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It is possible to see this happening purely, but nowhere else, not only by their despising of present things, and that every pretext for strife and battle has been cut off, and that their hopes for the future are bright, but also by their considering the painful and good things that happen to each to be common to all. For despondency easily disappears, as all bear the burden together in proportion to the one, and they have many reasons for cheerfulness, rejoicing not only in their own good things, but also in those of one another no less than in their own. How then will our affairs be ruined, if we all emulate these men? For now they are ruined and corrupted because of those who live far from this way of life. But you, in decreeing the opposite, do the same thing, as if someone were to slander a lyre accurately tuned as useless, and say that the one which is the opposite, ruined beyond measure by both tightening and slackening, is suitable both for playing and for the delight of the audience. But we would have sought no other greater proof than this of the lack of culture of the one saying these things, nor any other clearer sign of the malice and misanthropy of those who decree such things. But what is the argument of the more reasonable fathers? Let them learn letters first, he says, and having acquired the power of words, let them thus be led to this philosophy; then there is no one to prevent it. And how is it clear that they will in any case reach manhood? For many, having been snatched away beforehand, have departed by an untimely death. But let it be that this too is evident; let us suppose that they will even reach manhood, who will guarantee all their earlier age? For I do not yet say anything for the sake of argument, that if someone offered confidence concerning these things, I would not have led them away even after they acquired this power, but then especially I would have ordered them to stay, and 47.367 I would not have praised those who exile them, but would have turned away from them as common enemies of the state, because by hiding the lamps, and leading the lights from the city into the desert, they were depriving those dwelling within of the greatest goods. But if there is no one who will promise these things, what is the benefit of sending them to teachers, where before words they will know wickedness, and wishing to receive the lesser thing, they will lose the greater, all the strength and well-being of the soul? What then? Shall we tear down the schools, he says? I do not say this, but that we should not tear down the edifice of virtue, and bury the soul alive; for if this is sound-minded there will be no harm from inexperience in words, but if it is corrupted the injury is very great, even if the tongue happens to be very sharp, and so much the greater, by as much as that power is added. For wickedness, having acquired the experience of speaking, works terrible things much worse than ignorance. But what if, having gone there, he says, in addition to having a slower tongue, they also fall away from that virtue? But what if, by remaining, tell me, in addition to corrupting their soul, they should gain nothing for eloquence from their study? for it is more fitting for me to say these things, than for you to say those things. Why indeed? Because although the future of each is uncertain, yours is more uncertain. How, and for what reason? Because the study of words requires decency of character, but decency of character no longer requires the addition of words. For it is possible to achieve moderation even without this education, but the power of words without good character no one could ever acquire, since all the time is spent on wickedness and licentiousness. So that what you fear there, one must also fear here; and much more so here, inasmuch as the failures are both more frequent, and the danger is concerning greater things. And there indeed it is necessary to be occupied with one thing only. But here the task is to master the two, since it is not possible to take the one without the other, nor to know words without moderation. But if you wish, let us suppose this impossible thing to be possible what good would come to us from experience of these things, if we receive the blow in the vital parts? and what evil from inexperience, of the greatest things

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τοῦτο καθαρῶς συμβαῖνον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ἄλλοθι δὲ οὐδαμοῦ, οὐ μόνον τῷ τῶν παρόντων ὑπερορᾷν, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐκκεκόφθαι στάσεως καὶ μάχης ὑπόθεσιν, καὶ λαμπρὰς αὐτοῖς εἶναι περὶ τῶν μελλόντων τὰς ἐλπίδας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τὰ συμβαίνοντα ἑκάστῳ λυπηρὰ καὶ χρηστὰ κοινὰ πάντων εἶναι νομίζειν. Ἥ τε γὰρ ἀθυμία ἀφανίζεται ῥᾴδιον, ἀναλόγως τῷ ἑνὶ συνδιαφερόντων τὸ φορτίον ἁπάντων, τῆς τε εὐθυμίας πολλὰς ἔχουσι τὰς ὑποθέσεις, οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν μόνοις εὐφραινόμενοι καλοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀλλήλων οὐχ ἧττον, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν. Πῶς οὖν ἡμῖν οἰχήσεται τὰ πράγματα, ἂν τούτους πάντες ζηλώσωμεν; Νῦν γὰρ οἴχεται καὶ διέφθαρται διὰ τοὺς πόῤῥω τῆς πολιτείας ταύτης ἠσκημένους. Σὺ δὲ τἀναντία ψηφιζόμενος ταυτὸ ποιεῖς, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις καὶ λύραν μὲν ἀκριβῶς ἡρμοσμένην ὡς ἄχρηστον διαβάλλοι, τὴν ἐναντίως δὲ ἔχουσαν, καὶ ἐπιτάσει καὶ ἀνέσει διεφθαρμένην ἀμέτρῳ, ταύτην ἐπιτηδείαν εἶναι καὶ πρὸς κρούματα καὶ πρὸς τέρψιν λέγοι τῶν θεατῶν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν οὔτε τῆς ἀμουσίας τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος ἕτερον τούτου μεῖζον τεκμήριον ἐζητήσαμεν ἂν, οὔτε τῆς βασκανίας καὶ μισανθρωπίας τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα ψηφιζομένων δεῖγμα σαφέστερον ἄλλο. Ἀλλὰ τίς ὁ τῶν ἐπιεικεστέρων λόγος πατέρων; Μαθέτωσαν, φησὶ, γράμματα πρότερον, καὶ τὴν τῶν λόγων προσλαβόντες δύναμιν, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἀγέσθωσαν ταύτην· τότε ὁ κωλύσων οὐδείς. Καὶ πόθεν δῆλον ὅτι πάντως εἰς ἄνδρας ἐκβήσονται; πολλοὶ γὰρ ἀώρῳ προαναρπασθέντες ἀπῆλθον θανάτῳ. Ἀλλ' ἔστω καὶ τοῦτο εἶναι φανερόν· θῶμεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εἰς ἄνδρας τελέσειν, τίς ἐγγυήσεται τὴν προτέραν ἅπασαν ἡλικίαν; Οὔπω γὰρ οὐδὲν πρὸς φιλονεικίαν φθέγγομαι, ὅτι εἴ τις ὑπὲρ τούτων παρεῖχε θαῤῥεῖν, οὐδὲ κτησαμένους τὴν δύναμιν ταύτην ἐξήγαγον ἂν, ἀλλὰ τότε μάλιστα μένειν ἐκέλευσα, καὶ 47.367 τοὺς φυγαδεύοντας αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἂν ἐπῄνεσα, ἀλλ' ὡς κοινοὺς τῆς πολιτείας ἐχθροὺς ἀπεστράφην ἂν, ὅτι τοὺς λύχνους κρύπτοντες, καὶ τοὺς φωστῆρας ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν ἄγοντες, τὰ μέγιστα τοὺς ἔνδον οἰκοῦντας ἐζημίουν ἀγαθά. Εἰ δὲ οὐδεὶς ὁ ταῦτα ὑποσχησόμενος, τί τὸ ὄφελος πέμπειν εἰς διδασκάλους, ἔνθα πρὸ τῶν λόγων κακίαν εἴσονται, καὶ τὸ ἕλαττον βουλόμενοι λαβεῖν, τὸ μεῖζον ἀπολέσουσι, τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τὴν εὐεξίαν ἅπασαν; Τί οὖν; κατασκάψομεν τὰ διδασκαλεῖα, φησίν; Οὐ τοῦτο λέγω, ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς καθέλωμεν οἰκοδομὴν, καὶ ζῶσαν κατορύξωμεν τὴν ψυχήν· σωφρονούσης μὲν γὰρ ταύτης οὐδεμία ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν λόγων ἀπειρίας ἔσται ζημία, διεφθαρμένης δὲ μεγίστη ἡ βλάβη, κἂν σφόδρα ἡ γλῶττα ἠκονημένη τυγχάνῃ, καὶ τοσούτῳ μείζων, ὅσῳπερ ἂν ἐκείνη προσῇ ἡ δύναμις. Πονηρία γὰρ τὴν τοῦ λέγειν προσλαβοῦσα ἐμπειρίαν, πολλῷ χείρονα τῆς ἀμαθίας ἐργάζεται τὰ δεινά. Ἂν δὲ ἀπελθόντες ἐκεῖ, φησὶ, πρὸς τῷ τὴν γλῶσσαν ἀργοτέραν ἔχειν. καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκπέσωσιν ἐκείνης; Ἂν δὲ μένοντες, εἰπέ μοι, πρὸς τῷ τὴν ψυχὴν διαφθεῖραι, μηδὲν εἰς εὐγλωττίαν ἀπόνωνται τῆς σχολῆς; ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἁρμόσει ταῦτα λέγειν μᾶλλον, ἢ ἐκεῖνα σοί. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι εἰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἄδηλον ἑκατέρου, τὸ σὸν ἀδηλότερον. Πῶς, καὶ διὰ τί; Ὅτι ἡ μὲν τῶν λόγων σπουδὴ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν τρόπων ἐπιεικείας δεῖται, ἡ δὲ τῶν τρόπων ἐπιείκεια οὐκέτι τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων προσθήκης. Σωφροσύνην μὲν γὰρ καὶ χωρὶς τῆς παιδεύσεως ταύτης κατορθῶσαι ἔνι, λόγων δὲ δύναμιν χωρὶς τρόπων χρηστῶν οὐδεὶς ἂν προσλάβοι ποτὲ, παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου εἰς κακίαν καὶ ἀσέλγειαν ἀναλισκομένου. Ὥστε ὅπερ ἐκεῖ δέδοικας, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα φοβεῖσθαι χρή· καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐνταῦθα, ὅσῳ καὶ πυκνότεραι αἱ ἀποτυχίαι, καὶ περὶ τῶν μειζόνων ὁ κίνδυνος. Κἀκεῖ μὲν πρὸς ἓν ἠσχολῆσθαι μόνον ἀνάγκη. ἐνταῦθα δὲ τῶν δύο κρατῆσαι πρόκειται, ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν θάτερον χωρὶς θατέρου λαβεῖν, οὐδὲ σωφροσύνης χωρὶς τοὺς λόγους εἰδέναι. Εἰ δὲ βούλει, καὶ τὸ ἀδύνατον τοῦτο θῶμεν εἶναι δυνατὸν τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν ἀπὸ τῆς τούτων ἐμπειρίας, περὶ τὰ καίρια λαμβάνουσι τὴν πληγήν; τί δὲ κακὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπειρίας, τῶν μεγίστων