[375b]
anything else? Have you never
observed what an irresistible and invincible thing is spirit,1 the presence of which
makes every soul in the face of everything fearless and
unconquerable?” “I have.” “The
physical qualities of the guardian, then, are obvious.”
“Yes.” “And also those of his soul, namely
that he must be of high spirit.” “Yes, this
too.” “How then, Glaucon,” said I,
“will they escape being savage to one another2 and to the other citizens if this is to be their
nature?” “Not easily, by Zeus,” said he.
“And yet
1 Anger (or the heart's desire?) buys its will at the price of life, as Heracleitus says (fr. 105 Bywater). Cf. Aristotle Eth. Nic. 1105 a 9, 1116 b 23.
2 Cf. Spencer, Psychology 511: “Men cannot be kept unsympathetic towards external enemies without being kept unsympathetic towards internal enemies.” For what follows cf. Dio Chrys.Or. i. 44 R., Julian, Or. ii. 86 D.
Plato. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 5 & 6 translated by Paul Shorey. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1969.
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