Apparent contradiction. Sokrates accuses the companion of trying to deceive him. Accusation is retorted upon Sokrates.
Sokr. — But, my friend, we agreed just now, that gain was a good, and that all men always love good. It follows therefore, that good men as well as others love all gains, if gains are good things. Comp. — Not, certainly, those gains by which they will afterwards be hurt. Sokr. — Be hurt: you mean, by which they will become losers. Comp. — I mean that and nothing else. Sokr. — Do they become losers by gain, or by loss? Comp. — By both: by loss, and by evil gain. Sokr. — Does it appear to you that any useful and good thing is evil? Comp. — No. Sokr. — Well! we agreed just now that gain was the opposite of loss, which was evil; and that, being the opposite of evil, gain was good. Comp. — That was what we agreed. Sokr. — You see how it is: you are trying to deceive me: you purposely contradict what we just now agreed upon. Comp. — Not at all, by Zeus: on the contrary, it is you, Sokrates, who deceive me, wriggling up and down in your talk, I cannot tell how.[6] Sokr. — Be careful what you say: I should be very culpable, if I disobeyed a good and wise monitor. Comp. — Whom do you mean: and what do you mean? Sokr. — Hipparchus, son of Peisistratus.
[6] Plat. Hipparch. 228 A. Sokr. — Ὁρᾷς οὖν; ἐπιχειρεῖς με ἐξαπατᾷν, ἐπίτηδες ἐναντία λέγων οἷς ἄρτι ὡμολογήσαμεν. Comp. Οὐ μὰ Δί’, ὦ Σώκρατες· ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον σὺ ἐμὲ ἐξαπατᾷς, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα ὁπῇ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἄνω καὶ κάτω στρέφεις.
Precept inscribed formerly by Hipparchus the Peisistratid — ”Never deceive a friend”. Eulogy of Hipparchus by Sokrates.
Sokrates then describes at some length the excellent character of Hipparchus: his beneficent rule, his wisdom, his anxiety for the moral improvement of the Athenians: the causes, different from what was commonly believed, which led to his death; and the wholesome precepts which he during his life had caused to be inscribed on various busts of Hermes throughout Attica. One of these busts or Hermæ bore the words — Do not deceive a friend.[7]
[7] Plat. Hipparch. 228 B-229 D.
The picture here given of Hipparchus deserves notice. We are informed that he was older than his brother Hippias, which was the general belief at Athens, as Thucydides (i. 20, vi. 58) affirms, though himself contradicting it, and affirming that Hippias was the elder brother. Plato however agrees with Thucydides in this point, that the three years after the assassination of Hipparchus, during which Hippias ruled alone, were years of oppression and tyranny; and that the hateful recollection of the Peisistratidæ, which always survived in the minds of the Athenians, was derived from these three last years.
The picture which Plato here gives of Hipparchus is such as we might expect from a philosopher. He dwells upon the pains which Hipparchus took to have the recitation of the Homeric poems made frequent and complete: also upon his intimacy with the poets Anakreon and Simonides. The colouring which Plato gives to the intimacy between Aristogeiton and Harmodius is also peculiar. The ἐραστὴς is represented by Plato as eager for the education and improvement of the ἐρώμενος; and the jealousy felt towards Hipparchus is described as arising from the distinguished knowledge and abilities of Hipparchus, which rendered him so much superior and more effective as an educator.
The Companion resumes: Apparently, Sokrates, either you do not account me your friend, or you do not obey Hipparchus: for you are certainly deceiving me in some unaccountable way in your talk. You cannot persuade me to the contrary.
Sokrates allows the companion to retract some of his answers. The companion affirms that some gain is good, other gain is evil.