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and concerning the prophets of the Hebrews, show- 13.18.18 ing the deficiency of his thought. And yet it was possible for one prepared to find fault to accuse him of countless things, such as the august and wise regulations he made about women in the Republic, or the solemn pronouncements on unlawful love in the Phaedrus. But you, if you desire to hear of these things, take and read these very words of his:

13.19.1 19. WHAT PLATO ORDAINED CONCERNING WOMEN “Perhaps, I said, contrary to custom, many of the things now being said would seem ridiculous, if they are carried out as they are said. Very much so, he said. And what, I said, do you see as the most ridiculous part of them? Is it not plainly that the women exercise naked in the wrestling schools with the men, not only the young, but now the older ones too, just like the old men in the gymnasia, when, wrinkled and not pleasant to look at, they still love to exercise.” 13.19.2 And he adds next: “But the man who laughs at naked women exercising for the sake of what is best, ‘reaping the fruit of a wisdom that is ripe for laughter,’ does not even know, it seems, at what he is laughing.” 13.19.3 And he also says in the seventh book of the Laws: “That it will be necessary for the boys and the girls to learn to dance, it is clear, and to exercise;” and: “For the boys there would be male dancers, and for the girls female dancers, for working out hard, not less suitably.” And he sets down in it these things also: “But our maiden and mistress, on the other hand, delighted with the education of the chorus, did not think she ought to trifle with empty hands, but adorned with full armor thus performed her dance; which would surely be fitting for both boys and girls to imitate.” 13.19.4 And he also legislates in some such way for women to go to war: “And in all these matters there must be teachers for each, persuaded by pay, being resident foreigners, to teach all the lessons that pertain to war to those who attend, and all that pertains to music; not letting one attend if the father wishes it, and another not, neglecting his education, but, as the saying goes, every man and boy, as far as possible, since they belong more to the city than to their parents, must 13.19.5 be educated by necessity. And indeed my law would say all the same things about females as about males, that the females must practice equally; and without any fear I would say this word about both horsemanship and gymnastics, that it would be fitting for men, but not unfitting for women.” 13.19.6 And again, continuing, he says: “Let us establish gymnasia and all labors for the body related to war, of archery and every kind of throwing, and of fighting with the light shield, and of all fighting in heavy armor, and of tactical maneuvers, and of all marching of armies and making of camps, and whatever lessons contribute to horsemanship. For of all these things there must be common teachers, earning pay from the city, and as their pupils the boys and men in the city, and the girls and women, knowledgeable in all these things; while still girls, having practiced all dancing and fighting in arms, and as women, having taken up maneuvers and formations and the laying down and taking up of arms.” 13.19.7 But the doctrine of the Hebrews will not assent to these things either, but will certainly declare the opposite, not assigning success in wars to the strength of men, let alone that of women, but referring everything to God and the alliance from him. For it says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord watches over the city, in vain 13.19.8 did the watchman keep awake.” But see how the marvelous philosopher also brings women into the gymnastic contest, saying something like this: “And for the women, for the maidens who have not reached puberty, naked, the stadium and the double-stadium race and the horse-race

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καὶ τῶν παρ' Ἑβραίοις προφητῶν τὸ ἐλλιπὲς ἐπι 13.18.18 δεικνὺς αὐτοῦ τῆς διανοίας. καίτοι παρῆν τῷ καταμέμφεσθαι παρεσκευασμένῳ μυρί' ἄττα καταιτιᾶσθαι, οἷα τὰ σεμνὰ καὶ σοφὰ αὐτῷ περὶ γυναικῶν ἐν Πολιτείᾳ διατεταγμένα ἢ οἷα τὰ περὶ ἔρωτος ἐκθέσμου σεσεμνολογημένα ἐν Φαίδρῳ. σὺ δ', εἰ καὶ τούτων ἐπακοῦσαι ποθεῖς, ἀνάγνωθι τάσδε αὐτοῦ λαβὼν τὰς φωνάς·

13.19.1 ιθʹ. ΟΠΟΙΑ ΠΕΡΙ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ Ο ΠΛΑΤΩΝ ∆ΙΕΤΑΞΑΤΟ «Ἴσως δή, εἶπον, παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς γελοῖα ἂν φαίνοιτο πολλὰ περὶ τὰ νῦν δὴ λεγόμενα, εἰ πράξεται ᾗ λέγεται. Καὶ μάλα, ἔφη. Τί δέ, ἦν δ' ἐγώ, γελοιότατον αὐτῶν ὁρᾷς; ἢ δηλαδὴ ὅτι γυμνὰς τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν ταῖς παλαίστραις γυμναζομένας μετὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὐ μόνον τὰς νέας, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τὰς πρεσβυτέρας, ὥσπερ τοὺς γέροντας ἐν τοῖς γυμνασίοις, ὅταν ῥυσοὶ καὶ μὴ ἡδεῖς τὴν ὄψιν ὅμως φιλογυμναστῶσι.» 13.19.2 Καὶ ἐπιλέγει ἑξῆς· «Ὁ δὲ γελῶν ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ γυμναῖς ταῖς γυναιξὶ τοῦ βελτίστου ἕνεκα γυμναζομέναις, «ἅτε δὴ τοῦ γελοίου σοφίας δρέπων καρπόν,» οὐδὲ οἶδεν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐφ' ᾧ γελᾷ.» 13.19.3 Φησὶ δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑβδόμῳ τῶν Νόμων· «Ὡς ἄρα δεήσει τοὺς παῖδας καὶ τὰς παῖδας ὀρχεῖσθαι, δῆλα δή, καὶ γυμνάζεσθαι μανθάνειν·» καί· «Τοῖς μὲν παισὶν ὀρχησταί, ταῖς δὲ ὀρχηστρίδες ἂν εἶεν πρὸς τὸ διαπονεῖν οὐκ ἀνεπιτηδειότερον.» Τίθησι δ' ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τάδε· «Ἡ δὲ αὖ που παρ' ἡμῖν κόρη καὶ δέσποινα, εὐφρανθεῖσα τῇ τῆς χορείας παιδείᾳ, οὐκ ᾠήθη δεῖν κεναῖς χερσὶν ἀθύρειν, πανοπλίᾳ δὲ παντελεῖ κοσμηθεῖσα οὕτω τὴν ὄρχησιν διαπεραίνειν· ἃ δὴ πάντως μιμεῖσθαι πρέπον ἂν εἴη κόρους τε ἅμα καὶ κόρας.» 13.19.4 Καὶ πολεμεῖν δὲ γυναιξὶν ὧδέ πη νομοθετεῖ· «Ἐν δὲ τούτοις πᾶσι δεῖ διδασκάλους ἑκάστων πεπεισμένους μισθοῖς, οἰκοῦντας ξένους, διδάσκειν τε πάντα ὅσα πρὸς τὸν πόλεμόν ἐστι μαθήματα τοὺς φοιτῶντας ὅσα τε πρὸς μουσικήν, οὐχ ὃν μὲν ἂν ὁ πατὴρ βούληται, φοιτῶντα, ὃν δ' ἂν μή, ἐῶντα τὰς παιδείας, ἀλλὰ τὸ λεγόμενον πάντα ἄνδρα καὶ παῖδα κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν, ὡς τῆς πόλεως μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν γεννητόρων ὄντας, παι13.19.5 δευτέον ἐξ ἀνάγκης. ταὐτὰ δὲ δὴ καὶ περὶ θηλειῶν ὁ μὲν ἐμὸς νόμος ἂν εἴποι πάντα, ὅσαπερ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀρρένων, ἴσα καὶ τὰς θηλείας ἀσκεῖν δεῖν· καὶ οὐδὲν φοβηθεὶς εἴποιμ' ἂν τοῦτον τὸν λόγον οὔτε ἱππικῆς οὔτε γυμναστικῆς, ὡς ἀνδράσι μὲν πρέπον ἂν εἴη, γυναιξὶ δὲ οὐκ ἂν πρέπον.» 13.19.6 Καὶ πάλιν ἑξῆς ὑποβάς φησι· «Γυμνάσια τιθῶμεν καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν πόλεμον πάντα τοῖς σώμασι διαπονήματα τοξικῆς τε καὶ πάσης ῥίψεως καὶ πελταστικῆς καὶ ἁπάσης ὁπλομαχίας καὶ διεξόδων τακτικῶν καὶ ἁπάσης πορείας στρατοπέδων καὶ στρατοπεδεύσεων καὶ ὅσα εἰς ἱππικὴν μαθήματα ξυντείνει. πάντων γὰρ τούτων διδασκάλους τε εἶναι δεῖ κοινούς, ἀρνυμένους μισθὸν παρὰ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τούτων μαθητὰς τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει παῖδάς τε καὶ ἄνδρας καὶ κόρας καὶ γυναῖκας πάντων τούτων ἐπιστήμονας· κόρας μὲν οὔσας ἔτι πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν ὅπλοις ὄρχησιν καὶ μάχην μεμελετηκυίας, γυναῖκας δὲ διεξόδων καὶ τάξεων καὶ θέσεως καὶ ἀναιρέσεως ὅπλων ἡμμένας.» 13.19.7 Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τούτοις ὁ Ἑβραίων ἐπινεύσει λόγος, ἀντιφθέγξεται δὲ πάντως τἀναντία, μηδ' ἐπ' ἀνδρῶν ῥώμαις, μὴ ὅτι γε γυναικῶν τὴν ἐν πολέμοις ἀνατιθεὶς κατόρθωσιν, πάντα δὲ εἰς θεὸν ἀνάγων καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦδε. λέγει δ' οὖν· «Ἐὰν μὴ κύριος οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον, εἰς μάτην ἐκοπίασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες αὐτόν. ἐὰν μὴ κύριος φυλάξῃ πόλιν, εἰς μάτην 13.19.8 ἠγρύπνησεν ὁ φυλάσσων.» ὁ δέ γε θαυμαστὸς φιλόσοφος θέα ὡς καὶ εἰς τὸν γυμνικὸν εἰσάγει τὰς γυναῖκας ἀγῶνα, ὧδέ πη λέγων· «Γυναιξὶ δέ, κόραις μὲν ἀνήβοις γυμναῖς στάδιον καὶ δίαυλον καὶ ἔφιππον