give us this. It promises to do
so certainly: for, unless it made that promise, why did Plato travel over
Egypt, to learn numbers and knowledge of the heavenly mysteries from
barbarian priests? Why afterwards did he go to Tarentum to Archytas; and
to the other Pythagoreans of Locri, Echecrates, Timaeus, and Acrion; in
order, after he had drained Socrates to the dregs, to add the doctrine of
the Pythagoreans to his, and to learn in addition those things which
Socrates rejected? Why did Pythagoras himself travel over Egypt, and visit
the Persian Magi; why did he go on foot over so many countries of the
barbarians, and make so many voyages? Why did Democritus do the same? who,
(whether it is true or false, we will not stop to inquire,) is said to
have put out his own eyes; certainly, in order that his mind might be
abstracted from contemplation as little as possible; he neglected his
patrimony, and left his lands uncultivated, and what other object could he
have had except a happy life? And if he placed that in the knowledge of
things, still from that investigation of natural philosophy he sought to
acquire equanimity; for he called the summum bonum {~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH PSILI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}, and very often
{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH PSILI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER BETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}, that is to say, a mind free from alarm. But, although this was
well said, it was not very elegantly expressed; for he said very little
about virtue, and even what he did say, he did not express very clearly.
For it was not till after his death that these subjects were discussed in
this city, first by Socrates, and from Socrates they got entrance into the
Academy. Nor was there any doubt that all hope of living well and also
happily was placed in virtue: and when Zeno had learnt this from our
school, he began to express himself on the same subject in another manner,
as lawyers do on trials. And now you approve of this conduct in him. Will
you then say that he by changing the names of things escaped the charge of
inconsistency, and yet not allow us to do so too?

He asserts that the life of Metellus was not happier than that of Regulus,
but admi