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knows　so　well　how　to　give　a　hint；　or　some　one　writing　in　his　name；

intimates　clearly　enough　that　the　speech　in　the　Menexenus　like　that　in　the

Phaedrus　is　to　be　attributed　to　Socrates。　　The　address　of　the　dead　to　the

living　at　the　end　of　the　oration　may　also　be　compared　to　the　numerous

addresses　of　the　same　kind　which　occur　in　Plato；　in　whom　the　dramatic

element　is　always　tending　to　prevail　over　the　rhetorical。　　The　remark　has

been　often　made；　that　in　the　Funeral　Oration　of　Thucydides　there　is　no

allusion　to　the　existence　of　the　dead。　　But　in　the　Menexenus　a　future　state

is　clearly；　although　not　strongly；　asserted。



Whether　the　Menexenus　is　a　genuine　writing　of　Plato；　or　an　imitation　only；

remains　uncertain。　　In　either　case；　the　thoughts　are　partly　borrowed　from

the　Funeral　Oration　of　Thucydides；　and　the　fact　that　they　are　so；　is　not　in

favour　of　the　genuineness　of　the　work。　　Internal　evidence　seems　to　leave

the　question　of　authorship　in　doubt。　　There　are　merits　and　there　are

defects　which　might　lead　to　either　conclusion。　　The　form　of　the　greater

part　of　the　work　makes　the　enquiry　difficult；　the　introduction　and　the

finale　certainly　wear　the　look　either　of　Plato　or　of　an　extremely　skilful

imitator。　　The　excellence　of　the　forgery　may　be　fairly　adduced　as　an

argument　that　it　is　not　a　forgery　at　all。　　In　this　uncertainty　the　express

testimony　of　Aristotle；　who　quotes；　in　the　Rhetoric；　the　well…known　words；

'It　is　easy　to　praise　the　Athenians　among　the　Athenians；'　from　the　Funeral

Oration；　may　perhaps　turn　the　balance　in　its　favour。　　It　must　be　remembered

also　that　the　work　was　famous　in　antiquity；　and　is　included　in　the

Alexandrian　catalogues　of　Platonic　writings。





MENEXENUS



by



Plato　（see　Appendix　I　above）



Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett





PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Socrates　and　Menexenus。





SOCRATES：　　Whence　come　you；　Menexenus？　　Are　you　from　the　Agora？



MENEXENUS：　　Yes；　Socrates；　I　have　been　at　the　Council。



SOCRATES：　　And　what　might　you　be　doing　at　the　Council？　　And　yet　I　need

hardly　ask；　for　I　see　that　you；　believing　yourself　to　have　arrived　at　the

end　of　education　and　of　philosophy；　and　to　have　had　enough　of　them；　are

mounting　upwards　to　things　higher　still；　and；　though　rather　young　for　the

post；　are　intending　to　govern　us　elder　men；　like　the　rest　of　your　family；

which　has　always　provided　some　one　who　kindly　took　care　of　us。



MENEXENUS：　　Yes；　Socrates；　I　shall　be　ready　to　hold　office；　if　you　allow

and　advise　that　I　should；　but　not　if　you　think　otherwise。　　I　went　to　the

council　chamber　because　I　heard　that　the　Council　was　about　to　choose　some

one　who　was　to　speak　over　the　dead。　　For　you　know　that　there　is　to　be　a

public　funeral？



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　I　know。　　And　whom　did　they　choose？



MENEXENUS：　　No　one；　they　delayed　the　election　until　tomorrow；　but　I　believe

that　either　Archinus　or　Dion　will　be　chosen。



SOCRATES：　　O　Menexenus！　　Death　in　battle　is　certainly　in　many　respects　a

noble　thing。　　The　dead　man　gets　a　fine　and　costly　funeral；　although　he　may

have　been　poor；　and　an　elaborate　speech　is　made　over　him　by　a　wise　man　who

has　long　ago　prepared　what　he　has　to　say；　although　he　who　is　praised　may

not　have　been　good　for　much。　　The　speakers　praise　him　for　what　he　has　done

and　for　what　he　has　not　donethat　is　the　beauty　of　themand　they　steal

away　our　souls　with　their　embellished　words；　in　every　conceivable　form　they

praise　the　city；　and　they　praise　those　who　died　in　war；　and　all　our

ancestors　who　went　before　us；　and　they　praise　ourselves　also　who　are　still

alive；　until　I　feel　quite　elevated　by　their　laudations；　and　I　stand

listening　to　their　words；　Menexenus；　and　become　enchanted　by　them；　and　all

in　a　moment　I　imagine　myself　to　have　become　a　greater　and　nobler　and　finer

man　than　I　was　before。　　And　if；　as　often　happens；　there　are　any　foreigners

who　accompany　me　to　the　speech；　I　become　suddenly　conscious　of　having　a

sort　of　triumph　over　them；　and　they　seem　to　experience　a　corresponding

feeling　of　admiration　at　me；　and　at　the　greatness　of　the　city；　which

appears　to　them；　when　they　are　under　the　influence　of　the　speaker；　more

wonderful　than　ever。　　This　consciousness　of　dignity　lasts　me　more　than

three　days；　and　not　until　the　fourth　or　fifth　day　do　I　come　to　my　senses

and　know　where　I　am；　in　the　meantime　I　have　been　living　in　the　Islands　of

the　Blest。　　Such　is　the　art　of　our　rhetoricians；　and　in　such　manner　does

the　sound　of　their　words　keep　ringing　in　my　ears。



MENEXENUS：　　You　are　always　making　fun　of　the　rhetoricians；　Socrates；　this

time；　however；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　speaker　who　is　chosen　will

not　have　much　to　say；　for　he　has　been　called　upon　to　speak　at　a　moment's

notice；　and　he　will　be　compelled　almost　to　improvise。



SOCRATES：　　But　why；　my　friend；　should　he　not　have　plenty　to　say？　　Every

rhetorician　has　speeches　ready　made；　nor　is　there　any　difficulty　in

improvising　that　sort　of　stuff。　　Had　the　orator　to　praise　Athenians　among

Peloponnesians；　or　Peloponnesians　among　Athenians；　he　must　be　a　good

rhetorician　who　could　succeed　and　gain　credit。　　But　there　is　no　difficulty

in　a　man's　winning　applause　when　he　is　contending　for　fame　among　the

persons　whom　he　is　praising。



MENEXENUS：　　Do　you　think　not；　Socrates？



SOCRATES：　　Certainly　'not。'



MENEXENUS：　　Do　you　think　that　you　could　speak　yourself　if　there　should　be　a

necessity；　and　if　the　Council　were　to　choose　you？



SOCRATES：　　That　I　should　be　able　to　speak　is　no　great　wonder；　Menexenus；

considering　that　I　have　an　excellent　mistress　in　the　art　of　rhetoric；she

who　has　made　so　many　good　speakers；　and　one　who　was　the　best　among　all　the

HellenesPericles；　the　son　of　Xanthippus。



MENEXENUS：　　And　who　is　she？　　I　suppose　that　you　mean　Aspasia。



SOCRATES：　　Yes；　I　do；　and　besides　her　I　had　Connus；　the　son　of　Metrobius；

as　a　master；　and　he　was　my　master　in　music；　as　she　was　in　rhetoric。　　No

wonder　that　a　man　who　has　received　such　an　education　should　be　a　finished

speaker；　even　the　pupil　of　very　inferior　masters；　say；　for　example；　one　who

had　learned　music　of　Lamprus；　and　rhetoric　of　Antiphon　the　Rhamnusian；

might　make　a　figure　if　he　were　to　praise　the　Athenians　among　the　Athenians。



MENEXENUS：　　And　what　would　you　be　able　to　say　if　you　had　to　speak？



SOCRATES：　　Of　my　own　wit；　most　likely　nothing；　but　yesterday　I　heard

Aspasia　composing　a　funeral　oration　about　these　very　dead。　　For　she　had

been　told；　as　you　were　saying；　that　the　Athenians　were　going　to　choose　a

speaker；　and　she　repeated　to　me　the　sort　of　speech　which　he　should　deliver；

partly　improvising　and　partly　from　previous　thought；　putting　together

fragments　of　the　funeral　oration　which　Pericles　spoke；　but　which；　as　I

believe；　she　composed。



MENEXENUS：　　And　can　you　remember　what　Aspasia　said？



SOCRATES：　　I　ought　to　be　able；　for　she　taught　me；　and　she　was　ready　to

strike　me　because　I　was　always　forgetting。



MENEXENUS：　　Then　why　will　you　not　rehearse　what　she　said？



SOCRATES：　　Because　I　am　afraid　that　my　mistress　may　be　angry　with　me　if　I

publish　her　speech。



MENEXENUS：　　Nay；　Socrates；　let　us　have　the　speech；　whether　Aspasia's　or　any

one　else's；　no　matter。　　I　hope　that　you　will　oblige　me。



SOCRATES：　　But　I　am　afraid　that　you　will　laugh　at　me　if　I　continue　the

games　of　youth　in　old　age。



MENEXENUS：　　Far　otherwise；　Socrates；　let　us　by　all　means　have　the　speech。



SOCRATES：　　Truly　I　have　such　a　disposition　to　oblige　you；　that　if　you　bid

me　dance　naked　I　should　not　like　to　refuse；　since　we　are　alone。　　Listen

then：　　If　I　remember　rightly；　she　began　as　follows；　with　the　mention　of　the

dead：　（Thucyd。）



There　is　a　tribute　of　deeds　and　of　words。　　The　departed　have　already　had

the　first；　when　going　forth　on　their　destined　journey　they　were　attended　on

their　way　by　the　state　and　by　their　friends；　the　tribute　of　words　remains

to　be　given　to　them；　as　is　meet　and　by　law　ordained。　　For　noble　words　are　a

memorial　and　a　crown　of　noble　actions；　which　are　given　to　the　doers　of　them

by　the　hearers。　　A　word　is　needed　which　will　duly　praise　the　dead　and

gently　admonish　the　living；　exhorting　the　brethren　and　descendants　of　the

departed　to　imitate　their　virtue；　and　consoling　their　fathers　and　mothers

and　the　survivors；　if　any；　who　may　chance　to　be　alive　of　the　previous

generation。　　What　sort　of　a　word　will　this　be；　and　how　shall　we　rightly

begin　the　praises　of　these　brave　men？　　In　their　life　they　rejoiced　their

own　friends　with　their　valour；　and　their　death　they　gave　in　exchange　for

the　salvation　of　the　living。　　And　I　think　that　we　should　praise　them　in　the

order　in　which　nature　made　them　good；　for　they　were　good　because　they　were

sprung　from　good　fathers。　　Wherefore　let　us　first　of　all　praise　the

goodness　of　their　birth；　secondly；　their　nurture　and　education；　and　then

let　us　set　forth　how　noble　their　actions　were；　and　how　worthy　of　the

education　which　they　had　received。



And　first　as　to　their　birth。　　Their　ancestors　were　not　strangers；　nor　are

these　their　descendants　sojourners　only；　whose　fathers　have　come　from

another　country；　but　they　are　the　children　of　the　soil；　dwelling　and　living

in　their　own　land。　　And　the　country　which　brought　them　up　is　not　like　other

countries；　a　stepmother　to　her　children；　but　their　own　true　mother；　she

bore　them　and　nourished　them　and　received　them；　and　in　her　bosom　they　now

repose。　　It　is　meet　and　right；　therefore；　that　we　should　begin　by　praising

the　land　which　is　their　mother；　and　that　will　be　a　way　of　praising　their

noble　birth。



The　country　is　worthy　to　be　praised；　not　only　by　us；　but　by　all　mankind；

first；　and　above　all；　as　being　dear　to　the　Gods。　　This　is　proved　by　the

strife　and　contention　of　the　Gods　respecting　her。　　And　ought　not　the

country　which　the　Gods　praise　to　be　praised　by　all　mankind？　　The　second

praise　which　may　be　fairly　claimed　by　her；　is　that　at　the　time　when　the

whole　earth　was　sendi