第126章 BOOK XI(10)

Neither God,nor a man who has understanding,will ever advise any one to neglect his parents.To a discourse concerning the honour and dishonour of parents,a prelude such as the following,about the service of the Gods,will be a suitable introduction:-There are ancient customs about the Gods which are universal,and they are of two kinds:some of the Gods we see with our eyes and we honour them,of others we honour the images,raising statues of them which we adore;and though they are lifeless,yet we imagine that the living Gods have a good will and gratitude to us on this account.Now,if a man has a father or mother,or their fathers or mothers treasured up in his house stricken in years,let him consider that no statue can be more potent to grant his requests than they are,who are sitting at his hearth if only he knows how to show true service to them.

Cle.And what do you call the true mode of service?

Ath.I will tell you,O my friend,for such things are worth listening to.

Cle.Proceed.

Ath.Oedipus,as tradition says,when dishonoured by his sons,invoked on them curses which every one declares to have been heard and ratified by the Gods,and Amyntor in his wrath invoked curses on his son Phoenix,and Theseus upon Hippolytus,and innumerable others have also called down wrath upon their children,whence it is clear that the Gods listen to the imprecations of parents;for the curses of parents are,as they ought to be,mighty against their children as no others are.And shall we suppose that the prayers of a father or mother who is specially dishonoured by his or her children,are heard by the Gods in accordance with nature;and that if a parent is honoured by them,and in the gladness of his heart earnestly entreats the Gods in his prayers to do them good,he is not equally heard,and that they do not minister to his request?If not,they would be very unjust ministers of good,and that we affirm to be contrary to their nature.

Cle.Certainly.

Ath.May we not think,as I was saying just now,that we can possess no image which is more honoured by the Gods,than that of a father or grandfather,or of a mother stricken in years?whom when a man honours,the heart of the God rejoices,and he is ready to answer their prayers.And,truly,the figure of an ancestor is a wonderful thing,far higher than that of a lifeless image.For the living,when they are honoured by us,join in our prayers,and when they are dishonoured,they utter imprecations against us;but lifeless objects do neither.And therefore,if a man makes a right use of his father and grandfather and other aged relations,he will have images which above all others will win him the favour of the Gods.

Cle.Excellent.

Ath.Every man of any understanding fears and respects the prayers of parents,knowing well that many times and to many persons they have been accomplished.Now these things being thus ordered by nature,good men think it a blessing from heaven if their parents live to old age and reach the utmost limit of human life,or if taken away before their time they are deeply regretted by them;but to bad men parents are always a cause of terror.Wherefore let every man honour with every sort of lawful honour his own parents,agreeably to what has now been said.But if this prelude be an unmeaning sound in the cars of any one,let the law follow,which may be rightly imposed in these terms:-If any one in this city be not sufficiently careful of his parents,and do not regard and gratify in every respect their wishes more than those of his sons and of his other offspring or of himself-let him who experiences this sort of treatment either come himself,or send some one to inform the three eldest guardians of the law,and three of the women who have the care of marriages;and let them look to the matter and punish youthful evil-doers with stripes and bonds if they are under thirty years of age,that is to say,if they be men,or if they be women,let them undergo the same punishment up to forty years of age.But if,when they are still more advanced in years,they continue the same neglect of their parents,and do any hurt to any of them,let them be brought before a court in which every single one of the eldest citizens shall be the judges,and if the offender be convicted,let the court determine what he ought to pay or suffer,and any penalty may be imposed on him which a man can pay or suffer.If the person who has been wronged be unable to inform the magistrates,let any freeman who hears of his case inform,and if he do not,he shall be deemed base,and shall be liable to have a suit for damage brought against him by any one who likes.And if a slave inform,he shall receive freedom;and if he be the slave of the injurer or injured party,he shall be set free by the magistrates,or if he belong to any other citizen,the public shall pay a price on his behalf to the owner;and let the magistrates take heed that no one wrongs him out of revenge,because he has given information.