308
me and what has been said. 22. What then? Does not that also, I said, O Aglaophon, seem to you to be incorrect? Which thing? To say, I replied, that the body has been devised as a bond and fetters against the soul, and that for this reason the prophet called us "prisoners of the earth" and David "fettered." And he said: I cannot answer you readily, he said. But why do you not converse with someone else? And I—for I perceived that he was blushing, trying to avoid being refuted in the 2.436 argument—said: Do you think that I am attempting to refute you out of envy, and not striving to make the matter at hand clear? But, my good sir, do not grow weary of being questioned. For you see that our discussion is not about small matters, but about what manner of belief we ought to have; for I think that no evil so great can befall a person as that which comes from necessary things, whenever one holds false opinions about them. Come then, eagerly to the questions; make it clear, and if I do not seem to you to say anything true, taking thought for the truth more than for me, refute me. For I consider it a greater good to be refuted than to refute, inasmuch as it is a greater thing to be freed from evil oneself than to free another. Come then, let us place our arguments side by side and consider if they differ at all from one another. For the things about which we dispute happen to be not at all small, but things which it is most noble to know, and shameful not to know. Therefore, you do not believe that the body will live again, but I do. Absolutely, he said, and for the reasons I have stated. And you, I said, stated that it is a bond and a prison and a tomb and a burden and fetters, but I do not say so. You speak the truth to me, he said. And indeed you said that it is also partly responsible for licentiousness and error and grief and anger and, in short, for all other evils, which hinder our soul's impulse toward what is nobler, not allowing us to attain to the comprehension and knowledge of the things that truly are. For even if we attempt 2.437 to hunt for any of the things that are, a darkness always falling upon us darkens our reason, not permitting us to see the truth clearly. For the consideration that comes through our ears is filled with deception, as you said, and so is that which comes through sight, and that which comes through the other senses. You see, he said, O Eubulius, how ready I am to praise you, whenever you explain the arguments correctly? 23. Therefore, so that you may praise me even more, if the body seems to be a bond according to you, it cannot be considered to be the cause of vice and injustice for the soul, but conversely of temperance and discipline. But consider it this way; for thus you might follow more easily. Where do we take those whose bodies are sick? Is it not to the physicians? Clearly, he said. And where do we take those who sin? Is it not to the judges? Necessarily. Therefore, to pay the just penalty for what they have done, I said? Yes. And is what is just altogether noble? He agreed. And he who judges justly does well; for he judges justly? He assented. And is the noble beneficial? It seems so. Therefore, those who are judged are benefited. For their wickedness is done away with by punishments, being restrained, just as diseases are by the physicians with cuttings and drugs. For for one who does wrong to pay the penalty is to have the soul set right, casting off the great disease of injustice. He agreed. What then? Do you not say that punishments are justly applied to those who are punished in proportion to their sins, just as surgeries are to those who are being treated in proportion to their wounds? He nodded assent. 2.438 Therefore, he who has done things worthy of death is honored with death as his penalty, he who is worthy of blows with blows, and he who is worthy of bonds with bonds? He agreed. And is the one who has incurred a penalty punished, I said, with bonds or with blows or with some other such punishment, so that he may cease from wrongdoing, having repented, being straightened like a warped piece of wood by tortures? You speak most truly, he said. For the judge punishes him not for the sake of the past crime, but for the future, so that he may not do this again. Clearly, he said. For the bond, it is clear, does away with his impulse toward wrongdoing, not permitting him to do what he wishes. True. Therefore he is restrained from sinning, since the bonds do not allow him to indulge freely in pleasures,
308
με καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα. 22. Τί δέ, οὐχὶ κἀκεῖνο, ἔφην, ὦ Ἀγλαοφῶν, δοκεῖ σοι μὴ ὀρθῶς ἔχειν; Τὸ ποῖον; Τὸ λέγειν, ἦν δὲ ἐγώ, δεσμὸν καὶ πέδας τὸ σῶμα μεμηχανῆσθαι κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ὅτι καὶ ὁ προφήτης «δεσμίους γῆς» ἔφη ἡμᾶς διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ «πεπεδημένους». Καὶ ὅς· οὐκ ἔχω σοι προχείρως ἀποκρίνασθαι, ἔφη. ἀλλὰ τί ἄλλῳ οὐ διαλέγῃ; Καὶ ἐγώ-ᾐσθόμην γὰρ ἐρυθριᾶν αὐτόν, φεύγοντα ἐλεγχθῆναι τῷ 2.436 λόγῳ-· οἴει γάρ με κατὰ φθόνον ἐπιχειρεῖν σε ἐλέγξαι, ἔφην, καὶ μὴ τὸ προκείμενον καταφανὲς φιλονεικεῖν ποιῆσαι; ἀλλ', ὦ ἀγαθέ, μὴ ἀποκάμῃς ἀνερωτώμενος. ὁρᾷς γὰρ ὡς οὐ περὶ μικρῶν ἡμῖν εἰσιν οἱ λόγοι, ἀλλ' οὖν τίνα τρόπον χρὴ πεπιστευκέναι· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οἶμαι τοσοῦτον κακὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γενέσθαι ὅσον ἀπὸ τῶν ἀναγκαίων, ὁπόταν ψευδῆ περὶ αὐτῶν δοξάζοι. ἴθι οὖν προθύμως πρὸς τὰ ἐρωτώμενα· ἀποσάφει καὶ ἐάν τί σοι λέγειν ἀληθὲς μὴ δοκῶ, μᾶλλον τῆς ἀληθείας φροντίσας ἢ ἐμοῦ, ἔλεγξον. μεῖζον γὰρ ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἐλεγχθῆναι τοῦ ἐλέγξαι νομίζω, ὅσῳ μεῖζόν ἐστι τὸ αὐτὸν ἀπαλλαγῆναι κακοῦ τοῦ ἄλλον ἀπαλλάξαι. φέρε οὖν παραλλήλους παραβάλλοντες τοὺς λόγους σκεπτώμεθα εἴ τι διοίσουσιν ἀλλήλων. καὶ γὰρ τυγχάνει περὶ ὧν ἀμφισβητοῦμεν οὐ πάνυ σμικρὰ ὄντα, ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν εἰδέναι τε κάλλιον, μὴ εἰδέναι τε αἰσχρόν. οὐκοῦν σὺ μὲν οὐ νομίζεις ἀναβιῶναι τὸ σῶμα, νομίζω δὲ ἐγώ. Πάνυ μὲν οὖν, ἔφη, καὶ δι' ἃ εἴρηκα. Καὶ σὺ δέ, ἦν δὲ ἐγώ, δεσμὸν αὐτὸ καὶ φυλακὴν καὶ σῆμα καὶ ἄχθος καὶ πέδας εἶναι ἔφης, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ φημί. Ἀληθῆ, ἔφη, μοι λέγεις. Καὶ μὴν καὶ ἀκολασίας καὶ πλάνης καὶ λύπης καὶ θυμοῦ καὶ συλλήβδην τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων εἶναι παραίτιον αὐτὸ κακῶν ἔφης, ἃ ἐμποδίζουσιν ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς τὸ κάλλιον ὁρμὴν τῆς ψυχῆς, μὴ ἐῶντα τῶν ὄντως ὄντων εἰς κατάληψιν ἡμᾶς καὶ γνῶσιν παρελθεῖν. κἂν γὰρ ἐπιχειρήσωμεν 2.437 θηρεῦσαί τι τῶν ὄντων, ἀεὶ παρεμπίπτων ζόφος ζοφοῖ τὸν λογισμόν, μὴ ἐπιτρέπων ἡμᾶς ἐπισκοπῆσαι τὸ ἀληθὲς τρανῶς. ἀπάτης μὲν γὰρ ἡ διὰ τῶν ὤτων ἡμῶν πεπλήρωται σκέψις, ὡς ἔφης, ἀπάτης δὲ καὶ ἡ διὰ τῆς ὄψεως, ἀπάτης καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν ἄλλων αἰσθήσεων. Ὁρᾷς, ἔφη, ὦ Εὐβούλιε, ὡς ἐγὼ ἕτοιμός εἰμί σε ἐπαινεῖν, ὁπόταν ὀρθῶς διασαφῇς τοὺς λόγους; 23. Ἄρα οὖν, ἵνα δή με καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπαινέσῃς, εἰ δεσμὸς τὸ σῶμα καθ' ὑμᾶς δοκεῖ, οὐ δύναται κακίας ὑπαίτιον εἶναι νομίζεσθαι τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ ἀδικίας ἔτι, ἀλλὰ σωφροσύνης ἀντιστρόφως καὶ παιδείας. ὧδε δὲ σκόπει· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μᾶλλον ἀκολουθήσειας. ποῖ ἄγομεν τοὺς τὰ σώματα κάμνοντας; οὐ παρὰ τοὺς ἰατρούς; ∆ῆλον, ἔφη. Ποῖ δὲ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας; οὐ παρὰ τοὺς δικαστάς; Ἀνάγκη. Οὐκοῦν δίκην ὧν ἔδρασαν δώσοντας, ἔφην, δικαίως; Ναί. Τὸ δὲ δίκαιον πάγκαλον; Ὡμολόγει. Ὁ δὲ δικαίως κρίνων καλῶς ποιεῖ· δικαίως γὰρ κρίνει; Συνέφη. Τὸ δὲ καλὸν ὠφέλιμον; Φαίνεται. Ὠφελοῦνται ἄρα οἱ κρινόμενοι. ἀναιρεῖται γὰρ αὐτῶν ταῖς βασάνοις ἡ πονηρία κωλυομένη, καθάπερ καὶ πρὸς τῶν ἰατρῶν τομαῖς καὶ φαρμάκοις αἱ νόσοι. τὸ γὰρ ἀδικοῦντα διδόναι δίκην ἐπανορθοῦσθαι τὴν ψυχήν ἐστι, τὴν μεγάλην νόσον ἀδικίαν ἀποβάλλοντα. Ὡμολόγει. Τί δέ; οὐ κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τῶν ἁμαρτηθέντων τὰς κολάσεις τοῖς κολαζομένοις δικαίως προσφέρεσθαι φῄς, καθάπερ καὶ τοῖς ἰατρευομένοις κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τῶν τραυμάτων τὰς χειρουργίας; Ἐπένευσεν. 2.438 Οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν δράσας ἄξια θανάτου τιμᾶται θανάτῳ τὴν δίκην, ὁ δὲ πληγῶν πληγαῖς, ὁ δὲ δεσμῶν δεσμοῖς; Ὡμολόγει. Ζημιοῦται δὲ ὁ ὀφλήσας, ἔφην, δεσμοῖς ἢ πληγαῖς ἢ ἄλλῃ τινὶ τοιαύτῃ τιμωρίᾳ, ὅπως παύσηται μεταγνοὺς τοῦ ἀδικεῖν, ξύλον καθάπερ διεστραμμένον βασάνοις εὐθυνόμενος; Ἀληθέστατα, ἔφη, λέγεις. Τιμωρεῖται γὰρ αὐτὸν οὐ τοῦ παρεληλυθότος ἐγκλήματος ἕνεκα ὁ δικαστής, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μέλλοντος, ὅπως μὴ καὶ αὖθις ποιήσῃ τοῦτο. ∆ῆλον, ἔφη. Ὁ γὰρ δεσμὸς αὐτῷ δῆλον ὡς τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἀδικεῖν ὁρμὴν ἀναιρεῖ, μὴ ἐπιτρέπων ποιεῖν ἃ θέλει. Ἀληθές. Οὐκοῦν εἴργεται τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν, τῶν δεσμῶν μὴ ἐώντων ἐλευθεριάζοντα χρῆσθαι ταῖς ἡδοναῖς,