Republic

I went down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon, the son of Ariston, to pay my devotions to the Goddess, and also because I wished to see how they would conduct the festival, since this was the first time they were holding it. Now, the procession of the local inhabitants seemed to me to be beautiful, yet that which the Thracians conducted appeared no less fitting. After we had paid our devotions and finished our viewing, we were starting to go back to the city. Then Polemarchus, the son of Cephalus, catching sight of us from a distance as we were hastening homeward, ordered his boy to run and bid us wait for him. And the boy, taking hold of my cloak from behind, said, “Polemarchus bids you wait.” I turned around and asked where his master was. “There he is,” he said, “coming up behind; please wait.” “Indeed we will wait,” said Glaucon. And a little later Polemarchus arrived, and Adeimantus, Glaucon’s brother, and Niceratus, the son of Nicias, and several others, apparently returning from the procession. Then Polemarchus said, “Socrates, you seem to me to be hastening toward the city, as if you were going away.” “You do not judge poorly,” I said. “Do you see, then,” he said, “how many of us there are?” “Of course.” “Well, then,” he said, “either prove yourselves stronger than these men, or remain here.” “Is there not, then,” I said, “still one alternative left: what if we persuade you that you must let us go?” “And could you really persuade us,” he said, “if we refuse to listen?” “By no means,” said Glaucon. “Assume, then, that we will not listen, and make your plans accordingly.”

And Adeimantus said, “Do you really not even know that there is to be a torch race on horseback in the evening for the Goddess?” “On horseback?” I said. “That is indeed a novelty. Will they hold torches and pass them to one another while racing on horses? Or how do you mean?” “Just so,” said Polemarchus. “And besides, they will perform an all-night festival, which is well worth seeing. For we shall rise after dinner and watch the night festival. And we shall be together with many of the young men there and converse. So remain, and do not do otherwise.” And Glaucon said, “It seems we must stay.” “Well, if it seems best,” I said, “so we must do.” We went then to the house of Polemarchus, and there we found Lysias and Euthydemus, the brothers of Polemarchus, and also Thrasymachus of Chalcedon, Charmantides of Paeania, and Cleitophon, the son of Aristonymus. Cephalus, the father of Polemarchus, was also indoors. He seemed to me to be very old, for it was indeed a long time since I had seen him. He was sitting on a cushioned chair, wearing a garland, as he happened to have just offered sacrifice in the courtyard. So we sat down beside him, for some chairs were placed there in a circle. As soon as Cephalus saw me, he greeted me and said, “Socrates, you do not visit us often, coming down to the Piraeus. You really ought to. For if I still had the strength to travel easily to the city, there would be no need for you to come here, but we would go to you. As it is, you must come here more frequently. For be well assured that, for my part, as the other pleasures of the body fade away, the desires and pleasures of conversation increase in equal measure. So do not do otherwise, but associate with these young men and come to visit us here, as to friends and very close relatives.” “Indeed, Cephalus,” I said, “I am delighted to converse with those who are very old. For it seems to me that we ought to learn from them, as from travelers who have gone before us on a road which we too may have to travel, what kind of road it is—whether rough and difficult, or smooth and easy. And from you, in particular, I would gladly learn what your opinion is on this, since you are now at that time of life which the poets call ‘on the threshold of old age’—whether you find it a difficult part of life, or how you report it yourself.”