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Section 120

Alcibiades. Who are these you speak of, Socrates?

Socrates. Do you not know that our city is at war with the Lacedaemonians and with the Great King at all times?

Alcibiades. You speak the truth.

Socrates. Therefore if you intend to be the leader of this city, would you not be thinking correctly if you thought that your contest was against the kings of the Lacedaemonians and the king of the Persians?

Alcibiades. You are likely to speak the truth.

Socrates. No, my good friend, but you must look to Midias the quail-striker and others like him—who attempt to manage the affairs of the city while still having, as the women would say, the slave's hair in their souls due to lack of culture, and not yet having cast it off, but still acting like barbarians they have come to flatter the city but not to rule it—you must look to these men, as I say, and neglect yourself, and neither learn as much as pertains to learning, being about to fight such a great contest, nor practice as much as requires practice, and having prepared every preparation in this way go to the affairs of the city.

Alcibiades. But, Socrates, you seem to me to speak the truth, yet I think the generals of the Lacedaemonians and the king of the Persians do not differ from the rest.

Socrates. But, my excellent friend, consider what sort of opinion this is that you hold.

Alcibiades. Concerning what?

Socrates. First, in which way do you think you would take more care of yourself, fearing them and thinking them formidable, or not?

Alcibiades. Clearly if I thought them formidable.

Socrates. Do you then think you would suffer any harm by taking care of yourself?

Alcibiades. By no means, but I would even benefit greatly.

Socrates. Therefore this opinion has this one great evil.

Alcibiades. You speak the truth.

Socrates. Secondly, then, consider from probabilities that it is also false.

Alcibiades. How so?

Socrates. Is it probable that better natures are born in noble families or not?

Alcibiades. Clearly in noble ones.

Socrates. And do not those who are well born, if they are also well nurtured, thus become perfect with respect to virtue?

Alcibiades. Necessarily.

Socrates. Let us consider then, comparing their conditions with ours, first whether the kings of the Lacedaemonians and Persians seem to be of baser families. Or do we not know that the former are descendants of Heracles, and the latter of Achaemenes, and the family of Heracles and that of Achaemenes trace back to Perseus, the son of Zeus?