§1.329ἐγώ σοι, ἔφη, νὴ τὸν Δία ἐρῶ, ὦ Σώκρατες, οἷόν γέ μοι φαίνεται.
"By Zeus, Socrates," he said, "I will tell you how it appears to me.
πολλάκις γὰρ συνερχόμεθά τινες εἰς ταὐτὸν παραπλησίαν ἡλικίαν ἔχοντες, διασῴζοντες τὴν παλαιὰν παροιμίαν·
For often several of us who are of a similar age come together, preserving the old proverb.
οἱ οὖν πλεῖστοι ἡμῶν ὀλοφύρονται συνιόντες, τὰς ἐν τῇ νεότητι ἡδονὰς ποθοῦντες καὶ ἀναμιμνῃσκόμενοι περί τε τἀφροδίσια καὶ περὶ πότους τε καὶ εὐωχίας καὶ ἄλλʼ ἄττα ἃ τῶν τοιούτων ἔχεται, καὶ ἀγανακτοῦσιν ὡς μεγάλων τινῶν ἀπεστερημένοι καὶ τότε μὲν εὖ ζῶντες, νῦν δὲ οὐδὲ ζῶντες.
Now, most of us, when we meet, lament, longing for the pleasures of youth and recalling sexual pleasures, drinking, feasting, and other things that go with them, and they are vexed as if they had been deprived of some great things, and as if they were living well then, but now not even living.
ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ τὰς τῶν οἰκείων προπηλακίσεις τοῦ γήρως ὀδύρονται, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὴ τὸ γῆρας ὑμνοῦσιν ὅσων κακῶν σφίσιν αἴτιον.
And some also lament the abuses of their relatives toward old age, and on this account they sing a dirge for old age, saying how many evils it causes them.
ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκοῦσιν, ὦ Σώκρατες, οὗτοι οὐ τὸ αἴτιον αἰτιᾶσθαι.
But to me, Socrates, these people seem not to blame the real cause.
εἰ γὰρ ἦν τοῦτʼ αἴτιον, κἂν ἐγὼ τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα ἐπεπόνθη, ἕνεκά γε γήρως, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες ὅσοι ἐνταῦθα ἦλθον ἡλικίας.
For if this were the cause, I too would have suffered these same things, as far as old age is concerned, and so would all others who have reached this point in age.
νῦν δʼ ἔγωγε ἤδη ἐντετύχηκα οὐχ οὕτως ἔχουσιν καὶ ἄλλοις, καὶ δὴ καὶ Σοφοκλεῖ ποτε τῷ ποιητῇ παρεγενόμην ἐρωτωμένῳ ὑπό τινος· πῶς,
ἔφη,
ὦ Σοφόκλεις, ἔχεις πρὸς τἀφροδίσια;
But as it is, I have already met others who are not thus disposed, and indeed I was once present when Sophocles the poet was asked by someone: 'How, Sophocles,' he said, 'do you stand in regard to sexual pleasures?
ἔτι οἷός τε εἶ γυναικὶ συγγίγνεσθαι
; καὶ ὅς,
εὐφήμει,
ἔφη,
ὦ ἄνθρωπε·
Are you still able to have intercourse with a woman?' And he said, 'Hush, man!
ἁσμενέστατα μέντοι αὐτὸ ἀπέφυγον, ὥσπερ λυττῶντά τινα καὶ ἄγριον δεσπότην ἀποδράς. εὖ οὖν μοι καὶ τότε ἔδοξεν ἐκεῖνος εἰπεῖν, καὶ νῦν οὐχ ἧττον.
Most gladly indeed have I escaped it, as if fleeing from some raging and savage master.' He seemed to me to speak well then, and no less so now.
παντάπασι γὰρ τῶν γε τοιούτων ἐν τῷ γήρᾳ πολλὴ εἰρήνη γίγνεται καὶ ἐλευθερία·
For in old age there comes great peace and freedom from such things.
ἐπειδὰν αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι παύσωνται κατατείνουσαι καὶ χαλάσωσιν, παντάπασιν τὸ τοῦ Σοφοκλέους γίγνεται, δεσποτῶν πάνυ πολλῶν ἐστι καὶ μαινομένων ἀπηλλάχθαι.
When the desires cease straining and slacken, completely is fulfilled the saying of Sophocles: to be rid of masters, very many and mad.
ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων πέρι καὶ τῶν γε πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους μία τις αἰτία ἐστίν, οὐ τὸ γῆρας, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἀλλʼ ὁ τρόπος τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἂν μὲν γὰρ κόσμιοι καὶ εὔκολοι ὦσιν, καὶ τὸ γῆρας μετρίως ἐστὶν ἐπίπονον· εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ γῆρας, ὦ Σώκρατες, καὶ νεότης χαλεπὴ τῷ τοιούτῳ συμβαίνει.
But both about these things and about those regarding relatives, there is one cause, Socrates, not old age, but the character of men.
καὶ ἐγὼ ἀγασθεὶς αὐτοῦ εἰπόντος ταῦτα, βουλόμενος ἔτι λέγειν αὐτὸν ἐκίνουν καὶ εἶπον· ὦ Κέφαλε, οἶμαί σου τοὺς πολλούς, ὅταν ταῦτα λέγῃς, οὐκ ἀποδέχεσθαι ἀλλʼ ἡγεῖσθαί σε ῥᾳδίως τὸ γῆρας φέρειν οὐ διὰ τὸν τρόπον ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ πολλὴν οὐσίαν κεκτῆσθαι· τοῖς γὰρ πλουσίοις πολλὰ παραμύθιά φασιν εἶναι. §1.330ἀληθῆ, ἔφη, λέγεις· οὐ γὰρ ἀποδέχονται.
For if they are orderly and content, even old age is moderately painful; but if not, both old age and youth turn out to be difficult for such a person." And I, admiring him for saying this, wishing him to speak further, stirred him up and said, "Cephalus, I think the many, when you say these things, do not accept them but think you bear old age easily not because of your character but because you possess great wealth; for they say that for the rich there are many consolations." "You speak the truth," he said, "for they do not accept it.
καὶ λέγουσι μέν τι, οὐ μέντοι γε ὅσον οἴονται· ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ Θεμιστοκλέους εὖ ἔχει, ὃς τῷ Σεριφίῳ λοιδορουμένῳ καὶ λέγοντι ὅτι οὐ διʼ αὑτὸν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν πόλιν εὐδοκιμοῖ, ἀπεκρίνατο ὅτι οὔτʼ ἂν αὐτὸς Σερίφιος ὢν ὀνομαστὸς ἐγένετο οὔτʼ ἐκεῖνος Ἀθηναῖος.
And they do say something, yet not as much as they think; but the saying of Themistocles holds well, who, when the Seriphian was abusing him and saying that he was famous not through himself but through his city, replied that neither would he himself have become famous if he had been a Seriphian, nor would that man if he had been an Athenian.
καὶ τοῖς δὴ μὴ πλουσίοις, χαλεπῶς δὲ τὸ γῆρας φέρουσιν, εὖ ἔχει ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος, ὅτι οὔτʼ ἂν ὁ ἐπιεικὴς πάνυ τι ῥᾳδίως γῆρας μετὰ πενίας ἐνέγκοι οὔθʼ ὁ μὴ ἐπιεικὴς πλουτήσας εὔκολός ποτʼ ἂν ἑαυτῷ γένοιτο. πότερον δέ, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, ὦ Κέφαλε, ὧν κέκτησαι τὰ πλείω παρέλαβες ἢ ἐπεκτήσω; ποῖʼ ἐπεκτησάμην, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες;
And indeed, for those who are not rich and bear old age with difficulty, the same saying holds well: that neither would the decent man bear old age with poverty very easily, nor would the indecent man, even if he became rich, ever become content with himself." "And did you, Cephalus," I said, "inherit the greater part of what you possess, or did you acquire it additionally?" "What did I acquire additionally, Socrates?" he said.
μέσος τις γέγονα χρηματιστὴς τοῦ τε πάππου καὶ τοῦ πατρός.
"I have been a sort of middle money-maker between my grandfather and my father.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ πάππος τε καὶ ὁμώνυμος ἐμοὶ σχεδόν τι ὅσην ἐγὼ νῦν οὐσίαν κέκτημαι παραλαβὼν πολλάκις τοσαύτην ἐποίησεν, Λυσανίας δὲ ὁ πατὴρ ἔτι ἐλάττω αὐτὴν ἐποίησε τῆς νῦν οὔσης·
For my grandfather, who had the same name as I, having inherited about as much property as I now possess, made it many times as great, but Lysanias, my father, made it even less than its present state.
ἐγὼ δὲ ἀγαπῶ ἐὰν μὴ ἐλάττω καταλίπω τούτοισιν, ἀλλὰ βραχεῖ γέ τινι πλείω ἢ παρέλαβον. οὗ τοι ἕνεκα ἠρόμην, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, ὅτι μοι ἔδοξας οὐ σφόδρα ἀγαπᾶν τὰ χρήματα, τοῦτο δὲ ποιοῦσιν ὡς τὸ πολὺ οἳ ἂν μὴ αὐτοὶ κτήσωνται·
I am content if I leave to these sons of mine not less, but some little more than I inherited." "The reason why I asked," I said, "is that you seemed to me not to be excessively fond of money.
οἱ δὲ κτησάμενοι διπλῇ ἢ οἱ ἄλλοι ἀσπάζονται αὐτά.
And this is generally the case with those who have not acquired it themselves; whereas those who have acquired it cherish it doubly compared to others.
ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ποιηταὶ τὰ αὑτῶν ποιήματα καὶ οἱ πατέρες τοὺς παῖδας ἀγαπῶσιν, ταύτῃ τε δὴ καὶ οἱ χρηματισάμενοι περὶ τὰ χρήματα σπουδάζουσιν ὡς ἔργον ἑαυτῶν, καὶ κατὰ τὴν χρείαν ᾗπερ οἱ ἄλλοι.
For just as poets love their own poems and fathers their children, in this way also those who have made money are devoted to their money as their own work, and also, as others do, for its utility.
χαλεποὶ οὖν καὶ συγγενέσθαι εἰσίν, οὐδὲν ἐθέλοντες ἐπαινεῖν ἀλλʼ ἢ τὸν πλοῦτον. ἀληθῆ, ἔφη, λέγεις.
Thus they are difficult even to associate with, being willing to praise nothing but wealth." "You speak the truth," he said.
πάνυ μὲν οὖν, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ.
"Indeed so," I said.
ἀλλά μοι ἔτι τοσόνδε εἰπέ· τί μέγιστον οἴει ἀγαθὸν ἀπολελαυκέναι τοῦ πολλὴν οὐσίαν κεκτῆσθαι; ὅ, ἦ δʼ ὅς, ἴσως οὐκ ἂν πολλοὺς πείσαιμι λέγων.
"But tell me this much more: what do you think is the greatest good you have enjoyed from possessing great wealth?" "That," he said, "which I perhaps would not persuade many by telling.
εὖ γὰρ ἴσθι, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες, ὅτι, ἐπειδάν τις ἐγγὺς ᾖ τοῦ οἴεσθαι τελευτήσειν, εἰσέρχεται αὐτῷ δέος καὶ φροντὶς περὶ ὧν ἔμπροσθεν οὐκ εἰσῄει.
For be well assured, Socrates, that when someone is near to thinking he will die, there enters into him fear and anxiety about things that did not enter before.
οἵ τε γὰρ λεγόμενοι μῦθοι περὶ τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου, ὡς τὸν ἐνθάδε ἀδικήσαντα δεῖ ἐκεῖ διδόναι δίκην, καταγελώμενοι τέως, τότε δὴ στρέφουσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν μὴ ἀληθεῖς ὦσιν·
For the stories told about those in Hades—how he who has done wrong here must pay the penalty there—though mocked until then, then indeed twist his soul with the fear that they may be true.
καὶ αὐτός—ἤτοι ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ γήρως ἀσθενείας ἢ καὶ ὥσπερ ἤδη ἐγγυτέρω ὢν τῶν ἐκεῖ μᾶλλόν τι καθορᾷ αὐτά—ὑποψίας δʼ οὖν καὶ δείματος μεστὸς γίγνεται καὶ ἀναλογίζεται ἤδη καὶ σκοπεῖ εἴ τινά τι ἠδίκησεν.
And he himself—either from the weakness of old age or because he is already closer to the things there and sees them somewhat more clearly—becomes full of suspicion and dread, and already calculates and considers whether he has done wrong to anyone in any way."