onsidered the wealthier,--he who was the
possessor of a talent of silver or he who had a field worth two talents?

ERASISTRATUS: The owner of the field.

SOCRATES: And on the same principle he who had robes and bedding and
such things which are of greater value to him than to a stranger would
be richer than the stranger?

ERASISTRATUS: True.

SOCRATES: And if any one gave you a choice, which of these would you
prefer?

ERASISTRATUS: That which was most valuable.

SOCRATES: In which way do you think you would be the richer?

ERASISTRATUS: By choosing as I said.

SOCRATES: And he appears to you to be the richest who has goods of the
greatest value?

ERASISTRATUS: He does.

SOCRATES: And are not the healthy richer than the sick, since health is
a possession more valuable than riches to the sick? Surely there is no
one who would not prefer to be poor and well, rather than to have all
the King of Persia's wealth and to be ill. And this proves that men set
health above wealth, else they would never choose the one in preference
to the other.

ERASISTRATUS: True.

SOCRATES: And if anything appeared to be more valuable than health, he
would be the richest who possessed it?

ERASISTRATUS: He would.

SOCRATES: Suppose that some one came to us at this moment and were to
ask, Well, Socrates and Eryxias and Erasistratus, can you tell me what
is of the greatest value to men? Is it not that of which the possession
will best enable a man to advise how his own and his friend's affairs
should be administered?--What will be our reply?

ERASISTRATUS: I should say, Socrates, that happiness was the most
precious of human possessions.

SOCRATES: Not a bad answer. But do we not deem those men who are most
prosperous to be the happiest?

ERASISTRATUS: That is my opinion.

SOCRATES: And are they not most prosperous who commit the fewest errors
in respect either of themselves or of other men?

ERASISTRATUS: Certainly.

SOCRATES: And they who know what is evil and what is good; what should
be done and what should be left undone;--these behave the most wisely
and make the fewest mistakes?

Erasistratus agreed to this.

SOCRATES: Then the wisest and those who do best and the most fortunate
and the richest would appear to be all one and the same, if wisdom is
really the most valuable of our possessions?

Yes, said Eryxias, interposing, but what use would it be if a man had
the wisdom of Nestor and wanted the necessaries