Platão - Menexenus (Inglês)

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Menexenus

Plato

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Menexenus

by Plato

Translate" by enja%in oett

March, /000 4Etext #/5627

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ME;ERE;<.

by Plato see >ppen"ix D


>PPE;(R &

t see%s i%possible to separate by any exact line the genuine ritings of Plato fro% the spurious& The only external e!i"ence to the% hich is of %uch !alue is that of >ristotle for the >lexan"rian catalogues of acentury later inclu"e %anifest forgeries& E!en the !alue of the >ristotelian authority is a goo" "eal i%paire" by the uncertaintyconcerning the "ate an" authorship of the ritings hich are ascribe" to

hi%& >n" se!eral of the citations of >ristotle o%it the na%e of Plato, an"so%e of the% o%it the na%e of the "ialogue fro% hich they are taen&Prior, hoe!er, to the enuiry about the ritings of a particular author,general consi"erations hich eually affect all e!i"ence to the genuinenessof ancient ritings are the folloingB .horter ors are %ore liely toha!e been forge", or to ha!e recei!e" an erroneous "esignation, than longer ones an" so%e in"s of co%position, such as epistles or panegyricalorations, are %ore liable to suspicion than others those, again, hichha!e a taste of sophistry in the%, or the ring of a later age, or theslighter character of a rhetorical exercise, or in hich a %oti!e or so%eaffinity to spurious ritings can be "etecte", or hich see% to ha!eoriginate" in a na%e or state%ent really occurring in so%e classical

author, are also of "oubtful cre"it hile there is no instance of anyancient riting pro!e" to be a forgery, hich co%bines excellence ithlength& > really great an" original riter oul" ha!e no object infathering his ors on Plato an" to the forger or i%itator, the NliteraryhacN of >lexan"ria an" >thens, the Go"s "i" not grant originality or genius& )urther, in atte%pting to balance the e!i"ence for an" against aPlatonic "ialogue, e %ust not forget that the for% of the Platonic ritingas co%%on to se!eral of his conte%poraries& >eschines, Eucli", Phae"o, >ntisthenes, an" in the next generation >ristotle, are all sai" to ha!eco%pose" "ialogues an" %istaes of na%es are !ery liely to ha!e occurre"&Gree literature in the thir" century before Christ as al%ost as!olu%inous as our on, an" ithout the safeguar"s of regular publication,

or printing, or bin"ing, or e!en of "istinct titles& >n unnon ritingas naturally attribute" to a non riter hose ors bore the sa%echaracter an" the na%e once appen"e" easily obtaine" authority& >



ten"ency %ay also be obser!e" to blen" the ors an" opinions of the %aster ith those of his scholars& To a later Platonist, the "ifference beteenPlato an" his i%itators as not so perceptible as to oursel!es& TheMe%orabilia of Renophon an" the (ialogues of Plato are but a part of aconsi"erable .ocratic literature hich has passe" aay& >n" e %ustconsi"er ho e shoul" regar" the uestion of the genuineness of a

particular riting, if this lost literature ha" been preser!e" to us&

These consi"erations lea" us to a"opt the folloing criteria of genuinenessB /D That is %ost certainly PlatoNs hich >ristotle attributesto hi% by na%e, hich 2D is of consi"erable length, of 3D greatexcellence, an" also D in har%ony ith the general spirit of the Platonicritings& ut the testi%ony of >ristotle cannot alays be "istinguishe"fro% that of a later age see abo!eD an" has !arious "egrees of i%portance& Those ritings hich he cites ithout %entioning Plato, un"er their on na%es, e&g& the -ippias, the )uneral :ration, the Phae"o, etc&,ha!e an inferior "egree of e!i"ence in their fa!our& They %ay ha!e beensuppose" by hi% to be the ritings of another, although in the case of

really great ors, e&g& the Phae"o, this is not cre"ible those againhich are uote" but not na%e", are still %ore "efecti!e in their externalcre"entials& There %ay be also a possibility that >ristotle as %istaen,or %ay ha!e confuse" the %aster an" his scholars in the case of a shortriting but this is inconcei!able about a %ore i%portant or, e&g& the=as, especially hen e re%e%ber that he as li!ing at >thens, an" afreuenter of the gro!es of the >ca"e%y, "uring the last tenty years of PlatoNs life& ;or %ust e forget that in all his nu%erous citations fro%the Platonic ritings he ne!er attributes any passage foun" in the extant"ialogues to any one but Plato& >n" lastly, e %ay re%ar that one or togreat ritings, such as the Par%eni"es an" the Politicus, hich are holly"e!oi" of >ristotelian /D cre"entials %ay be fairly attribute" to Plato,

on the groun" of 2D length, 3D excellence, an" D accor"ance ith thegeneral spirit of his ritings& n"ee" the greater part of the e!i"encefor the genuineness of ancient Gree authors %ay be su%%e" up un"er tohea"s onlyB /D excellence an" 2D unifor%ity of tra"itionFFa in" of e!i"ence, hich though in %any cases sufficient, is of inferior !alue&

Procee"ing upon these principles e appear to arri!e at the conclusion thatnineteenFtentieths of all the ritings hich ha!e e!er been ascribe" toPlato, are un"oubte"ly genuine& There is another portion of the%,inclu"ing the Epistles, the Epino%is, the "ialogues rejecte" by theancients the%sel!es, na%ely, the >xiochus, (e justo, (e !irtute, (e%o"ocus,.isyphus, Eryxias, hich on groun"s, both of internal an" external

e!i"ence, e are able ith eual certainty to reject& ut there stillre%ains a s%all portion of hich e are unable to affir% either that theyare genuine or spurious& They %ay ha!e been ritten in youth, or possiblylie the ors of so%e painters, %ay be partly or holly the co%positionsof pupils or they %ay ha!e been the ritings of so%e conte%porarytransferre" by acci"ent to the %ore celebrate" na%e of Plato, or of so%ePlatonist in the next generation ho aspire" to i%itate his %aster& ;otthat on groun"s either of language or philosophy e shoul" lightly rejectthe%& .o%e "ifference of style, or inferiority of execution, or inconsistency of thought, can har"ly be consi"ere" "ecisi!e of their spurious character& )or ho alays "oes justice to hi%self, or ho ritesith eual care at all ti%esS Certainly not Plato, ho exhibits the

greatest "ifferences in "ra%atic poer, in the for%ation of sentences, an"in the use of or"s, if his earlier ritings are co%pare" ith his later ones, say the Protagoras or Phae"rus ith the =as& :r ho can be expecte"



to thin in the sa%e %anner "uring a perio" of authorship exten"ing o!er abo!e fifty years, in an age of great intellectual acti!ity, as ell as of political an" literary transitionS Certainly not Plato, hose earlier ritings are separate" fro% his later ones by as i"e an inter!al of philosophical speculation as that hich separates his later ritings fro% >ristotle&

The "ialogues hich ha!e been translate" in the first >ppen"ix, an" hichappear to ha!e the next clai% to genuineness a%ong the Platonic ritings,are the =esser -ippias, the Menexenus or )uneral :ration, the )irst >lcibia"es& :f these, the =esser -ippias an" the )uneral :ration are cite"by >ristotle the first in the Metaphysics, the latter in the +hetoric&;either of the% are expressly attribute" to Plato, but in his citation of both of the% he see%s to be referring to passages in the extant "ialogues&)ro% the %ention of N-ippiasN in the singular by >ristotle, e %ay perhapsinfer that he as unacuainte" ith a secon" "ialogue bearing the sa%ena%e& Moreo!er, the %ere existence of a Greater an" =esser -ippias, an" of a )irst an" .econ" >lcibia"es, "oes to a certain extent thro a "oubt upon

both of the%& Though a !ery cle!er an" ingenious or, the =esser -ippias"oes not appear to contain anything beyon" the poer of an i%itator, hoas also a careful stu"ent of the earlier Platonic ritings, to in!ent&The %oti!e or lea"ing thought of the "ialogue %ay be "etecte" in Ren& Me%&,an" there is no si%ilar instance of a N%oti!eN hich is taen fro% Renophonin an un"oubte" "ialogue of Plato& :n the other han", the uphol"ers of thegenuineness of the "ialogue ill fin" in the -ippias a true .ocraticspirit they ill co%pare the on as being ain both in subject an"treat%ent they ill urge the authority of >ristotle an" they ill "etectin the treat%ent of the .ophist, in the satirical reasoning upon -o%er, inthe re"uctio a" absur"u% of the "octrine that !ice is ignorance, traces of a Platonic authorship& n reference to the last point e are "oubtful, as

in so%e of the other "ialogues, hether the author is asserting or o!erthroing the para"ox of .ocrates, or %erely folloing the argu%entNhither the in" blos&N That no conclusion is arri!e" at is also inaccor"ance ith the character of the earlier "ialogues& The rese%blancesor i%itations of the Gorgias, Protagoras, an" Euthy"e%us, hich ha!e beenobser!e" in the -ippias, cannot ith certainty be a""uce" on either si"e of the argu%ent& :n the hole, %ore %ay be sai" in fa!our of the genuinenessof the -ippias than against it&

The Menexenus or )uneral :ration is cite" by >ristotle, an" is interestingas supplying an exa%ple of the %anner in hich the orators praise" Nthe >thenians a%ong the >thenians,N falsifying persons an" "ates, an" casting a

!eil o!er the gloo%ier e!ents of >thenian history& t exhibits anacuaintance ith the funeral oration of Thucy"i"es, an" as, perhaps,inten"e" to ri!al that great or& f genuine, the proper place of theMenexenus oul" be at the en" of the Phae"rus& The satirical opening an"the conclu"ing or"s bear a great rese%blance to the earlier "ialogues theoration itself is professe"ly a %i%etic or, lie the speeches in thePhae"rus, an" cannot therefore be teste" by a co%parison of the other ritings of Plato& The funeral oration of Pericles is expressly %entione"in the Phae"rus, an" this %ay ha!e suggeste" the subject, in the sa%e%anner that the Cleitophon appears to be suggeste" by the slight %ention of Cleitophon an" his attach%ent to Thrasy%achus in the +epublic an" theTheages by the %ention of Theages in the >pology an" +epublic or as the

.econ" >lcibia"es see%s to be foun"e" upon the text of Renophon, Me%& >si%ilar taste for paro"y appears not only in the Phae"rus, but in theProtagoras, in the .y%posiu%, an" to a certain extent in the Par%eni"es&



To these to "oubtful ritings of Plato ha!e a""e" the )irst >lcibia"es,hich, of all the "ispute" "ialogues of Plato, has the greatest %erit, an"is so%ehat longer than any of the%, though not !erifie" by the testi%onyof >ristotle, an" in %any respects at !ariance ith the .y%posiu% in the"escription of the relations of .ocrates an" >lcibia"es& =ie the =esser

-ippias an" the Menexenus, it is to be co%pare" to the earlier ritings of Plato& The %oti!e of the piece %ay, perhaps, be foun" in that passage of the .y%posiu% in hich >lcibia"es "escribes hi%self as selfFcon!icte" bythe or"s of .ocrates& )or the "isparaging %anner in hich .chleier%acher has spoen of this "ialogue there see%s to be no sufficient foun"ation& >tthe sa%e ti%e, the lesson i%parte" is si%ple, an" the irony %oretransparent than in the un"oubte" "ialogues of Plato& 'e no, too, that >lcibia"es as a fa!ourite thesis, an" that at least fi!e or six "ialoguesbearing this na%e passe" current in antiuity, an" are attribute" toconte%poraries of .ocrates an" Plato& /D n the entire absence of realexternal e!i"ence for the catalogues of the >lexan"rian librarians cannotbe regar"e" as trustorthyD an" 2D in the absence of the highest %ars

either of poetical or philosophical excellence an" 3D consi"ering that eha!e express testi%ony to the existence of conte%porary ritings bearingthe na%e of >lcibia"es, e are co%pelle" to suspen" our ju"g%ent on thegenuineness of the extant "ialogue&

;either at this point, nor at any other, "o e propose to "ra an absoluteline of "e%arcation beteen genuine an" spurious ritings of Plato& Theyfa"e off i%perceptibly fro% one class to another& There %ay ha!e been"egrees of genuineness in the "ialogues the%sel!es, as there are certainly"egrees of e!i"ence by hich they are supporte"& The tra"itions of theoral "iscourses both of .ocrates an" Plato %ay ha!e for%e" the basis of se%iFPlatonic ritings so%e of the% %ay be of the sa%e %ixe" character

hich is apparent in >ristotle an" -ippocrates, although the for% of the%is "ifferent& ut the ritings of Plato, unlie the ritings of >ristotle,see% ne!er to ha!e been confuse" ith the ritings of his "isciplesB thisas probably "ue to their "efinite for%, an" to their ini%itableexcellence& The three "ialogues hich e ha!e offere" in the >ppen"ix tothe criticis% of the rea"er %ay be partly spurious an" partly genuine they%ay be altogether spuriousFFthat is an alternati!e hich %ust be franlya"%itte"& ;or can e %aintain of so%e other "ialogues, such as thePar%eni"es, an" the .ophist, an" Politicus, that no consi"erable objectioncan be urge" against the%, though greatly o!erbalance" by the eightchieflyD of internal e!i"ence in their fa!our& ;or, on the other han",can e exclu"e a bare possibility that so%e "ialogues hich are usually

rejecte", such as the Greater -ippias an" the Cleitophon, %ay be genuine&The nature an" object of these se%iFPlatonic ritings reuire %ore carefulstu"y an" %ore co%parison of the% ith one another, an" ith forge"ritings in general, than they ha!e yet recei!e", before e can finally"eci"e on their character& 'e "o not consi"er the% all as genuine untilthey can be pro!e" to be spurious, as is often %aintaine" an" still %oreoften i%plie" in this an" si%ilar "iscussions but shoul" say of so%e of the%, that their genuineness is neither pro!en nor "ispro!en until further e!i"ence about the% can be a""uce"& >n" e are as confi"ent that theEpistles are spurious, as that the +epublic, the Ti%aeus, an" the =as aregenuine&

:n the hole, not a tentieth part of the ritings hich pass un"er thena%e of Plato, if e exclu"e the ors rejecte" by the ancients the%sel!esan" to or three other plausible in!entions, can be fairly "oubte" by those



ho are illing to allo that a consi"erable change an" groth %ay ha!etaen place in his philosophy see abo!eD& That tentieth "ebatableportion scarcely in any "egree affects our ju"g%ent of Plato, either as athiner or a riter, an" though suggesting so%e interesting uestions tothe scholar an" critic, is of little i%portance to the general rea"er&

ME;ERE;<.

by

Plato see >ppen"ix abo!eD


;T+:(<CT:;&

The Menexenus has %ore the character of a rhetorical exercise than anyother of the Platonic ors& The riter see%s to ha!e ishe" to e%ulateThucy"i"es, an" the far slighter or of =ysias& n his ri!alry ith thelatter, to ho% in the Phae"rus Plato shos a strong antipathy, he isentirely successful, but he is not eual to Thucy"i"es& The Menexenus,though not ithout real -ellenic interest, falls !ery far short of therugge" gran"eur an" political insight of the great historian& The fictionof the speech ha!ing been in!ente" by >spasia is ell sustaine", an" is inthe %anner of Plato, notithstan"ing the anachronis% hich puts into her %outh an allusion to the peace of >ntalci"as, an e!ent occurring fortyyears after the "ate of the suppose" oration& ut Plato, lie .haespeare,is careless of such anachronis%s, hich are not suppose" to strie the %in"

of the rea"er& The effect pro"uce" by these gran"ilouent orations on.ocrates, ho "oes not reco!er after ha!ing hear" one of the% for three"ays an" %ore, is truly Platonic&

.uch "iscourses, if e %ay for% a ju"g%ent fro% the three hich are extantfor the soFcalle" )uneral :ration of (e%osthenes is a ba" an" spuriousi%itation of Thucy"i"es an" =ysiasD, confor%e" to a regular type& Theybegan ith Go"s an" ancestors, an" the legen"ary history of >thens, tohich succee"e" an al%ost eually fictitious account of later ti%es& ThePersian ar usually for%e" the centre of the narrati!e in the age of socrates an" (e%osthenes the >thenians ere still li!ing on the glories of Marathon an" .ala%is& The Menexenus !eils in panegyric the ea places of

>thenian history& The ar of >thens an" oeotia is a ar of liberationthe >thenians ga!e bac the .partans taen at .phacteria out of in"nessFFin"ee", the only fault of the city as too great in"ness to their ene%ies,ho ere %ore honoure" than the frien"s of others co%pare Thucy"&, hichsee%s to contain the ger% of the i"eaD e "e%ocrats are the aristocracy of !irtue, an" the lie& These are the platitu"es an" falsehoo"s in hichhistory is "isguise"& The taing of >thens is har"ly %entione"&

The author of the Menexenus, hether Plato or not, is e!i"ently inten"ingto ri"icule the practice, an" at the sa%e ti%e to sho that he can beat therhetoricians in their on line, as in the Phae"rus he %ay be suppose" tooffer an exa%ple of hat =ysias %ight ha!e sai", an" of ho %uch better he

%ight ha!e ritten in his on style& The orators ha" recourse to their fa!ourite loci co%%unes, one of hich, as e fin" in =ysias, as theshortness of the ti%e alloe" the% for preparation& ut .ocrates points



out that they ha" the% alays rea"y for "eli!ery, an" that there as no"ifficulty in i%pro!ising any nu%ber of such orations& To praise the >thenians a%ong the >thenians as easy,FFto praise the% a%ong the=ace"ae%onians oul" ha!e been a %uch %ore "ifficult tas& .ocrateshi%self has turne" rhetorician, ha!ing learne" of a o%an, >spasia, the%istress of Pericles an" any one hose teachers ha" been far inferior to

his onFFsay, one ho ha" learne" fro% >ntiphon the +ha%nusianFFoul" beuite eual to the tas of praising %en to the%sel!es& 'hen e re%e%ber that >ntiphon is "escribe" by Thucy"i"es as the best plea"er of his "ay,the satire on hi% an" on the hole tribe of rhetoricians is transparent&

The ironical assu%ption of .ocrates, that he %ust be a goo" orator becausehe ha" learnt of >spasia, is not coarse, as .chleier%acher supposes, but israther to be regar"e" as fanciful& ;or can e say that the offer of .ocrates to "ance nae" out of lo!e for Menexenus, is any %ore unFPlatonicthan the threat of physical force hich Phae"rus uses toar"s .ocrates&;or is there any real !ulgarity in the fear hich .ocrates expresses thathe ill get a beating fro% his %istress, >spasiaB this is the natural

exaggeration of hat %ight be expecte" fro% an i%perious o%an& .ocratesis not to be taen seriously in all that he says, an" Plato, both in the.y%posiu% an" elsehere, is not slo to a"%it a sort of >ristophanichu%our& -o a great original genius lie Plato %ight or %ight not ha!eritten, hat as his conception of hu%our, or hat li%its he oul" ha!eprescribe" to hi%self, if any, in "raing the picture of the .ilenus.ocrates, are proble%s hich no critical instinct can "eter%ine&

:n the other han", the "ialogue has se!eral Platonic traits, hether original or i%itate" %ay be uncertain& .ocrates, hen he "eparts fro% hischaracter of a Nno nothingN an" "eli!ers a speech, generally preten"sthat hat he is speaing is not his on co%position& Thus in the Cratylus

he is run aay ith in the Phae"rus he has hear" so%ebo"y say so%ethingFFis inspire" by the genius loci in the .y%posiu% he "eri!es his is"o% fro%(ioti%a of Mantinea, an" the lie& ut he "oes not i%pose on Menexenus byhis "issi%ulation& 'ithout !iolating the character of .ocrates, Plato, honos so ell ho to gi!e a hint, or so%e one riting in his na%e,inti%ates clearly enough that the speech in the Menexenus lie that in thePhae"rus is to be attribute" to .ocrates& The a""ress of the "ea" to theli!ing at the en" of the oration %ay also be co%pare" to the nu%erousa""resses of the sa%e in" hich occur in Plato, in ho% the "ra%aticele%ent is alays ten"ing to pre!ail o!er the rhetorical& The re%ar hasbeen often %a"e, that in the )uneral :ration of Thucy"i"es there is noallusion to the existence of the "ea"& ut in the Menexenus a future state

is clearly, although not strongly, asserte"&

'hether the Menexenus is a genuine riting of Plato, or an i%itation only,re%ains uncertain& n either case, the thoughts are partly borroe" fro%the )uneral :ration of Thucy"i"es an" the fact that they are so, is not infa!our of the genuineness of the or& nternal e!i"ence see%s to lea!ethe uestion of authorship in "oubt& There are %erits an" there are"efects hich %ight lea" to either conclusion& The for% of the greater part of the or %aes the enuiry "ifficult the intro"uction an" thefinale certainly ear the loo either of Plato or of an extre%ely silfuli%itator& The excellence of the forgery %ay be fairly a""uce" as anargu%ent that it is not a forgery at all& n this uncertainty the express

testi%ony of >ristotle, ho uotes, in the +hetoric, the ellFnon or"s,Nt is easy to praise the >thenians a%ong the >thenians,N fro% the )uneral:ration, %ay perhaps turn the balance in its fa!our& t %ust be re%e%bere"



also that the or as fa%ous in antiuity, an" is inclu"e" in the >lexan"rian catalogues of Platonic ritings&

ME;ERE;<.

by

Plato see >ppen"ix abo!eD


PE+.:;. :) T-E (>=:G<EB .ocrates an" Menexenus&

.:C+>TE.B 'hence co%e you, MenexenusS >re you fro% the >goraS

ME;ERE;<.B Qes, .ocrates ha!e been at the Council&

.:C+>TE.B >n" hat %ight you be "oing at the CouncilS >n" yet nee"har"ly as, for see that you, belie!ing yourself to ha!e arri!e" at theen" of e"ucation an" of philosophy, an" to ha!e ha" enough of the%, are%ounting upar"s to things higher still, an", though rather young for thepost, are inten"ing to go!ern us el"er %en, lie the rest of your fa%ily,hich has alays pro!i"e" so%e one ho in"ly too care of us&

ME;ERE;<.B Qes, .ocrates, shall be rea"y to hol" office, if you alloan" a"!ise that shoul", but not if you thin otherise& ent to thecouncil cha%ber because hear" that the Council as about to choose so%e

one ho as to spea o!er the "ea"& )or you no that there is to be apublic funeralS

.:C+>TE.B Qes, no& >n" ho% "i" they chooseS

ME;ERE;<.B ;o one they "elaye" the election until to%orro, but belie!ethat either >rchinus or (ion ill be chosen&

.:C+>TE.B : Menexenus$ (eath in battle is certainly in %any respects anoble thing& The "ea" %an gets a fine an" costly funeral, although he %ayha!e been poor, an" an elaborate speech is %a"e o!er hi% by a ise %an hohas long ago prepare" hat he has to say, although he ho is praise" %ay

not ha!e been goo" for %uch& The speaers praise hi% for hat he has "onean" for hat he has not "oneFFthat is the beauty of the%FFan" they stealaay our souls ith their e%bellishe" or"s in e!ery concei!able for% theypraise the city an" they praise those ho "ie" in ar, an" all our ancestors ho ent before us an" they praise oursel!es also ho are stillali!e, until feel uite ele!ate" by their lau"ations, an" stan"listening to their or"s, Menexenus, an" beco%e enchante" by the%, an" allin a %o%ent i%agine %yself to ha!e beco%e a greater an" nobler an" finer %an than as before& >n" if, as often happens, there are any foreignersho acco%pany %e to the speech, beco%e su""enly conscious of ha!ing asort of triu%ph o!er the%, an" they see% to experience a correspon"ingfeeling of a"%iration at %e, an" at the greatness of the city, hich

appears to the%, hen they are un"er the influence of the speaer, %oreon"erful than e!er& This consciousness of "ignity lasts %e %ore thanthree "ays, an" not until the fourth or fifth "ay "o co%e to %y senses



an" no here a% in the %eanti%e ha!e been li!ing in the slan"s of the lest& .uch is the art of our rhetoricians, an" in such %anner "oesthe soun" of their or"s eep ringing in %y ears&

ME;ERE;<.B Qou are alays %aing fun of the rhetoricians, .ocrates thisti%e, hoe!er, a% incline" to thin that the speaer ho is chosen ill

not ha!e %uch to say, for he has been calle" upon to spea at a %o%entNsnotice, an" he ill be co%pelle" al%ost to i%pro!ise&

.:C+>TE.B ut hy, %y frien", shoul" he not ha!e plenty to sayS E!eryrhetorician has speeches rea"y %a"e nor is there any "ifficulty ini%pro!ising that sort of stuff& -a" the orator to praise >thenians a%ongPeloponnesians, or Peloponnesians a%ong >thenians, he %ust be a goo"rhetorician ho coul" succee" an" gain cre"it& ut there is no "ifficultyin a %anNs inning applause hen he is conten"ing for fa%e a%ong thepersons ho% he is praising&

ME;ERE;<.B (o you thin not, .ocratesS

.:C+>TE.B Certainly Nnot&N

ME;ERE;<.B (o you thin that you coul" spea yourself if there shoul" be anecessity, an" if the Council ere to choose youS

.:C+>TE.B That shoul" be able to spea is no great on"er, Menexenus,consi"ering that ha!e an excellent %istress in the art of rhetoric,FFsheho has %a"e so %any goo" speaers, an" one ho as the best a%ong all the-ellenesFFPericles, the son of Ranthippus&

ME;ERE;<.B >n" ho is sheS suppose that you %ean >spasia&

.:C+>TE.B Qes, "o an" besi"es her ha" Connus, the son of Metrobius,as a %aster, an" he as %y %aster in %usic, as she as in rhetoric& ;oon"er that a %an ho has recei!e" such an e"ucation shoul" be a finishe"speaer e!en the pupil of !ery inferior %asters, say, for exa%ple, one hoha" learne" %usic of =a%prus, an" rhetoric of >ntiphon the +ha%nusian,%ight %ae a figure if he ere to praise the >thenians a%ong the >thenians&

ME;ERE;<.B >n" hat oul" you be able to say if you ha" to speaS

.:C+>TE.B :f %y on it, %ost liely nothing but yester"ay hear" >spasia co%posing a funeral oration about these !ery "ea"& )or she ha"

been tol", as you ere saying, that the >thenians ere going to choose aspeaer, an" she repeate" to %e the sort of speech hich he shoul" "eli!er,partly i%pro!ising an" partly fro% pre!ious thought, putting together frag%ents of the funeral oration hich Pericles spoe, but hich, as belie!e, she co%pose"&

ME;ERE;<.B >n" can you re%e%ber hat >spasia sai"S

.:C+>TE.B ought to be able, for she taught %e, an" she as rea"y tostrie %e because as alays forgetting&

ME;ERE;<.B Then hy ill you not rehearse hat she sai"S

.:C+>TE.B ecause a% afrai" that %y %istress %ay be angry ith %e if publish her speech&



ME;ERE;<.B ;ay, .ocrates, let us ha!e the speech, hether >spasiaNs or anyone elseNs, no %atter& hope that you ill oblige %e&

.:C+>TE.B ut a% afrai" that you ill laugh at %e if continue thega%es of youth in ol" age&

ME;ERE;<.B )ar otherise, .ocrates let us by all %eans ha!e the speech&

.:C+>TE.B Truly ha!e such a "isposition to oblige you, that if you bi"%e "ance nae" shoul" not lie to refuse, since e are alone& =istenthenB f re%e%ber rightly, she began as follos, ith the %ention of the"ea"BFF Thucy"&D

There is a tribute of "ee"s an" of or"s& The "eparte" ha!e alrea"y ha"the first, hen going forth on their "estine" journey they ere atten"e" ontheir ay by the state an" by their frien"s the tribute of or"s re%ainsto be gi!en to the%, as is %eet an" by la or"aine"& )or noble or"s are a

%e%orial an" a cron of noble actions, hich are gi!en to the "oers of the%by the hearers& > or" is nee"e" hich ill "uly praise the "ea" an"gently a"%onish the li!ing, exhorting the brethren an" "escen"ants of the"eparte" to i%itate their !irtue, an" consoling their fathers an" %othersan" the sur!i!ors, if any, ho %ay chance to be ali!e of the pre!iousgeneration& 'hat sort of a or" ill this be, an" ho shall e rightlybegin the praises of these bra!e %enS n their life they rejoice" their on frien"s ith their !alour, an" their "eath they ga!e in exchange for the sal!ation of the li!ing& >n" thin that e shoul" praise the% in theor"er in hich nature %a"e the% goo", for they ere goo" because they eresprung fro% goo" fathers& 'herefore let us first of all praise thegoo"ness of their birth secon"ly, their nurture an" e"ucation an" then

let us set forth ho noble their actions ere, an" ho orthy of thee"ucation hich they ha" recei!e"&

>n" first as to their birth& Their ancestors ere not strangers, nor arethese their "escen"ants sojourners only, hose fathers ha!e co%e fro%another country but they are the chil"ren of the soil, "elling an" li!ingin their on lan"& >n" the country hich brought the% up is not lie other countries, a step%other to her chil"ren, but their on true %other shebore the% an" nourishe" the% an" recei!e" the%, an" in her boso% they norepose& t is %eet an" right, therefore, that e shoul" begin by praisingthe lan" hich is their %other, an" that ill be a ay of praising their noble birth&

The country is orthy to be praise", not only by us, but by all %anin"first, an" abo!e all, as being "ear to the Go"s& This is pro!e" by thestrife an" contention of the Go"s respecting her& >n" ought not thecountry hich the Go"s praise to be praise" by all %anin"S The secon"praise hich %ay be fairly clai%e" by her, is that at the ti%e hen thehole earth as sen"ing forth an" creating "i!erse ani%als, ta%e an" il",she our %other as free an" pure fro% sa!age %onsters, an" out of allani%als selecte" an" brought forth %an, ho is superior to the rest inun"erstan"ing, an" alone has justice an" religion& >n" a great proof thatshe brought forth the co%%on ancestors of us an" of the "eparte", is thatshe pro!i"e" the %eans of support for her offspring& )or as a o%an pro!es

her %otherhoo" by gi!ing %il to her young ones an" she ho has nofountain of %il is not a %otherD, so "i" this our lan" pro!e that she asthe %other of %en, for in those "ays she alone an" first of all brought



forth heat an" barley for hu%an foo", hich is the best an" noblestsustenance for %an, ho% she regar"e" as her true offspring& >n" these aretruer proofs of %otherhoo" in a country than in a o%an, for the o%an inher conception an" generation is but the i%itation of the earth, an" notthe earth of the o%an& >n" of the fruit of the earth she ga!e a plenteoussupply, not only to her on, but to others also an" afterar"s she %a"e

the oli!e to spring up to be a boon to her chil"ren, an" to help the% intheir toils& >n" hen she ha" herself nurse" the% an" brought the% up to%anhoo", she ga!e the% Go"s to be their rulers an" teachers, hose na%esare ell non, an" nee" not no be repeate"& They are the Go"s ho firstor"ere" our li!es, an" instructe" us in the arts for the supply of our "aily nee"s, an" taught us the acuisition an" use of ar%s for the "efenceof the country&

Thus born into the orl" an" thus e"ucate", the ancestors of the "eparte"li!e" an" %a"e the%sel!es a go!ern%ent, hich ought briefly toco%%e%orate& )or go!ern%ent is the nurture of %an, an" the go!ern%ent of goo" %en is goo", an" of ba" %en ba"& >n" %ust sho that our ancestors

ere traine" un"er a goo" go!ern%ent, an" for this reason they ere goo",an" our conte%poraries are also goo", a%ong ho% our "eparte" frien"s areto be recone"& Then as no, an" in"ee" alays, fro% that ti%e to this,speaing generally, our go!ern%ent as an aristocracyFFa for% of go!ern%enthich recei!es !arious na%es, accor"ing to the fancies of %en, an" isso%eti%es calle" "e%ocracy, but is really an aristocracy or go!ern%ent of the best hich has the appro!al of the %any& )or ings e ha!e alays ha",first here"itary an" then electe", an" authority is %ostly in the han"s of the people, ho "ispense offices an" poer to those ho appear to be %ost"eser!ing of the%& ;either is a %an rejecte" fro% eaness or po!erty or obscurity of origin, nor honoure" by reason of the opposite, as in other states, but there is one principleFFhe ho appears to be ise an" goo" is a

go!ernor an" ruler& The basis of this our go!ern%ent is euality of birthfor other states are %a"e up of all sorts an" uneual con"itions of %en,an" therefore their go!ern%ents are uneual there are tyrannies an" thereare oligarchies, in hich the one party are sla!es an" the others %asters&ut e an" our citi9ens are brethren, the chil"ren all of one %other, an"e "o not thin it right to be one anotherNs %asters or ser!ants but thenatural euality of birth co%pels us to see for legal euality, an" torecogni9e no superiority except in the reputation of !irtue an" is"o%&

>n" so their an" our fathers, an" these, too, our brethren, being noblyborn an" ha!ing been brought up in all free"o%, "i" both in their publican" pri!ate capacity %any noble "ee"s fa%ous o!er the hole orl"& They

ere the "ee"s of %en ho thought that they ought to fight both against-ellenes for the sae of -ellenes on behalf of free"o%, an" againstbarbarians in the co%%on interest of -ellas& Ti%e oul" fail %e to tell of their "efence of their country against the in!asion of Eu%olpus an" the >%a9ons, or of their "efence of the >rgi!es against the Ca"%eians, or of the -eraclei"s against the >rgi!es besi"es, the poets ha!e alrea"y"eclare" in song to all %anin" their glory, an" therefore anyco%%e%oration of their "ee"s in prose hich e %ight atte%pt oul" hol" asecon" place& They alrea"y ha!e their rear", an" say no %ore of the%but there are other orthy "ee"s of hich no poet has orthily sung, an"hich are still ooing the poetNs %use& :f these a% boun" to %aehonourable %ention, an" shall in!oe others to sing of the% also in lyric

an" other strains, in a %anner beco%ing the actors& >n" first ill tellho the Persians, lor"s of >sia, ere ensla!ing Europe, an" ho thechil"ren of this lan", ho ere our fathers, hel" the% bac& :f these



ill spea first, an" praise their !alour, as is %eet an" fitting& -e hooul" rightly esti%ate the% shoul" place hi%self in thought at that ti%e,hen the hole of >sia as subject to the thir" ing of Persia& The firsting, Cyrus, by his !alour free" the Persians, ho ere his country%en, an"subjecte" the Me"es, ho ere their lor"s, an" he rule" o!er the rest of >sia, as far as Egypt an" after hi% ca%e his son, ho rule" all the

accessible part of Egypt an" =ibya the thir" ing as (arius, ho exten"e"the lan" boun"aries of the e%pire to .cythia, an" ith his fleet hel" thesea an" the islan"s& ;one presu%e" to be his eual the %in"s of all %enere enthralle" by hi%FFso %any an" %ighty an" arlie nations ha" thepoer of Persia sub"ue"& ;o (arius ha" a uarrel against us an" theEretrians, because, as he sai", e ha" conspire" against .ar"is, an" hesent L88,888 %en in transports an" !essels of ar, an" 388 ships, an" (atisas co%%an"er, telling hi% to bring the Eretrians an" >thenians to the ing,if he ishe" to eep his hea" on his shoul"ers& -e saile" against theEretrians, ho ere repute" to be a%ongst the noblest an" %ost arlie of the -ellenes of that "ay, an" they ere nu%erous, but he conuere" the% allin three "ays an" hen he ha" conuere" the%, in or"er that no one %ight

escape, he searche" the hole country after this %annerB his sol"iers,co%ing to the bor"ers of Eretria an" sprea"ing fro% sea to sea, joine"han"s an" passe" through the hole country, in or"er that they %ight beable to tell the ing that no one ha" escape" the%& >n" fro% Eretria theyent to Marathon ith a lie intention, expecting to bin" the >thenians inthe sa%e yoe of necessity in hich they ha" boun" the Eretrians& -a!ingeffecte" oneFhalf of their purpose, they ere in the act of atte%pting theother, an" none of the -ellenes "are" to assist either the Eretrians or the >thenians, except the =ace"ae%onians, an" they arri!e" a "ay too late for the battle but the rest ere panicFstricen an" ept uiet, too happy inha!ing escape" for a ti%e& -e ho has present to his %in" that conflictill no hat %anner of %en they ere ho recei!e" the onset of the

barbarians at Marathon, an" chastene" the pri"e of the hole of >sia, an"by the !ictory hich they gaine" o!er the barbarians first taught other %enthat the poer of the Persians as not in!incible, but that hosts of %enan" the %ultitu"e of riches alie yiel" to !alour& >n" assert that those%en are the fathers not only of oursel!es, but of our liberties an" of theliberties of all ho are on the continent, for that as the action to hichthe -ellenes looe" bac hen they !enture" to fight for their on safetyin the battles hich ensue"B they beca%e "isciples of the %en of Marathon&To the%, therefore, assign in %y speech the first place, an" the secon"to those ho fought an" conuere" in the sea fights at .ala%is an" >rte%isiu% for of the%, too, one %ight ha!e %any things to sayFFof theassaults hich they en"ure" by sea an" lan", an" ho they repelle" the%&

ill %ention only that act of theirs hich appears to %e to be the noblest,an" hich folloe" that of Marathon an" ca%e nearest to it for the %en of Marathon only shoe" the -ellenes that it as possible to ar" off thebarbarians by lan", the %any by the fe but there as no proof that theycoul" be "efeate" by ships, an" at sea the Persians retaine" the reputationof being in!incible in nu%bers an" ealth an" sill an" strength& This isthe glory of the %en ho fought at sea, that they "ispelle" the secon"terror hich ha" hitherto possesse" the -ellenes, an" so %a"e the fear of nu%bers, hether of ships or %en, to cease a%ong the%& >n" so the sol"iersof Marathon an" the sailors of .ala%is beca%e the school%asters of -ellasthe one teaching an" habituating the -ellenes not to fear the barbarians atsea, an" the others not to fear the% by lan"& Thir" in or"er, for the

nu%ber an" !alour of the co%batants, an" thir" in the sal!ation of -ellas, place the battle of Plataea& >n" no the =ace"ae%onians as ell as the >thenians too part in the struggle they ere all unite" in this greatest



the poer an" !alour of our city& -er ene%ies ha" suppose" that she asexhauste" by the ar, an" our ships ere bloca"e" at Mitylene& ut theciti9ens the%sel!es e%bare", an" ca%e to the rescue ith sixty other ships, an" their !alour as confesse" of all %en, for they conuere" their ene%ies an" "eli!ere" their frien"s& >n" yet by so%e e!il fortune theyere left to perish at sea, an" therefore are not interre" here& E!er to

be re%e%bere" an" honoure" are they, for by their !alour not only that seaFfight as on for us, but the entire ar as "eci"e" by the%, an" throughthe% the city gaine" the reputation of being in!incible, e!en thoughattace" by all %anin"& >n" that reputation as a true one, for the"efeat hich ca%e upon us as our on "oing& 'e ere ne!er conuere" byothers, an" to this "ay e are still unconuere" by the% but e ere our on conuerors, an" recei!e" "efeat at our on han"s& >fterar"s there asuiet an" peace abroa", but there sprang up ar at ho%e an", if %en are"estine" to ha!e ci!il ar, no one coul" ha!e "esire" that his city shoul"tae the "isor"er in a %il"er for%& -o joyful an" natural as thereconciliation of those ho ca%e fro% the Piraeus an" those ho ca%e fro%the city ith hat %o"eration "i" they or"er the ar against the tyrants

in Eleusis, an" in a %anner ho unlie hat the other -ellenes expecte"$ >n" the reason of this gentleness as the !eritable tie of bloo", hichcreate" a%ong the% a frien"ship as of ins%en, faithful not in or" only,but in "ee"& >n" e ought also to re%e%ber those ho then fell by oneanotherNs han"s, an" on such occasions as these to reconcile the% ithsacrifices an" prayers, praying to those ho ha!e poer o!er the%, thatthey %ay be reconcile" e!en as e are reconcile"& )or they "i" not attacone another out of %alice or en%ity, but they ere unfortunate& >n" thatsuch as the fact e oursel!es are itnesses, ho are of the sa%e race iththe%, an" ha!e %utually recei!e" an" grante" forgi!eness of hat e ha!e"one an" suffere"& >fter this there as perfect peace, an" the city ha"rest an" her feeling as that she forga!e the barbarians, ho ha" se!erely

suffere" at her han"s an" se!erely retaliate", but that she as in"ignantat the ingratitu"e of the -ellenes, hen she re%e%bere" ho they ha"recei!e" goo" fro% her an" returne" e!il, ha!ing %a"e co%%on cause ith thebarbarians, "epri!ing her of the ships hich ha" once been their sal!ation,an" "is%antling our alls, hich ha" preser!e" their on fro% falling& .hethought that she oul" no longer "efen" the -ellenes, hen ensla!e" either by one another or by the barbarians, an" "i" accor"ingly& This as our feeling, hile the =ace"ae%onians ere thining that e ho ere thecha%pions of liberty ha" fallen, an" that their business as to subject there%aining -ellenes& >n" hy shoul" say %oreS for the e!ents of hich a% speaing happene" not long ago an" e can all of us re%e%ber ho thechief peoples of -ellas, >rgi!es an" oeotians an" Corinthians, ca%e to

feel the nee" of us, an", hat is the greatest %iracle of all, the Persianing hi%self as "ri!en to such extre%ity as to co%e roun" to the opinion,that fro% this city, of hich he as the "estroyer, an" fro% no other, hissal!ation oul" procee"&

>n" if a person "esire" to bring a "eser!e" accusation against our city, heoul" fin" only one charge hich he coul" justly urgeFFthat she as tooco%passionate an" too fa!ourable to the eaer si"e& >n" in this instanceshe as not able to hol" out or eep her resolution of refusing ai" to her injurers hen they ere being ensla!e", but she as softene", an" "i" infact sen" out ai", an" "eli!ere" the -ellenes fro% sla!ery, an" they erefree until they afterar"s ensla!e" the%sel!es& 'hereas, to the great ing

she refuse" to gi!e the assistance of the state, for she coul" not forgetthe trophies of Marathon an" .ala%is an" Plataea but she alloe" exilesan" !olunteers to assist hi%, an" they ere his sal!ation& >n" she



herself, hen she as co%pelle", entere" into the ar, an" built alls an"ships, an" fought ith the =ace"ae%onians on behalf of the Parians& ;othe ing fearing this city an" anting to stan" aloof, hen he sa the=ace"ae%onians groing eary of the ar at sea, ase" of us, as the priceof his alliance ith us an" the other allies, to gi!e up the -ellenes in >sia, ho% the =ace"ae%onians ha" pre!iously han"e" o!er to hi%, he

thining that e shoul" refuse, an" that then he %ight ha!e a pretence for ith"raing fro% us& >bout the other allies he as %istaen, for theCorinthians an" >rgi!es an" oeotians, an" the other states, ere uiteilling to let the% go, an" sore an" co!enante", that, if he oul" paythe% %oney, they oul" %ae o!er to hi% the -ellenes of the continent, an"e alone refuse" to gi!e the% up an" sear& .uch as the natural nobilityof this city, so soun" an" healthy as the spirit of free"o% a%ong us, an"the instincti!e "islie of the barbarian, because e are pure -ellenes,ha!ing no a"%ixture of barbaris% in us& )or e are not lie %any others,"escen"ants of Pelops or Ca"%us or Egyptus or (anaus, ho are by naturebarbarians, an" yet pass for -ellenes, an" "ell in the %i"st of us but eare pure -ellenes, unconta%inate" by any foreign ele%ent, an" therefore the

hatre" of the foreigner has passe" una"ulterate" into the lifeFbloo" of thecity& >n" so, notithstan"ing our noble senti%ents, e ere againisolate", because e ere unilling to be guilty of the base an" unholy actof gi!ing up -ellenes to barbarians& >n" e ere in the sa%e case as hene ere sub"ue" before but, by the fa!our of -ea!en, e %anage" better,for e en"e" the ar ithout the loss of our ships or alls or coloniesthe ene%y as only too gla" to be uit of us& Qet in this ar e lost %anybra!e %en, such as ere those ho fell oing to the rugge"ness of thegroun" at the battle of Corinth, or by treason at =echaeu%& ra!e %en,too, ere those ho "eli!ere" the Persian ing, an" "ro!e the=ace"ae%onians fro% the sea& re%in" you of the%, an" you %ust celebratethe% together ith %e, an" "o honour to their %e%ories&

.uch ere the actions of the %en ho are here interre", an" of others hoha!e "ie" on behalf of their country %any an" glorious things ha!espoen of the%, an" there are yet %any %ore an" %ore glorious thingsre%aining to be tol"FF%any "ays an" nights oul" not suffice to tell of the%& =et the% not be forgotten, an" let e!ery %an re%in" their "escen"ants that they also are sol"iers ho %ust not "esert the rans of their ancestors, or fro% coar"ice fall behin"& E!en as exhort you this"ay, an" in all future ti%e, hene!er %eet ith any of you, shallcontinue to re%in" an" exhort you, : ye sons of heroes, that you stri!e tobe the bra!est of %en& >n" thin that ought no to repeat hat your fathers "esire" to ha!e sai" to you ho are their sur!i!ors, hen they ent

out to battle, in case anything happene" to the%& ill tell you hat hear" the% say, an" hat, if they ha" only speech, they oul" fain besaying, ju"ging fro% hat they then sai"& >n" you %ust i%agine that youhear the% saying hat no repeat to youBFF

N.ons, the e!ent pro!es that your fathers ere bra!e %en for e %ight ha!eli!e" "ishonourably, but ha!e preferre" to "ie honourably rather than bringyou an" your chil"ren into "isgrace, an" rather than "ishonour our onfathers an" forefathers consi"ering that life is not life to one ho is a"ishonour to his race, an" that to such a one neither %en nor Go"s arefrien"ly, either hile he is on the earth or after "eath in the orl"belo& +e%e%ber our or"s, then, an" hate!er is your ai% let !irtue be

the con"ition of the attain%ent of your ai%, an" no that ithout this allpossessions an" pursuits are "ishonourable an" e!il& )or neither "oesealth bring honour to the oner, if he be a coar" of such a one the



NThis is all that e ha!e to say to our fa%iliesB an" to the state eoul" sayFFTae care of our parents an" of our sonsB let her orthilycherish the ol" age of our parents, an" bring up our sons in the right ay&ut e no that she ill of her on accor" tae care of the%, an" "oes notnee" any exhortation of ours&N

This, : ye chil"ren an" parents of the "ea", is the %essage hich they bi"us "eli!er to you, an" hich "o "eli!er ith the ut%ost seriousness& >n"in their na%e beseech you, the chil"ren, to i%itate your fathers, an"you, parents, to be of goo" cheer about yoursel!es for e ill nourishyour age, an" tae care of you both publicly an" pri!ately in any place inhich one of us %ay %eet one of you ho are the parents of the "ea"& >n"the care of you hich the city shos, you no yoursel!es for she has %a"epro!ision by la concerning the parents an" chil"ren of those ho "ie inar the highest authority is specially entruste" ith the "uty of atchingo!er the% abo!e all other citi9ens, an" they ill see that your fathers an"%others ha!e no rong "one to the%& The city herself shares in the

e"ucation of the chil"ren, "esiring as far as it is possible that their orphanhoo" %ay not be felt by the% hile they are chil"ren she is a parentto the%, an" hen they ha!e arri!e" at %anNs estate she sen"s the% to their se!eral "uties, in full ar%our cla" an" bringing freshly to their %in"sthe ays of their fathers, she places in their han"s the instru%ents of their fathersN !irtues for the sae of the o%en, she oul" ha!e the% fro%the first begin to rule o!er their on houses arraye" in the strength an"ar%s of their fathers& >n" as for the "ea", she ne!er ceases honouringthe%, celebrating in co%%on for all rites hich beco%e the property of each an" in a""ition to this, hol"ing gy%nastic an" euestrian contests,an" %usical festi!als of e!ery sort& .he is to the "ea" in the place of ason an" heir, an" to their sons in the place of a father, an" to their

parents an" el"er in"re" in the place of a guar"ianFFe!er an" alayscaring for the%& Consi"ering this, you ought to bear your cala%ity the%ore gently for thus you ill be %ost en"eare" to the "ea" an" to theli!ing, an" your sorros ill heal an" be heale"& >n" no "o you an" all,ha!ing la%ente" the "ea" in co%%on accor"ing to the la, go your ays&

Qou ha!e hear", Menexenus, the oration of >spasia the Milesian&

ME;ERE;<.B Truly, .ocrates, %ar!el that >spasia, ho is only a o%an,shoul" be able to co%pose such a speech she %ust be a rare one&

.:C+>TE.B 'ell, if you are incre"ulous, you %ay co%e ith %e an" hear her&

ME;ERE;<.B ha!e often %et >spasia, .ocrates, an" no hat she is lie&

.:C+>TE.B 'ell, an" "o you not a"%ire her, an" are you not grateful for her speechS

ME;ERE;<.B Qes, .ocrates, a% !ery grateful to her or to hi% ho tol"you, an" still %ore to you ho ha!e tol" %e&

.:C+>TE.B ery goo"& ut you %ust tae care not to tell of %e, an" thenat so%e future ti%e ill repeat to you %any other excellent politicalspeeches of hers&

ME;ERE;<.B )ear not, only let %e hear the%, an" ill eep the secret&



.:C+>TE.B Then ill eep %y pro%ise&

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Platão - Menexenus (Inglês)

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