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Section 121

Alcibiades. And ours, Socrates, traces back to Eurysaces, and that of Eurysaces to Zeus.

Socrates. And ours, my noble Alcibiades, to Daedalus, and Daedalus to Hephaestus, the son of Zeus. But their lines, beginning from these, have been kings from kings down to Zeus, the one of Argos and Lacedaemon, the other of Persia continuously, and often of Asia as well, just as now; while we are ourselves private citizens and so were our fathers. And if you had to show off your ancestors and the homeland of Eurysaces, Salamis, or that of Aeacus even before him, Aegina, to Artaxerxes the son of Xerxes, how much laughter do you think you would incur? But see lest we are inferior to the men not only in the bulk of our birth but also in our other upbringing. Or have you not perceived how great are the advantages belonging to the kings of the Lacedaemonians, whose wives are publicly guarded by the ephors, so that as far as possible it may not escape notice if a king is born from someone other than the Heraclidae? And the Persian king surpasses so much that no one even holds a suspicion that the king could be born from anyone but the king himself; therefore the king's wife is not guarded except by fear. And when the eldest son is born, to whom the rule belongs, first all those in the kingdom over whom he rules celebrate, and then for the rest of time on this day all Asia sacrifices and celebrates the king's birthday; but when we are born, as the comic poet says, not even the neighbors notice it very much, Alcibiades. After this the child is nurtured, not by a woman nurse of little worth, but by those eunuchs who seem to be the best around the king; to whom it is assigned both to take care of the newborn in other respects, and to contrive how he will be as beautiful as possible, molding and straightening the child's limbs; and doing these things they are held in great honor. And when the boys become seven years old, they go to the horses and to their teachers, and they begin to go on hunts. And when the boy becomes twice seven years old, those whom they call the royal tutors take him over; and these are four chosen men reputed to be the best among the Persians in their prime, the wisest and the most just and the most moderate and the most courageous.