n, but got drunk that night at a riotous party at his own
house, in which state he proceeded in a disorderly procession to Anytus.
Here he looked into the room where the guests were, and seeing the
tables covered with gold and silver drinking-cups, ordered his slaves to
carry away half of them, and then, without deigning to enter the room,
went home again. Anytus' guests were vexed at this, and complained of
his being so arrogantly and outrageously treated. "Say rather,
considerately," answered Anytus, "for although he might have taken them
all, yet he has left us the half of them."

V. In this same way he used to treat his other admirers, with the
exception, it is said, of one of the resident aliens,[A] a man of small
means who sold all that he had and carried the money, amounting to about
a hundred _staters_, to Alkibiades, begging him to accept it. Alkibiades
laughed at him, and invited him to dinner. After dinner he gave him back
his money, and ordered him next day to go and overbid those who were
about to bid for the office of farmer of the taxes. The poor man begged
to be excused, because the price was several talents, but Alkibiades
threatened to have him beaten if he did not do so, for he had some
private grudge of his own against the farmers of the taxes. Accordingly
the alien went next morning early into the market-place and bid a
talent. The tax farmers now clustered round him angrily, bidding him
name some one as security, imagining that he would not be able to find
one. The poor man was now in great trouble and was about to steal away,
when Alkibiades, who was at some distance, called out to the presiding
magistrates, "Write down my name. I am his friend, and I will be surety
for him." On hearing this, the tax farmers were greatly embarrassed, for
their habit was to pay the rent of each year with the proceeds of the
next, and they saw no way of doing so in this instance. Consequently
they begged the man to desist from bidding, and offered him money.
Alkibiades would not permit him to take less than a talent, and when
this was given him he let him go. This was the way in which he did him a
kindness.

[Footnote A: [Greek: metoikikhon].]

VI. The love of Sokrates, though he had many rivals, yet overpowered
them all, for his words touched the heart of Alkibiades and moved him to
tears. Sometimes his flatterers would bribe him by the offer of some
pleasure, to which he would yield and slip away from Sokrates,