"Cephalus: "... Not it may be to every man but to the good man. Not to cheat any man even unintentionally or play him false, not remaining in debt to a god for some sacrifice or to a man for money, so to depart in fear to that other world—to this result of property contributes not a little. It has also many other uses. But, setting one thing against another, I would lay it down, Socrates, that for a man of sense this is the chief service of wealth.”
"Socrates: Speaking of this very thing, justice, are we to affirm thus without qualification that it is truth-telling and paying back what one has received from anyone?"
(Plato's Republic, I 331b-c)
There was many a crime
Done at that time,
When Athens with Athens strove.
There was murder,
Abounding was plunder,
Sacrilege, oh gods above!
But of all these wrongs,
Let me sing the song
Of a man without kith,
For I shall never
Forget the last ember,
To light the furnace
Of Bighead the smith.
Amongst din and clash
Amidst fire and ash
Was he master and lord
Of workshop and money-board
Iron, fair silver and gold
His servants were,
Who commanded men
With hearts less warm
And reason less cold.
With brow ever-wreathed
Alike these gods
Who dwell beneath,
Hades, most gracious
Of all hosts,
who accept all men
Unto his house,
Or fiery Heiphaestus
The Olympian smith,
Unto his old shop,
Stepped Old Heady.
His flowing locks were
Glass-white, each hair
Shone as silver rare
As was ever delivered
From the womb
Of snow-capped Laurelion.
"Tell them" the master said,
As a man happy, contented,
"That the sacrifices
Were properly made,
That the omens
Were auspicious".
"Truthtelling had wealth
Afford me, ere these
Vultures, who in my death
Hope to grow rich, this
I will show, how a smith
Returneth that which
He hath been given".
To each slave
Liberty he gave
We that as graves
Thought their work-benches.
To each he gifted
Of Bronze well-wrought
A weapon and shield
Bravely emblazoned
His voice had a ring,
Of vengeance and malice
"Now it shall be seen
How we metics
As these very bees,
In death still can sting"
I have not seen,
How his shade
Was expelled
From his ruined body.
But no man spoke more truth
Or returned what he was given
Better, than my old master,
Smith Heady.
;
댓글