IV.  His youthful beauty soon caused him to be surrounded with noble admirers, but the regard of Sokrates for him is a great proof of his natural goodness of disposition, which that philosopher could discern in him, but which he feared would wither away like a faded flower before the temptations of wealth and position, and the mass of sycophants by whom he was soon beset.  For no one ever was so enclosed and enveloped in the good things of this life as Alkibiades, so that no breath of criticism or free speech could ever reach him.  Yet, with all these flatterers about him, trying to prevent his ever hearing a word of wholesome advice or reproof, he was led by his own goodness of heart to pay special attention to Sokrates, to whom he attached himself in preference to all his rich and fashionable admirers.

He soon became intimate with Sokrates, and when he discovered that this man did not wish to caress and admire him, but to expose his ignorance, search out his faults, and bring down his vain unreasoning conceit, he then

    “Let fall his feathers like a craven cock.”

He considered that the conversation of Sokrates was really a divine instrument for the discipline and education of youth; and thus learning to despise himself, and to admire his friend, charmed with his good nature, and full of reverence for his virtues, he became insensibly in love with him, though not as the world loveth; so that all men were astonished to see him dining with Sokrates, wrestling with him, and sharing his tent, while he treated all his other admirers with harshness and some even with insolence, as in the case of Anytus the son of Anthemion.  This man, who was an admirer of Alkibiades, was entertaining a party of friends, and asked him to come.  Alkibiades refused the invitation, but got drunk that night at a riotous party at his own house, in which state he proceeded in a disorderly procession to Anytus.  Here he looked into the room where the guests were, and seeing the tables covered with gold and silver drinking-cups, ordered his slaves to carry away half of them, and then, without deigning to enter the room, went home again.  Anytus’ guests were vexed at this, and complained of his being so arrogantly and outrageously treated.  “Say rather, considerately,” answered Anytus, “for although he might have taken them all, yet he has left us the half of them.”

V. In this same way he used to treat his other admirers, with the exception, it is said, of one of the resident aliens,[A] a man of small means who sold all that he had and carried the money, amounting to about a hundred staters, to Alkibiades, begging him to accept it.  Alkibiades laughed at him, and invited him to dinner.  After dinner he gave him back his money, and ordered him next day to go and overbid those who were about to bid for the office of farmer of the taxes.  The poor man begged to be excused, because the price was several talents, but Alkibiades threatened to have him beaten if he