The Symposium [14]
the while I rolled in plenty I had everything to lose, and, as a rule, I lost it; what the state did not exact, some mischance stole from me. But now that is over. I lose nothing, having nought to lose; but, on the contrary, I have everything to gain, and live in hope of some day getting something.[53]
[53] "I feed on the pleasures of hope, and fortune in the future."
Call. And so, of course, your one prayer is that you may never more be 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.
Because (he answered) I hold to the belief, sirs, that wealth and poverty do not lie in a man's estate, but in men's souls. Even in private life how many scores of people have I seen, who, although they roll in wealth, yet deem themselves so poor, there is nothing they will shrink from, neither toil nor danger, in order to add a little to their store.[55] I have known two brothers,[56] heirs to equal fortunes, one of whom has enough, more than enough, to cover his expenditure; the other is in absolute indigence. And so to monarchs, there are not a few, I perceive, so ravenous of wealth that they will outdo the veriest vagrants in atrocity. Want[57] prompts a thousand crimes, you must admit. Why do men steal? why break burglariously into houses? why hale men and women captive and make slaves of them? Is it not from want? Nay, there are monarchs who at one fell swoop destroy whole houses, make wholesale massacre, and oftentimes reduce entire states to slavery, and all for the sake of wealth. These I must needs pity for the cruel malady which plagues them. Their condition, to my mind, resembles that poor creature's who, in spite of all he has[58] and all he eats, can never stay the wolf that gnaws his vitals.
[55] Cf. "Cyrop." VIII. ii. 21; Hor. "Epist." i. 2. 26, "semper avarus eget."
[56] Is Antisthenes thinking of Callias and Hermogenes? (presuming these are sons of Hipponicus and brothers). Cf. "Mem." II. x. 3.
[57] Or, "'Tis want that does it." See "Pol. Ath." i. 5; "Rev," i. 1.
[58] Reading {ekhon}, or if {pinon}, transl. "who eats and drinks, but never sates himself."
But as to me, my riches are so plentiful I cannot lay my hands on them myself;[59] yet for all that I have enough to eat till my hunger is stayed, to drink till my thirst is sated;[60] to clothe myself withal; and out of doors not Callias there, with all his riches, is more safe than I from shivering; and when I find myself indoors, what warmer shirting[61] do I need than my bare walls? what ampler greatcoat than the tiles above my head? these seem to suit me well enough; and as to bedclothes, I am not so ill supplied but it is a business to arouse me in the morning.
[59] "That I can scarce discover any portion of it." Zeune cf. "Econ." viii. 2.
[60] So "the master" himself. See "Mem." I. ii. 1, vi. 5.
[61] Cf. Aristot. "Pol." ii. 8. 1, of Hippodamus.
And as to sexual desire, my body's need is satisfied by what comes first to hand. Indeed, there is no lack of warmth in the caress which greets me, just because it is unsought by others.[62]
[62] Cf. "Mem." I. iii. 14, the germ of cynicism and stoicism, the Socratic {XS} form of "better to marry than to burn."
Well then, these several pleasures I enjoy so fully that I am much more apt to pray for less than more of them, so strongly do I feel that some of them are sweeter than what is good for one or profitable.
But of all the precious things in my possession,
[53] "I feed on the pleasures of hope, and fortune in the future."
Call. And so, of course, your one prayer is that you may never more be 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.
Because (he answered) I hold to the belief, sirs, that wealth and poverty do not lie in a man's estate, but in men's souls. Even in private life how many scores of people have I seen, who, although they roll in wealth, yet deem themselves so poor, there is nothing they will shrink from, neither toil nor danger, in order to add a little to their store.[55] I have known two brothers,[56] heirs to equal fortunes, one of whom has enough, more than enough, to cover his expenditure; the other is in absolute indigence. And so to monarchs, there are not a few, I perceive, so ravenous of wealth that they will outdo the veriest vagrants in atrocity. Want[57] prompts a thousand crimes, you must admit. Why do men steal? why break burglariously into houses? why hale men and women captive and make slaves of them? Is it not from want? Nay, there are monarchs who at one fell swoop destroy whole houses, make wholesale massacre, and oftentimes reduce entire states to slavery, and all for the sake of wealth. These I must needs pity for the cruel malady which plagues them. Their condition, to my mind, resembles that poor creature's who, in spite of all he has[58] and all he eats, can never stay the wolf that gnaws his vitals.
[55] Cf. "Cyrop." VIII. ii. 21; Hor. "Epist." i. 2. 26, "semper avarus eget."
[56] Is Antisthenes thinking of Callias and Hermogenes? (presuming these are sons of Hipponicus and brothers). Cf. "Mem." II. x. 3.
[57] Or, "'Tis want that does it." See "Pol. Ath." i. 5; "Rev," i. 1.
[58] Reading {ekhon}, or if {pinon}, transl. "who eats and drinks, but never sates himself."
But as to me, my riches are so plentiful I cannot lay my hands on them myself;[59] yet for all that I have enough to eat till my hunger is stayed, to drink till my thirst is sated;[60] to clothe myself withal; and out of doors not Callias there, with all his riches, is more safe than I from shivering; and when I find myself indoors, what warmer shirting[61] do I need than my bare walls? what ampler greatcoat than the tiles above my head? these seem to suit me well enough; and as to bedclothes, I am not so ill supplied but it is a business to arouse me in the morning.
[59] "That I can scarce discover any portion of it." Zeune cf. "Econ." viii. 2.
[60] So "the master" himself. See "Mem." I. ii. 1, vi. 5.
[61] Cf. Aristot. "Pol." ii. 8. 1, of Hippodamus.
And as to sexual desire, my body's need is satisfied by what comes first to hand. Indeed, there is no lack of warmth in the caress which greets me, just because it is unsought by others.[62]
[62] Cf. "Mem." I. iii. 14, the germ of cynicism and stoicism, the Socratic {XS} form of "better to marry than to burn."
Well then, these several pleasures I enjoy so fully that I am much more apt to pray for less than more of them, so strongly do I feel that some of them are sweeter than what is good for one or profitable.
But of all the precious things in my possession,