“Perhaps you would endeavour to acquire the
goodwill of your neighbour, to the end he might do
you kind offices, such as giving you fire when you
want it, or, when any misfortune befalls you, speedily
relieve you?” “Yes, I would.”
“And if you were travelling with any man, either
by sea or land, would you count it a matter of indifference
whether you were loved by him or not?” “No,
indeed.” “Are you then so abandoned,
Lamprocles,” replied Socrates, “that you
would take pains to acquire the goodwill of those persons,
and yet will do nothing to your mother, who loves
you incomparably better than they? Know you
not that the Republic concerns not herself with common
instances of ingratitude; that she takes no cognisance
of such crimes, and that she neglects to punish those
who do not return the civilities they receive?
But if any one be disrespectful to his parents there
is a punishment provided for such ingratitude; the
laws reject him as an outlaw, and will not allow him
to be received into any public office, because it
is a maxim commonly received amongst us, that a sacrifice,
when offered by an impious hand, cannot be acceptable
to the gods, nor profitable to the Republic.
Nobody can believe, that a person of such a character
can be capable to perform any great or worthy action,
or to act the part of a righteous judge. The
same punishment is ordained likewise for those who,
after the death of their parents, neglect to honour
their funerals: and this is particularly examined
into in the inquiry that is made into the lives of
such as stand candidates for offices.
“Therefore, my son, if you be wise, you will
beseech Heaven to pardon you the offences committed
against your mother, to the end that the favours of
the Deity may be still continued to you, and that you
may not forfeit them by an ungrateful behaviour.
Take care, likewise, that the public may not discover
the contempt you show her, for then would you be blamed
and abandoned by all the world; for, if it were suspected
that you did not gratefully resent the benefits conferred
on you by your parents, no man could believe you would
be grateful for any kind actions that others might
do you.”
Two brothers, whose names were Chaerephon and Chaerecrates,
were at enmity with each other. Socrates was
acquainted with them, and had a great mind to make
them friends. Meeting therefore with Chaerecrates,
he accosted him thus:—“Are you, too,
one of those who prefer the being rich to the having
a brother, and who do not consider that riches, being
inanimate things, have need of being defended, whereas
a brother is himself a good defence, and, after all,
that there is more money than brothers? For
is it not extravagant in such men to imagine that a
brother does them wrong because they enjoy not his