Seite - 140 - in The Complete Plato
Bild der Seite - 140 -
Text der Seite - 140 -
Hellenes, having no admixture of barbarism in us. For we are not like many
others, descendants of Pelops or Cadmus or Egyptus or Danaus, who are by
nature barbarians, and yet pass for Hellenes, and dwell in the midst of us; but
we are pure Hellenes, uncontaminated by any foreign element, and therefore
the hatred of the foreigner has passed unadulterated into the life-blood of the
city. And so, notwithstanding our noble sentiments, we were again isolated,
because we were unwilling to be guilty of the base and unholy act of giving
up Hellenes to barbarians. And we were in the same case as when we were
subdued before; but, by the favour of Heaven, we managed better, for we
ended the war without the loss of our ships or walls or colonies; the enemy
was only too glad to be quit of us. Yet in this war we lost many brave men,
such as were those who fell owing to the ruggedness of the ground at the
battle of Corinth, or by treason at Lechaeum. Brave men, too, were those who
delivered the Persian king, and drove the Lacedaemonians from the sea. I
remind you of them, and you must celebrate them together with me, and do
honour to their memories.
Such were the actions of the men who are here interred, and of others who
have died on behalf of their country; many and glorious things I have spoken
of them, and there are yet many more and more glorious things remaining to
be told—many days and nights would not suffice to tell of them. Let them not
be forgotten, and let every man remind their descendants that they also are
soldiers who must not desert the ranks of their ancestors, or from cowardice
fall behind. Even as I exhort you this day, and in all future time, whenever I
meet with any of you, shall continue to remind and exhort you, O ye sons of
heroes, that you strive to be the bravest of men. And I think that I ought now
to repeat what your fathers desired to have said to you who are their
survivors, when they went out to battle, in case anything happened to them. I
will tell you what I heard them say, and what, if they had only speech, they
would fain be saying, judging from what they then said. And you must
imagine that you hear them saying what I now repeat to you:—
‘Sons, the event proves that your fathers were brave men; for we might
have lived dishonourably, but have preferred to die honourably rather than
bring you and your children into disgrace, and rather than dishonour our own
fathers and forefathers; considering that life is not life to one who is a
dishonour to his race, and that to such a one neither men nor Gods are
friendly, either while he is on the earth or after death in the world below.
Remember our words, then, and whatever is your aim let virtue be the
condition of the attainment of your aim, and know that without this all
possessions and pursuits are dishonourable and evil. For neither does wealth
bring honour to the owner, if he be a coward; of such a one the wealth
belongs to another, and not to himself. Nor does beauty and strength of body,
140
zurück zum
Buch The Complete Plato"
The Complete Plato
- Titel
- The Complete Plato
- Autor
- Plato
- Datum
- ~347 B.C.
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- PD
- Abmessungen
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Seiten
- 1612
- Schlagwörter
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Kategorien
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International