι' ὧν καὶ ἁλίσκονται τῶν σταφυλῶν ἐπιβαίνοντες, δορκάδος δὲ σπάνις καὶ βουβαλίδος οἱ γείτονες λέοντες. καὶ τί δῆτά σοι τὰ μυρία τῶν θηρίων ἀπαριθμήσομαι γένη, οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς συλλιμώττομεν; ἀνυδρία γὰρ ἡμᾶς, ἀθηρία δὲ τοὺς θῆρας κολάζεται. ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἀγχιστεία σοι πρὸς τὸν ἀδικοῦντα, Κισσύβιε, εἰσηγοῦ τὸ συμφέρον, καὶ σωφρονέστερον τοῦτον οἱ νῦν σοι διδασκέτωσαν λόγοι. ἴσθι γὰρ αὐτὸν κυσὶ σπαραττόμενον, εἰ ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἀγροῖς τὸ λοιπὸν ἐνδημήσειεν· ἤδη γὰρ καὶ ἡ θήλεια κύων σὺν τοῖς τέκνοις περιφρουρεῖ μοι τὸ γήδιον ἀνθρωπίνης ὀργῶσα πιμελῆς ἐφάπτεσθαι.

66 Πειθὼ Ἱππολύτῳ Εὐπρέπειαν, οὐκ ἦθος σεμνὸν οἱ ποθοῦντες μᾶλλον ἀσπάζονται. οὐ γὰρ σωφροσύνην Ἔρωτες ἐπαγγέλλονται, ἀλλὰ κάλλει σώματος ὀφθαλμὸν ἀκόλαστον δελεάζουσιν. εἰ τοίνυν διὰ τοὺς τρόπους τῆς Ῥοδοκλείας ἐρᾷς, τῶν σῶν ἡδονῶν οὐ βασιλεύουσιν Ἔρωτες· φιλοσοφοῦντος γὰρ λογισμοῦ βέλος ἀφροδίσιον οὐχ ἅπτεται. 67 Ἐρατοσθένης Αἰσχίνῃ Ἐσθίεις τοὺς ὅρκους ὡς λάχανα, καὶ κτύπος ὀδόντων εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ τὸ πραττόμενον, καὶ τοῖς ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀντιφθέγγῃ, παμπόνηρε· "3ἡ γλῶττ' ὀμώμοχ', ἡ δὲ φρὴν ἀνώμοτος"3, οὐκ εἰδὼς ἀχαλίνωτον γλῶτταν μείζονα τοῦ πλημμελήματος εἰσπραττομένην τὴν κόλασιν. ἃ γὰρ ἂν λόγοις ἁμάρτωμεν, ἔργοις τὴν τιμωρίαν ὑφέξομεν. τὴν γλῶτταν δῆτα σώφρονα κέκτησο, ὀμνύειν καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν εὐλαβούμενος· ἀβαρὲς γάρ τι χρῆμα ὁ ὅρκος εἶναι δοκεῖ, καὶ παντὸς ἄχθους ἐστὶ δυσφορώτερον. ἐντεῦθεν καὶ Τάνταλος ἐκολάζετο· περὶ τὰ θεῖα γὰρ ἔσχε τὴν γλῶτταν ἀκόλαστον. 68 Σευτλίων Κοριάννῳ Εἷλον ὀψέ ποτε τὴν κακίστην ἀλώπεκα, καὶ λαβὼν ποικίλοις δεσμοῖς περιφρουρῶ τὴν παμμίαρον. καὶ ἄξω ἐπὶ τὴν λεωφόρον, Κορίαννε, τοὺς ἀγροίκους συγκαλεσάμενος ἅπαντας, καὶ τὴν πολέμιον θριαμβεύσω· καὶ δημοσίᾳ δίκας παρέξεται, ἀντὶ πολλῶν ἀδικημάτων μίαν ὑφέξουσα κόλασιν. 6 Καλλιόπη Λαΐδι Κρωβύλῳ καὶ τέττιγι ὁ Γοργίας σεμνύνεται μήπω τοῖς ἰούλοις κατασκιάσας τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ βρενθύεται τῷ κάλλει, καὶ δέλεαρ ἀνοίας προτίθησιν ἡμῖν τὴν εὐπρέπειαν. ἐγὼ δὲ γῆρας καὶ νόσον καὶ λύπην πίναξιν ἐγχαράξομαι, καὶ πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἀναθήσαιμι τοῦ ἀγνώμονος· ταῦτα γὰρ ἕξει ποτὲ τῆς εὐπρεπείας ἀντίπαλα. 70 Πλάτων Ἀξιόχῳ Ἡνίαις καὶ μάστιξι τοὺς ἵππους ἰθύνομεν, καὶ ναυτιλλόμεθα πῇ μὲν τοῖς ἱστίοις τὴν ναῦν ἐκπετάσαντες, πῇ δὲ ταῖς ἀγκύραις χαλινώσαντες καθορμίζομεν. οὕτω κυβερνητέον καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν, Ἀξίοχε, πῇ μὲν τοῖς λόγοις ὁπλίζοντες, πῇ δὲ σιωπῇ κατευνάζοντες.