Lysis

“Very much so,” they both said.

“Well, the things of friends are said to be common,¹ so in this, at least, you two won’t differ, if you are telling the truth about your friendship.”

They both agreed.

207dAfter this I set about asking which of them was the juster and wiser. But in the middle someone came up and made Menexenus get up, saying that the trainer was calling him; for he was in fact, as it seemed to me, officiating at the sacrifice. He went off, then; and I asked Lysis, “I take it, Lysis,” I said, “your father and mother love you very much?”² — “Very much so,” he said. — “Then they would want you to be as happy as possible?” — 207e “Of course.” — “And do you think a man is happy who is a slave and is allowed to do nothing that he desires?” — “No, by Zeus, I don’t,” he said. — “Then if your father and mother love you and desire you to become happy, it is clear that they are eager in every way for you to be happy.” — “Of course,” he said. — “Then they let you do what you want, and don’t scold you or prevent you from doing what you desire?” — “Yes, by Zeus, Socrates, me they do stop, and from a great many things.” — “What do you mean?” I said. “They want you to be blessed, 208a and they prevent you from doing what you want? Tell me this: if you desire to ride in one of your father’s chariots and take the reins when there is a race, they wouldn’t let you, would they, but would prevent you?” — “No, by Zeus,” he said, “they certainly wouldn’t let me.” — “But whom, then?” — “There’s a charioteer who draws wages from my father.” — “What do you mean? They entrust a hired man, rather than you, with doing whatever he wants with the horses, and on top of that 208b they pay him money for this very thing?” — “Well, what else?” he said. — “But the mule team, I think, they entrust you with ruling, and if you wanted to take the whip and beat the mules, they would let you.” —