Book 3, Chapter 12

Seeing one of those who were with him, a young man, but feeble of body, named Epigenes, ¹ he addressed him.

He saw a young man among those with him, named Epigenes, who was physically weak. ¹ He spoke to him.

Soc. You have not the athletic appearance of a youth in training, ² Epigenes.

Soc. You don't look like a young man in athletic training, ² Epigenes.

And he: That may well be, seeing I am an amateur and not in training.

He replied: That may be true, since I’m an amateur and not in training.

Soc. As little of an amateur, I take it, as any one who ever entered the lists of Olympia, unless you are prepared to make light of that contest for life and death against the public foe which the Athenians will institute when the day comes. ³ And yet they are not a few who, owing to a bad habit of body, either perish outright in the perils of war, or are ignobly saved. Many are they who for the self-same cause are taken prisoners, and being taken must, if it so betide, endure the pains of slavery for the rest of their days; or, after falling into dolorous straits, ⁴ when they have paid to the uttermost farthing of all, or may be more than the worth of all, that they possess, must drag on a miserable existence in want of the barest necessaries until death release them. Many also are they who gain an evil repute through infirmity of body, being thought to play the coward. Can it be that you despise these penalties affixed to an evil habit? Do you think you could lightly endure them? Far lighter, I imagine, nay, pleasant even by comparison, are the toils which he will undergo who duly cultivates a healthy bodily condition. Or do you maintain that the evil habit is healthier, and in general more useful than the good? Do you pour contempt upon those blessings which flow from the healthy state? And yet the very opposite of that which befalls the ill attends the sound condition. Does not the very soundness imply at once health and strength? ⁵ Many a man with no other talisman than this has passed safely through the ordeal of war; stepping, not without dignity, ⁶ through all its horrors unscathed. Many with no other support than this have come to the rescue of friends, or stood forth as benefactors of their fatherland; whereby they were thought worthy of gratitude, and obtained a great renown and received as a recompense the highest honours of the State; to whom is also reserved a happier and brighter passage through what is left to them of life, and at their death they leave to their children the legacy of a fairer starting-point in the race of life.

Soc. No more of an amateur, I think, than anyone who has competed at Olympia. Unless, that is, you are prepared to make light of the life-and-death struggle against the public enemy that the Athenians will face when the day comes. ³ Yet many people die in the dangers of war because they are in poor physical condition. Others are saved, but in a way that brings them no honor. For the same reason, many are taken prisoner. Once captured, they may have to endure slavery for the rest of their lives. Or they may fall into terrible hardship. ⁴ They may pay every last penny they own, or perhaps even more than everything they own is worth. Then they must drag out a miserable existence, lacking the barest necessities, until death releases them. Many also earn a bad reputation because of physical weakness, as others think they are acting like cowards. Do you despise these penalties of poor physical condition? Do you think you could easily endure them? I think the effort required to keep your body healthy is much lighter. Indeed, it is pleasant by comparison. Or do you claim that poor physical condition is healthier and generally more useful than good physical condition? Do you look down on the benefits of a healthy body? Yet good physical condition brings the very opposite of what happens to those in poor condition. Does not good physical condition mean both health and strength? ⁵ Many have made it safely through the ordeal of war with no other protection, coming through all its horrors unharmed and with dignity. ⁶ Many, relying on nothing else, have rescued friends or benefited their fatherland. For this they were considered worthy of gratitude, gained great renown, and received the highest honors of the State. They also have a happier and brighter life ahead of them, and when they die, they leave their children a better start in life.

Because our city does not practise military training in public, ⁷ that is no reason for neglecting it in private, but rather a reason for making it a foremost care. For be you assured that there is no contest of any sort, nor any transaction, in which you will be the worse off for being well prepared in body; and in fact there is nothing which men do for which the body is not a help. In every demand, therefore, which can be laid upon the body it is much better that it should be in the best condition; since, even where you might imagine the claims upon the body to be slightest—in the act of reasoning—who does not know the terrible stumbles which are made through being out of health? It suffices to say that forgetfulness, and despondency, and moroseness, and madness take occasion often of ill-health to visit the intellectual faculties so severely as to expel all knowledge ⁸ from the brain. But he who is in good bodily plight has large security. He runs no risk of incurring any such catastrophe through ill-health at any rate; he has the expectation rather that a good habit must procure consequences the opposite to those of an evil habit; ⁹ and surely to this end there is nothing a man in his senses would not undergo.... It is a base thing for a man to wax old in careless self-neglect before he has lifted up his eyes and seen what manner of man he was made to be, in the full perfection of bodily strength and beauty. But these glories are withheld from him who is guilty of self-neglect, for they are not wont to blaze forth unbidden. ¹⁰

Because our city does not provide public military training, ⁷ we have no reason to neglect it in private. Instead, we should make it a top priority. You can be sure that being physically fit will never put you at a disadvantage in any contest or undertaking. In fact, the body is helpful in everything people do. So it is much better to keep the body in the best condition for every demand placed on it. Even reasoning might seem to make the slightest demands on the body. Yet everyone knows the terrible mistakes people make when they are ill. Ill health often brings forgetfulness, despair, gloom, and madness. These afflict the mind so severely that they drive all knowledge ⁸ from the brain. But a man in good physical condition is well protected. At any rate, he runs no risk of such a disaster through ill health. Instead, he can expect good health to bring the opposite results from poor health. ⁹ And surely, to achieve this, a sensible man would be willing to endure anything.... It is disgraceful for a man to grow old through careless self-neglect without ever seeing what he could become. He could reach the full perfection of bodily strength and beauty. But a man who neglects himself will never see these glories, for they do not appear on their own. ¹⁰