On the God of Socrates

3 But I shall try what Aristippus said—that famous Aristippus, the founder of the Cyrenaic sect A Greek school of philosophy that emphasized pleasure as the supreme good and the importance of adapting to circumstances. and, as he himself preferred to be known, a disciple of Socrates. When a certain tyrant asked what benefit his so intense and long-lasting study of philosophy had brought him, Aristippus replied:

'So that 4 I might converse with all men securely and without fear.' 5 This sentiment was adopted suddenly because it arose from a sudden occasion. But if, just as in a dry-stone wall, it is necessary for stones to be placed with a random throw—neither with internal weight, nor with their faces aligned 107 in a row, nor with their lines meeting a ruler—why shouldn't I, the builder of this speech, not bring stones cut straight from my own mountain, nor perfectly smoothed on all sides, nor leveled to a hair's breadth Original: "ad unguem," literally "to the fingernail," a Roman idiom for high precision. at the edges, but instead fit them into the work from all sides, whether they be rough with 108 10 unevenness, or slippery with smoothness, or jutting out with angles, or rolling with roundness—without the correction of a ruler, the equality of measure, or the skill of a plumb-line? For no matter can be hurried and carefully examined at the same time. Or have you yourselves ever seen anything at all that possessed both the praise of diligence and the grace of speed?

5 I have yielded to the wishes of certain people who very much desired me to speak off the cuff. But by Hercules, there is a fear that what Aesop 15 tells in his fable about his crow might happen to me: that is, lest while I chase this new praise, I might be forced to lose that small amount which I gained before. 6 But you ask about the fable; I do not mind telling a story. A crow and a fox 109 had seen a single scrap of food at the same time and were hurrying to snatch it with equal zeal but unequal speed—the fox by running, the crow by flying. Therefore, the bird reached the beast first and, with a favorable breeze and wings spread on both sides, glided past and anticipated him. So, happy with both the prey and the victory, he flew high and 20 sat safely in the topmost peak of a certain nearby oak tree. However, the fox followed him even there, and because he could not reach him by foot, he threw out a trick. For he approached the base of the same tree and, stopping there, when 7 he saw the plunderer exulting in his prey from above, he began to praise him with cunning:

'Indeed, how ignorant I was, to have tried to compete in vain with Apollo's bird! The crow was traditionally sacred to Apollo, the god of prophecy and music. He whose body has long been so well-proportioned, 110 25 that it is neither too small nor too large, but just enough for use and beauty—'

3 Diogenes Laertius, Book II, 68: Asked what he had gained from philosophy, he said: "To be able to associate with everyone confidently." 11 "no matter — of speed": Vincent of Beauvais, Mirror of Doctrine, Book V, 94 and Mirror of History, Book IV, 7.

2 "Socratis" in manuscript F and the second hand of M; "Socrati" in manuscript M. "Tyrannus" in manuscript F. 4 Wilamowitz suggests "compta" (adorned) instead of "sumpta" (taken). 5 A ten was added to "sentia" in the first hand of M to make "sententia." Wilamowitz suggests "quodsi" (but if) where the manuscripts have "quasi." 6 "conlintato" in manuscript M. 7 "fonte" in manuscript M. Wilamowitz suggests "with the front aligned for its position." "conibentibus" in manuscript F; "conniventibus" in manuscript M. Wilamowitz suggests "quippini" (why not) where the manuscripts have "quippe qui." 8 "directu" in manuscript M. "afferam prope" in manuscript M. Salmasius restores "leviter extimas" where a space of 7 letters was left empty in manuscript M. Manuscript F has "lightly from the best edges." 9 I [the editor] wrote "undique" (from all sides) where the manuscripts have "cuique." "accommodem" in manuscript M. 10 "levitate" (smoothness) is common; the manuscripts have "lenitate" (softness). "rotunda" in manuscript M. 11 "solertia" in the first hand of M. 12 "simul" (at the same time) is omitted in manuscript F. I [the editor] added "Or have you yourselves ever seen," which was a blank space of 23 letters in manuscript M. A modern hand added "nec est" in manuscript M; manuscript F has "nec esse." I [the editor] wrote "omnino" (at all) where the manuscripts have "omnium." 13 I [the editor] wrote "haberet" (possessed) where the manuscripts have "habere et"; after "habere," a modern hand added "possit" (it might) above the line in manuscript M. 14 "I yielded to the wishes of certain people" was a blank space of 12 letters in manuscript M. "oppi" in manuscript M. Rohde suggests "quam" where the manuscripts have "quae." Rohde suggests "desiderabant" (they desired) where the manuscripts have "desiderabantur." 15 I [the editor] wrote "at" (but) where the manuscripts have "et." "est mihi" (omitting "hercule formido ne id" and followed by a 14-letter blank space) in manuscript M. "michi" in manuscript F. 16 "new praise" was a blank space of 15 letters in manuscript M. "parvam" (small) in manuscript F; "parum" in manuscript M. 17 "pigebit" (will regret) in manuscript F; "vulpes" in manuscript F and the second hand of M; "vulpis" in manuscript M (always thus). 20 "sublimeq;" in manuscript M. Perhaps "into a certain nearby oak tree" (accusative case)? 21 "tamen" (however) in the manuscripts; perhaps "iam" (already)? "tum" (then) in the Colvius edition. 22 I [the editor] wrote "quia pedem" (because [by] foot) following Oudendorp, where the manuscripts have "qui alipedem" (who [the] wing-footed). 24 "cui lampidem" in the first hand of M (the 'l' was corrected to 'i' by the second hand).