d friends exceedingly cheap.

(2) Hermogenes, presumably the son of Hipponicus. See I. ii. 48.

Diodorus answered: You are quite right, Socrates; bid Hermogenes come to
me.

Soc. Bid Hermogenes come to you!--not I indeed! since for aught I can
understand you are no better entitled to summon him that to go to him
yourself, nor is the advantage more on his side than your own.

Thus Diodorus went off in a trice to seek Hermogenes, and at no great
outlay won to himself a friend--a friend whose one concern it now was to
discover how, by word or deed, he might help and gladden Diodorus.

BOOK III

I

Aspirants to honour and distinction (1) derived similar help from
Socrates, who in each case stimulated in them a persevering assiduity
towards their several aims, as the following narratives tend to show. He
had heard on one occasion of the arrival in Athens of Dionysodorus, (2)
who professed to teach the whole duty of a general. (3) Accordingly he
remarked to one of those who were with him--a young man whose anxiety to
obtain the office of Strategos (4) was no secret to him:

(1) {ton kalon} = everything which the {kalos te kagathos} should aim
at, but especially the honourable offices of state such as the
Archonship, Strategia, Hipparchia, etc. See Plat. "Laches."

(2) Dionysodorus of Chios, presumably. See Plat. "Euthyd." 271 C foll.

(3) A professor of the science and art of strategy.

(4) Lit. "that honour," sc. the Strategia.

Soc. It would be monstrous on the part of any one who sought to become
a general (5) to throw away the slightest opportunity of learning the
duties of the office. Such a person, I should say, would deserve to be
fined and punished by the state far more than the charlatan who without
having learnt the art of a sculptor undertakes a contract to carve a
statue. Considering that the whole fortunes of the state are entrusted
to the general during a war, with all its incidental peril, it is only
reasonable to anticipate that great blessings or great misfortunes
will result in proportion to the success or bungling of that officer. I
appeal to you, young sir, do you not agree that a candidate who, while
taking pains to be elected neglects to learn the duties of the office,
would richly deserve to be fined?

(5) i.e. "head of the war department, and commander-in-chief," etc.

With arguments like these he persuaded the young man to go and take
lessons. After he had gone th