[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, I reckon this the choicest, that were I robbed of my whole present stock, there is no work so mean, but it would amply serve me to furnish me with sustenance. Why, look you, whenever I desire to fare delicately, I have not to purchase precious viands in the market, which becomes expensive, but I open the storehouse of my soul, and dole them out.[63] Indeed, as far as pleasure goes, I find it better to await desire before I suffer meat or drink to pass my lips, than to have recourse to any of your costly viands, as, for instance, now, when I have chanced on this fine Thasian wine,[64] and sip it without thirst. But indeed, the man who makes frugality, not wealth of worldly goods, his aim, is on the face of it a much more upright person. And why?-- the man who is content with what he has will least of all be prone to clutch at what is his neighbour's.
[63] Or, "turn to the storehouse of a healthy appetite." See "Apol." 18, the same sentiment "ex ore Socratis."
[64] See Athen. "Deipnos." i. 28.
And here's a point worth noting. Wealth of my sort will make you liberal of soul. Look at Socrates; from him it was I got these riches. He did not supply me with it by weight or by measure, but just as much as I could carry, he with bounteous hand consigned to me. And I, too, grudge it to no man now. To all my friends without distinction I am ready to display my opulence: come one, come all; and whosoever likes to take a share is welcome to the wealth that lies within my soul. Yes, and moreover, that most luxurious of possessions,[65] unbroken leisure, you can see, is mine, which leaves me free to contemplate things worthy of contemplation,[66] and to drink in with my ears all charming sounds. And what I value most, freedom to spend whole days in pure scholastic intercourse[67] with Socrates, to whom I am devoted.[68] And he, on his side, is not the person to admire those whose tale of gold and silver happens to be the largest, but those who are well-pleasing to him he chooses for companions, and will consort with to the end.
[65] See Eur. "Ion," 601. Lit. "at every moment I command it."
[66] "To gaze upon all fairest shows (like a spectator in the theatre), and to drink in sounds most delectable." So Walt Whitman.
[67] Aristot. "Rhet." ii. 4. 12; "Eth. N." ix. 4. 9.
[68] See "Mem." III. xi. 17.
With these words the speaker ended, and Callias exclaimed:
By Hera, I envy you your wealth, Antisthenes, firstly, because the state does not lay burthens on you and treat you like a slave; and secondly, people do not fall into a rage with you when you refuse to be their creditor.
You may stay your envy (interposed Niceratus), I shall presently present myself to borrow of him this same key of his to independence.[69] Trained as I am to cast up figures by my master Homer--
Seven tripods, which ne'er felt the fire, and of gold ten talents And burnished braziers twenty, and horses twelve--[70]
by weight and measure duly reckoned,[71] I cannot stay my craving for enormous wealth. And that's the reason certain people, I daresay, imagine I am inordinately fond of riches.
[69] Or, "his want-for-nothing," or, "supply-all."
[70] Niceratus quotes "Il." ix. 122, 123, 263, 264.
[71] Or, "by number and by measure," "so much apiece, so much a pound," in reference to Antisthenes' remark that Socrates does not stint his "good things."
The remark drew forth a peal of laughter from the company, who thought the speaker hit the truth exactly.
Then some one: It lies with you, Hermogenes, to tell us who your friends are; and next, to demonstrate the greatness of their power and their care for you, if you would prove to us your right to pride yoruself on them.
Herm. That the gods know all things, that the present and the future lie before their eyes, are tenets held by Hellenes and barbarians alike. This is obvious; or else, why do states and nations, one and all, inquire of the gods by divination what they ought to do and what they ought not? This also is apparent, that we believe them able to do us good and to do us harm; or why do all men pray to Heaven to avert the evil and bestow the good? Well then, my boast is that these gods, who know and can do all things,[72] deign to be my friends; so that, by reason of their care for me, I can never escape from their sight,[73] neither by night nor by day, whithersoever I essay to go, whatsoever I take in hand to do.[74] But because they know beforehand the end and issue of each event, they give me signals, sending messengers, be it some voice,[75] or vision of the night, with omens of the solitary bird, which tell me what I should and what I should not do. When I listen to their warnings all goes well with me, I have no reason to repent; but if, as ere now has been the case, I have been disobedient, chastisement has overtaken me.