charmides- 第8部分

which　occurs　in　the　Prologues　to　the　Parmenides；　but　seems　rather　to　belong



to　a　later　stage　of　the　philosophy　of　Plato。







　　　　　



CHARMIDES；　OR　TEMPERANCE







by







Plato







Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett











PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Socrates；　who　is　the　narrator；　Charmides；



Chaerephon；　Critias。







SCENE：　　The　Palaestra　of　Taureas；　which　is　near　the　Porch　of　the　King



Archon。







Yesterday　evening　I　returned　from　the　army　at　Potidaea；　and　having　been　a



good　while　away；　I　thought　that　I　should　like　to　go　and　look　at　my　old



haunts。　　So　I　went　into　the　palaestra　of　Taureas；　which　is　over　against　the



temple　adjoining　the　porch　of　the　King　Archon；　and　there　I　found　a　number



of　persons；　most　of　whom　I　knew；　but　not　all。　　My　visit　was　unexpected；　and



no　sooner　did　they　see　me　entering　than　they　saluted　me　from　afar　on　all



sides；　and　Chaerephon；　who　is　a　kind　of　madman；　started　up　and　ran　to　me；



seizing　my　hand；　and　saying；　How　did　you　escape；　Socrates？（I　should



explain　that　an　engagement　had　taken　place　at　Potidaea　not　long　before　we



came　away；　of　which　the　news　had　only　just　reached　Athens。）







You　see；　I　replied；　that　here　I　am。







There　was　a　report；　he　said；　that　the　engagement　was　very　severe；　and　that



many　of　our　acquaintance　had　fallen。







That；　I　replied；　was　not　far　from　the　truth。







I　suppose；　he　said；　that　you　were　present。







I　was。







Then　sit　down；　and　tell　us　the　whole　story；　which　as　yet　we　have　only　heard



imperfectly。







I　took　the　place　which　he　assigned　to　me；　by　the　side　of　Critias　the　son　of



Callaeschrus；　and　when　I　had　saluted　him　and　the　rest　of　the　company；　I



told　them　the　news　from　the　army；　and　answered　their　several　enquiries。







Then；　when　there　had　been　enough　of　this；　I；　in　my　turn；　began　to　make



enquiries　about　matters　at　homeabout　the　present　state　of　philosophy；　and



about　the　youth。　　I　asked　whether　any　of　them　were　remarkable　for　wisdom　or



beauty；　or　both。　　Critias；　glancing　at　the　door；　invited　my　attention　to



some　youths　who　were　coming　in；　and　talking　noisily　to　one　another；



followed　by　a　crowd。　　Of　the　beauties；　Socrates；　he　said；　I　fancy　that　you



will　soon　be　able　to　form　a　judgment。　　For　those　who　are　just　entering　are



the　advanced　guard　of　the　great　beauty；　as　he　is　thought　to　be；　of　the　day；



and　he　is　likely　to　be　not　far　off　himself。







Who　is　he；　I　said；　and　who　is　his　father？







Charmides；　he　replied；　is　his　name；　he　is　my　cousin；　and　the　son　of　my



uncle　Glaucon：　　I　rather　think　that　you　know　him　too；　although　he　was　not



grown　up　at　the　time　of　your　departure。







Certainly；　I　know　him；　I　said；　for　he　was　remarkable　even　then　when　he　was



still　a　child；　and　I　should　imagine　that　by　this　time　he　must　be　almost　a



young　man。







You　will　see；　he　said；　in　a　moment　what　progress　he　has　made　and　what　he　is



like。　　He　had　scarcely　said　the　word；　when　Charmides　entered。







Now　you　know；　my　friend；　that　I　cannot　measure　anything；　and　of　the



beautiful；　I　am　simply　such　a　measure　as　a　white　line　is　of　chalk；　for



almost　all　young　persons　appear　to　be　beautiful　in　my　eyes。　　But　at　that



moment；　when　I　saw　him　coming　in；　I　confess　that　I　was　quite　astonished　at



his　beauty　and　stature；　all　the　world　seemed　to　be　enamoured　of　him；



amazement　and　confusion　reigned　when　he　entered；　and　a　troop　of　lovers



followed　him。　　That　grown…up　men　like　ourselves　should　have　been　affected



in　this　way　was　not　surprising；　but　I　observed　that　there　was　the　same



feeling　among　the　boys；　all　of　them；　down　to　the　very　least　child；　turned



and　looked　at　him；　as　if　he　had　been　a　statue。







Chaerephon　called　me　and　said：　　What　do　you　think　of　him；　Socrates？　　Has　he



not　a　beautiful　face？







Most　beautiful；　I　said。







But　you　would　think　nothing　of　his　face；　he　replied；　if　you　could　see　his



naked　form：　　he　is　absolutely　perfect。







And　to　this　they　all　agreed。







By　Heracles；　I　said；　there　never　was　such　a　paragon；　if　he　has　only　one



other　slight　addition。







What　is　that？　said　Critias。







If　he　has　a　noble　soul；　and　being　of　your　house；　Critias；　he　may　be



expected　to　have　this。







He　is　as　fair　and　good　within；　as　he　is　without；　replied　Critias。







Then；　before　we　see　his　body；　should　we　not　ask　him　to　show　us　his　soul；



naked　and　undisguised？　he　is　just　of　an　age　at　which　he　will　like　to　talk。







That　he　will；　said　Critias；　and　I　can　tell　you　that　he　is　a　philosopher



already；　and　also　a　considerable　poet；　not　in　his　own　opinion　only；　but　in



that　of　others。







That；　my　dear　Critias；　I　replied；　is　a　distinction　which　has　long　been　in



your　family；　and　is　inherited　by　you　from　Solon。　　But　why　do　you　not　call



him；　and　show　him　to　us？　for　even　if　he　were　younger　than　he　is；　there



could　be　no　impropriety　in　his　talking　to　us　in　the　presence　of　you；　who



are　his　guardian　and　cousin。







Very　well；　he　said；　then　I　will　call　him；　and　turning　to　the　attendant；　he



said；　Call　Charmides；　and　tell　him　that　I　want　him　to　come　and　see　a



physician　about　the　illness　of　which　he　spoke　to　me　the　day　before



yesterday。　　Then　again　addressing　me；　he　added：　　He　has　been　complaining



lately　of　having　a　headache　when　he　rises　in　the　morning：　　now　why　should



you　not　make　him　believe　that　you　know　a　cure　for　the　headache？







Why　not；　I　said；　but　will　he　come？







He　will　be　sure　to　come；　he　replied。







He　came　as　he　was　bidden；　and　sat　down　between　Critias　and　me。　　Great



amusement　was　occasioned　by　every　one　pushing　with　might　and　main　at　his



neighbour　in　order　to　make　a　place　for　him　next　to　themselves；　until　at　the



two　ends　of　the　row　one　had　to　get　up　and　the　other　was　rolled　over



sideways。　　Now　I；　my　friend；　was　beginning　to　feel　awkward；　my　former　bold



belief　in　my　powers　of　conversing　with　him　had　vanished。　　And　when　Critias



told　him　that　I　was　the　person　who　had　the　cure；　he　looked　at　me　in　such　an



indescribable　manner；　and　was　just　going　to　ask　a　question。　　And　at　that



moment　all　the　people　in　the　palaestra　crowded　about　us；　and；　O　rare！　I



caught　a　sight　of　the　inwards　of　his　garment；　and　took　the　flame。　　Then　I



could　no　longer　contain　myself。　　I　thought　how　well　Cydias　understood　the



nature　of　love；　when；　in　speaking　of　a　fair　youth；　he　warns　some　one　'not



to　bring　the　fawn　in　the　sight　of　the　lion　to　be　devoured　by　him；'　for　I



felt　that　I　had　been　overcome　by　a　sort　of　wild…beast　appetite。　　But　I



controlled　myself；　and　when　he　asked　me　if　I　knew　the　cure　of　the　headache；



I　answered；　but　with　an　effort；　that　I　did　know。







And　what　is　it？　he　said。







I　replied　that　it　was　a　kind　of　leaf；　which　required　to　be　accompanied　by　a



charm；　and　if　a　person　would　repeat　the　charm　at　the　same　time　that　he　used



the　cure；　he　would　be　made　whole；　but　that　without　the　charm　the　leaf　would



be　of　no　avail。







Then　I　will　write　out　the　charm　from　your　dictation；　he　said。







With　my　consent？　I　said；　or　without　my　consent？







With　your　consent；　Socrates；　he　said；　laughing。







Very　good；　I　said；　and　are　you　quite　sure　that　you　know　my　name？







I　ought　to　know　you；　he　replied；　for　there　is　a　great　deal　said　about　you



among　my　companions；　and　I　remember　when　I　was　a　child　seeing　you　in



company　with　my　cousin　Critias。







I　am　glad　to　find　that　you　remember　me；　I　said；　for　I　shall　now　be　more　at



home　with　you　and　shall　be　better　able　to　explain　the　nature　of　the　charm；



about　which　I　felt　a　difficulty　before。　　For　the　charm　will　do　more；



Charmides；　than　only　cure　the　headache。　　I　dare　say　that　you　have　heard



eminent　physicians　say　to　a　patient　who　comes　to　them　with　bad　eyes；　that



they　cannot　cure　his　eyes　by　themselves；　but　that　if　his　eyes　are　to　be



cured；　his　head　must　be　treated；　and　then　again　they　say　that　to　think　of



curing　the　head　alone；　and　not　the　rest　of　the　body　also；　is　the　height　of



folly。　　And　arguing　in　this　way　they　apply　their　methods　to　the　whole　body；



and　try　to　treat　and　heal　the　whole　and　the　part　together。　　Did　you　ever



observe　that　this　is　what　they　say？







Yes；　he　said。







And　they　are　right；　and　you　would　agree　with　them？







Yes；　he　said；　certainly　I　should。







His　approving　answers　reassured　me；　and　I　began　by　degrees　to　regain



confidence；　and　the　vital　heat　returned。　　Such；　Charmides；　I　said；　is　the



nature　of　the　charm；　which　I　learned　when　serving　with　the　army　from　one　of



the　physicians　of　the　Thracian　king　Zamolxis；　who　are　said　to　be　so　skilful



that　they　can　even　give　immortality。　　This　Thracian　told　me　that　in　these



notions　of　theirs；　which　I　was　just　now　mentioning；　the　Greek　physicians



are　quite　right　as　far　as　they　go；　but　Zamolxis；　he　added；　our　king；　who　is



also　a　god；　says　further；　'that　as　you　ought　not　to　attempt　to　cure　the



eyes　without　the　head；　or　the　head　without　the　body；　so　neither　ought　you



to　attempt　to　cure　the　body　without　the　soul；　and　this；'　he　said；　'is　the



reason　why　the　cure　of　many　diseases　is　unknown　to　the　physicians　of



Hellas；　because　they　are　ignorant　of　the　whole；　which　ought　to　be　studied



also；　for　the　part　can　never　be　well　unless　the　whole　is　well。'　　For　all



good　and　evil；　whether　in　the　body　or　in　human　nature；　originates；　as　he



declared；　in　the　soul；　and　overflows　from　thence；　as　if　from　the