from want of care, from within, and in a manner from a body in putrefaction.
But Socrates washed himself seldom—Yes, but his body was clean and fair: and it was so agreeable and sweet that the most beautiful and the most noble loved him, and desired to sit by him rather than by the side of those who had the handsomest forms. It was in his power neither to use the bath nor to wash himself, if he chose; and yet the rare use of water had an effect. [If you do not choose to wash with warm water, wash with cold.[1]] But Aristophanes says
Those who are pale, unshod, 'tis those I mean.
(Nubes v. 102.)
For Aristophanes says of Socrates that he also walked the air and stole clothes from the palaestra.[2] But all who have written about Socrates bear exactly the contrary evidence in his favour; they say that he was pleasant not only to hear, but also to see.[3] On the other hand they write the same about Diogenes.[4] For we ought not even by the appearance of the body to deter the multitude from philosophy; but as in other things, a philosopher should show himself cheerful and tranquil, so also he should in the things that relate to the body: See, ye men, that I have nothing, that I want nothing: see how I am without a house, and without a city, and an exile, if it happens to be so,[5] and without a hearth I live more free from trouble and more happily than all of noble birth and than the rich. But look at my poor body also and observe that it is not injured by my hard way of living—But if a man says this to me, who has the appearance (dress) and face of a condemned man, what God shall persuade me to approach philosophy, if[6] it makes men such persons? Far from it; I would not choose to do so, even if I
- ↑ See what is said of this passage in the latter part of this chapter.
- ↑ Aristophanes, Nubes, v. 225, and v. 179.
- ↑ Xenophon, Memorab. iii. 12.
- ↑ See iii. 22, 88.
- ↑ Diogenes, it is said, was driven from his native town Sinope in Asia on a charge of having debased or counterfeited the coinage Upton. It is probable that this is false.
- ↑ On the word ὥστε see Schweig.'s note.
