The Republic — Plato

by him while the exepedition lasts. So that if there be a lover in the army, whether his love be youth or maiden, he may be more eager to win the prize of valor. Capital, I said. That the brave man is to have more wives than others has been already determined : and he is to have first choices in such matters more than others, in order that he may have as many children as possible? Agreed.

Again, there is another manner in which, according to Homer, brave youths should be honored ; for he tells how Ajax,^ after he had distinguished himself in battle, was rewarded with long chines, which seems to be a compliment appropriate to a hero in the flower of his age, being not only a tribute of honor but also a very strengthening thing. Most true, he said.

Then in this, I said, Homer shall be our teacher ; and we too, at sacrifices and on the like occasions, will honor the brave according to the measure of their valor, whether men or women, with hymns and those other distinctions which we were mentioning ; also with " seats of precedence, and meats and full cups; and in honoring them, we shall be at the same time training them. That, he replied, is excellent.

Yes, I said ; and when a man dies gloriously in war shall we not say, in the first place, that he is of the golden race? To be sure. Nay, have we not the authority of Hesiod for affirming that when they are dead " They are holy angels upon the earth, authors of good, averters of evil, the guardians of speech-gifted men " ?* Yes ; and we accept his authority.

We must learn of the god how we are to order the sepulture of divine and heroic personages, and what is to be their special distinction; and we must do as he bids? By all means. And in ages to come we will reverence them and kneel before ' " Iliad," vil. 321. ' " Iliad," viii. 162. • Probably " Works and Days," 121 fol. II 2their sepulchres as at the graves of heroes. And not only they, but any who are deemed pre-eminently good, whether they die from age or in any other way, shall be admitted to the same honors. That is very right, he said. Next, how shall our soldiers treat their enemies? What about this? In what respect do you mean ? First of all, in regard to slavery ?

Do you think it right that Hellenes should enslave Hellenic States, or allow others to enslave them, if they can help? Should not their custom be to spare them, considering the danger which there is that the whole race may one day fall under the yoke of the barbarians ? To spare them is infinitely better. Then no Hellene should be owned by them as a slave; that is a rule which they will observe and advise the other Hellenes to observe.

Certainly, he said ; they will in this way be united against the barbarians and will keep their hands off one another. Next as to the slain ; ought the conquerors, I said, to take anything but their armor? Does not the practice of despoiling an enemy afiford an excuse for not facing the battle? Cowards skulk about the dead, pretending that they are fulfilling a duty, and many an army before now has been lost from this love of plunder. Very true.

And is there not illiberality and avarice in robbing a corpse, and also a degree of meanness and womanishness in making an enemy of the dead body when the real enemy has flown away and left only his fighting gear behind him — is not this rather like a dog who cannot get at his assailant, quarrelling with the stones which strike him instead? Very like a dog, he said. Then we must abstain from spoiling the dead or hindering their burial ?

Yes, he replied, we most certainly must. Neither shall we offer up arms at the temples of the gods, least of all the arms of Hellenes, if we care to maintain good feeling with other Hellenes ; and, indeed, we have reason to fear that the offering of spoils taken from kinsmen may be a pollution unless commanded by the god himself?