§11.358Πλάτων Λαοδάμαντι εὖ πράττειν.
Plato to Laodamas sends greeting.
ἐπέστειλα μέν σοι καὶ πρότερον ὅτι πολὺ διαφέρει πρὸς ἅπαντα ἃ λέγεις αὐτὸν ἀφικέσθαι σε Ἀθήναζε· ἐπειδὴ δὲ σὺ φῂς ἀδύνατον εἶναι, μετὰ τοῦτο ἦν δεύτερον, εἰ δυνατὸν ἐμὲ ἀφικέσθαι ἢ Σωκράτη, ὥσπερ ἐπέστειλας.
I wrote to you previously as well, that it makes a great difference for all the things you mention that you yourself should come to Athens; but since you say it is impossible, the second best course after this was for me or Socrates to come, if possible, just as you wrote.
νῦν δὲ Σωκράτης μέν ἐστιν περὶ ἀσθένειαν τὴν τῆς στραγγουρίας, ἐμὲ δὲ ἀφικόμενον ἐνταῦθα ἄσχημον ἂν εἴη μὴ διαπράξασθαι ἐφʼ ἅπερ σὺ παρακαλεῖς.
But now, Socrates is suffering from an illness, namely strangury, and as for me, if I should arrive there, it would be shameful if I did not accomplish the very things for which you summon me.
ἐγὼ δὲ ταῦτα γενέσθαι ἂν οὐ πολλὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχω—διʼ ἃ δέ, μακρᾶς ἑτέρας δέοιτʼ ἂν ἐπιστολῆς ἥτις πάντα διεξίοι—καὶ ἅμα οὐδὲ τῷ σώματι διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἱκανῶς ἔχω πλανᾶσθαι καὶ κινδυνεύειν κατά τε γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν οἷα ἀπαντᾷ, καὶ νῦν πάντα κινδύνων ἐν ταῖς πορείαις ἐστὶ μεστά.
Indeed, I have no great hope that these things will be accomplished—as for the reasons why, it would require another long letter to go through them all—and at the same time, because of my age, I am not physically fit to travel and to run such risks by land and sea as one encounters, and at present all things on journeys are full of dangers.
§11.359συμβουλεῦσαι μέντοι ἔχω σοί τε καὶ τοῖς οἰκισταῖς, ὃ εἰπόντος μὲν ἐμοῦ, φησὶν Ἡσίοδος, δόξαι ἂν εἶναι φαῦλον, χαλεπὸν δὲ νοῆσαι.
However, I can give advice to you and the founders, which, though, as Hesiod says, it might seem trivial when I say it, is difficult to understand.
εἰ γὰρ οἷόν τε ὑπὸ νόμων θέσεως καὶ ὧντινων εὖ ποτε πολιτείαν κατασκευασθῆναι ἄνευ τοῦ εἶναί τι κύριον ἐπιμελούμενον ἐν τῇ πόλει τῆς καθʼ ἡμέραν διαίτης, ὅπως ἂν ᾖ σώφρων τε καὶ ἀνδρικὴ δούλων τε καὶ ἐλευθέρων, οὐκ ὀρθῶς διανοοῦνται.
For if they think it possible that a constitution can ever be well established by the enactment of laws, of whatever kind they may be, without there being some authority in the state taking charge of the daily life, so that it may be temperate and manly for both slaves and free men, they are not thinking correctly.
τοῦτο δʼ αὖ, εἰ μέν εἰσιν ἤδη ἄνδρες ἄξιοι τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης, γένοιτʼ ἄν· εἰ δʼ ἐπὶ τὸ παιδεῦσαι δεῖ τινος, οὔτε ὁ παιδεύσων οὔτε οἱ παιδευθησόμενοι, ὡς ἐγὼ οἶμαι, εἰσὶν ὑμῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ λοιπὸν τοῖς θεοῖς εὔχεσθε.
And this, again, might come to pass if there are already men worthy of this authority; but if there is need of someone to educate them, neither the educator nor those to be educated, as I believe, are to be found among you, so for the future you must pray to the gods.
καὶ γὰρ σχεδόν τι καὶ αἱ ἔμπροσθεν πόλεις οὕτω κατεσκευάσθησαν, καὶ ἔπειτα εὖ ᾤκησαν, ὑπὸ συμβάσεων πραγμάτων μεγάλων καὶ κατὰ πόλεμον καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας πράξεις γενομένων, ὅταν ἐν τοιούτοις καιροῖς ἀνὴρ καλός τε καὶ ἀγαθὸς ἐγγένηται μεγάλην δύναμιν ἔχων· τὸ δʼ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτὰ προθυμεῖσθαι μὲν χρὴ καὶ ἀνάγκη, διανοεῖσθαι μέντοι αὐτὰ οἷα λέγω, καὶ μὴ ἀνοηταίνειν οἰομένους τι ἑτοίμως διαπράξασθαι.
For indeed almost all the states of former times were established in this way, and afterwards well governed, under the coincidence of great events occurring both in war and in other actions, when in such critical times a gentleman arose possessing great power; but prior to that, it is necessary and right to be eager for these things, yet to conceive of them in the way I say, and not to act foolishly in thinking that you can easily accomplish anything.
εὐτύχει.
Fare well.