tion
of the sun's disk, because she only grazes it in passing; sometimes
she hides more, by placing more of herself before it; and sometimes she
shuts it out from our sight altogether, if she passes in an exactly even
course between the sun and the earth. Soon, however, their own swift
motion will draw these two bodies apart; soon the earth will receive
back again the light of day. And this system will continue throughout
centuries, having certain days, known beforehand, upon which the sun
cannot display all rays, because of the intervention of the moon. Wait
only for a short time; he will soon emerge, he will soon leave that
seeming cloud, and freely shed abroad his light without any hindrances."
Could Socrates not have made an adequate return to Archelaus, if he
had taught him to reign? as though Socrates would not benefit him
sufficiently, merely by enabling him to bestow a benefit upon Socrates.
Why, then, did Socrates say this? Being a joker and a speaker in
parables--a man who turned all, especially the great, into ridicule--he
preferred giving him a satirical refusal, rather than an obstinate or
haughty one, and therefore said that he did not wish to receive benefits
from one to whom he could not return as much as he received. He feared,
perhaps, that he might be forced to receive something which he did
not wish, he feared that it might be something unfit for Socrates to
receive. Some one may say, "He ought to have said that he did not wish
to go." But by so doing he would have excited against himself the anger
of an arrogant king, who wished everything connected with himself to be
highly valued. It makes no difference to a king whether you be unwilling
to give anything to him or to accept anything from him; he is equally
incensed at either rebuff, and to be treated with disdain is more
bitter to a proud spirit than not to be feared. Do you wish to know what
Socrates really meant? He, whose freedom of speech could not be borne
even by a free state, was not willing of his own choice to become a
slave.

VII. I think that we have sufficiently discussed this part of the
subject, whether it be disgraceful to be worsted in a contest of
benefits. Whoever asks this question must know that men are not wont
to bestow benefits upon themselves, for evidently it could not be
disgraceful to be worsted by oneself. Yet some of the Stoics debate this
question, whether any one can confer a benefit upon himself, and whether
one ou