Alcibiades
by Plutarch
ALCIBIADES, as it is supposed, was anciently descended from
Eurysaces, the son of Ajax, by his father's side; and by his
mother's side from Alcmaeon. Dinomache, his mother, was the
daughter of Megacles. His father, Clinias, having fitted out a
galley at his own expense, gained great honour in the sea-fight
at Artemisium, and was afterwards slain in the battle of Coronea,
fighting against the Boeotians. Pericles and Ariphron, the sons
of Xanthippus, nearly related to him, became the guardians of
Alcibiades. It has been said not untruly that the friendship
which Socrates felt for him has much contributed to his fame; and
certain it is, that, though we have no account from any writer
concerning the mother of Nicias or Demosthenes, of Lamachus or
Phormion, of Thrasybulus or Theramenes, notwithstanding these
were all illustrious men of the same period, yet we know even the
nurse of Alcibiades, that her country was Lacedaemon, and her
name Amycla; and that Zopyrus was his teacher and attendant; the
one being recorded by Antisthenes, and the other by Plato.
It is not, perhaps, material to say anything of the beauty of
Alcibiades, only that it bloomed with him in all the ages of his
life, in his infancy, in his youth, and in his manhood; and, in
the peculiar character becoming to each of these periods, gave
him, in every one of them, a grace and a charm. What Euripides
says, that
"Of all fair things the autumn, too, is fair," is by no means
universally true. But it happened so with Alcibiades, amongst few
others, by reason of his happy constitution and natural vigour of
body. It is said that his lisping, when he spoke, became him
well, and gave a grace and persuasiveness to his rapid speech.
Aristophanes takes notice of it in the verses in which he jests
at Theorus; "How like a colax he is," says Alcibiades, meaning a
corax; on which it is remarked,-
"How very happily he lisped the truth." Archippus also alludes to
it in a passage where he ridicules the son of Alcibiades:-
"That people may believe him like his father,
He walks like one dissolved in luxury,
Lets his robe trail behind him on the ground,
Carelessly leans his head, and in his talk
Affects to lisp."
His conduct displayed many great inconsistencies and variations,
not unnaturally, in accordance with the many and wonderful
vicissitudes of his fortunes; but among the many strong passions
of his real character, the one most prevailing of all was his
ambition and desire of superiority, which appears in several
anecdotes told of his sayings whilst he was a child. Once being
hard pressed in wrestling, and fearing to be thrown, he got the
hand of his antagonist to his mouth, and bit it with all his
force; and when the other loosed his hold presently, and said,
"You bite, Alcibiades, like a woman." "No," replied he, "like a
lion." Another time as he played at dice in the street, being
then but a child, a loaded cart came that way, when it was his
turn to throw; at first he called to the driver to stop, because
he was to throw in the way over which the cart was to pass; but
the man giving him no attention and driving on, when the rest of
the boys divided and gave way, Alcibiades threw himself on his
face before the cart and, stretching himself out, bade the carter
pass on now if he would; which so startled the man, that he put
back his horses, while all that saw it were terrified, and,
crying out, ran to assist Alcibiades. When he began to study, he
obeyed all his other masters fairly well, but refused to learn
upon the flute, as a sordid thing, and not becoming a free
citizen; saying that to play on the lute or the harp does not in
any way disfigure a man's body or face, but one is hardly to be
known by the most intimate friends when playing on the flute.
Besides, one who plays on the harp may speak or sing at the same
time; but the use of the flute stops the mouth, intercepts the
voice, and prevents all articulation. "Therefore," said he, "let
the Theban youths pipe, who do not know how to speak, but we
Athenians, as our ancestors have told us, have Minerva for our
patroness, and Apollo for our protector, one of whom threw away
the flute, and the other stripped the Flute-player of his skin."
Thus, between raillery and good earnest, Alcibiades kept not only
himself but others from learning, as it presently became the talk
of the young boys, how Alcibiades despised playing on the flute,
and ridiculed those who studied it. In consequence of which, it
ceased to be reckoned amongst the liberal accomplishments, and
became generally neglected.
It is stated in the invective which Antiphon wrote against
Alcibiades, that once, when he was a boy, he ran away to the
house of Democrates, one of those who made a favourite of him,
and that Ariphon had determined to cause proclamation to be made
for him, had not Pericles diverted him from it, by saying, that
if he were dead, the proclaiming of him could only cause it to be
discovered one day sooner, and if he were safe, it would be a
reproach to him as long as he lived. Antiphon also says, that he
killed one of his own servants with the blow of a staff in
Sibyrtius's wrestling ground. But it is unreasonable to give
credit to all that is objected by an enemy, who makes open
profession of his design to defame him.
It was manifest that the many well-born persons who were
continually seeking his company, and making their court to him,
were attracted and captivated by his brilliant and extraordinary
beauty only. But the affection which Socrates entertained for him
is a great evidence of the natural noble qualities and good
disposition of the boy, which Socrates, indeed, detected both in
and under his personal beauty; and, hearing that his wealth and
station, and the great number both of strangers and Athenians who
flattered and caressed him, might at last corrupt him, resolved,
if possible, to interpose, and preserve hopeful a plant from
perishing in the flower, before its fruit came to perfection. For
never did fortune surround and enclose a man with so many of
those things which we vulgarly call goods, or so protect him from
every weapon of philosophy, and fence him from every access of
free and searching words, as she did Alcibiades; who, from the
beginning, was exposed to the flatteries of those who sought
merely his gratification, such as might well unnerve him, and
indispose him to listen to any real adviser or instructor. Yet
such was the happiness of his genius, that he discerned Socrates
from the rest, and admitted him, whilst he drove away the wealthy
and the noble who made court to him. And, in a little time, they
grew intimate, and Alcibiades, listening now to language entirely
free from every thought of unmanly fondness and silly displays of
affection, finding himself with one who sought to lay open to him
the deficiencies of his mind, and repress his vain and foolish
arrogance
"Dropped like the craven cock his conquered wing."
He esteemed these endeavours of Socrates as most truly a means
which the gods made use of for the care and preservation of
youth, and began to think meanly of himself and to admire him; to
be pleased with his kindness, and to stand in awe of his virtue;
and, unawares to himself, there became formed in his mind that
reflex image and reciprocation of Love, or Anteros, that Plato
talks of. It was a matter of general wonder, when people saw him
joining Socrates in his meals and his exercises, living with him
in the same tent, whilst he was reserved and rough to all others
who made their addresses to him, and acted, indeed, with great
insolence to some of them. As in particular to Anytus, the son of
Anthemion, one who was very fond of him, and invited him to an
entertainment which he had prepared for some strangers.
Alcibiades refused the invitation; but, having drunk to excess at
his own house with some of his companions, went thither with them
to play some frolic; and, standing at the door of the room where
the guests were enjoying themselves, and seeing the tables
covered with gold and silver cups, he commanded his servants to
take away the one-half of them, and carry them to his own house;
and then, disdaining so much as to enter into the room himself,
as soon as he had done this, went away. The company was
indignant, and exclaimed at his rude and insulting conduct;
Anytus, however, said, on the contrary, he had ...
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