BODY.
Among others who frequented Socrates, there was a young man whose name
was Epigenes, and who was very awkward in his person and behaviour, and
had contracted an ill habit of body, having never learnt nor used any
exercise. Socrates reproached him for it, and told him that it was
unworthy of any man to be so negligent of himself. Epigenes slightly
answered that he was under no obligation to do better. "You are no less
obliged to it," replied Socrates, "than they who train themselves up for
the Olympic Games. For do you believe that to fight for one's life
against the enemies of the Republic, which we are all obliged to do when
the Athenians please to command us, is a less important occasion than to
contend with antagonists for a prize? How many men are there who, for
want of strength, perish in fights; or have recourse to dishonourable
means to seek their safety? Some are taken prisoners, and remain in
slavery all the rest of their days, or are forced to pay so great a
ransom, as makes them live poor and miserable ever afterwards: others are
ill thought of, and their weakness is imputed to cowardice. And do you
value so little all these misfortunes, which constantly attend an ill
habit of body, and do they seem to you so slight? In my opinion, there
are no fatigues in the exercises but what are more easy and more
agreeable. But perhaps you despise the advantages of a good disposition
of body: nevertheless, they are considerable; for men in that condition
enjoy a perfect health, they are robust and active, they come off from
combats with honour, they escape from dangers, they succour their
friends, they render great services to their country. For these reasons
they are well received wherever they come, they are in good reputation
with all men, they attain to the highest offices, they live the more
honourably and the more at ease, and they leave their posterity the most
noble examples. If, therefore, you do not practise the military
exercises in public, you ought not to neglect the doing so in private,
but to apply yourself to them with all possible diligence.
"To have the body active and healthy can be hurtful to you in no
occasions: and since we cannot do anything without the body, it is
certain that a good constitution will be of great advantage to us in all
our undertakings. Even in study, where there seems to be least need of
it, we know many persons who could never make any great progress for want
of health. Forgetfulness, melancholy, loss of appetite, and folly, are
the diseases that generally proceed from the indisposition of the body;
and these diseases sometimes seize the mind with so great violence, that
they wipe out even the least remembrance of what we knew before. But in
health we have nothing like this to fear, and consequently there is no
toil which a judicious man would not willingly undergo to avoid all these
misfortunes. And, indeed, it is shameful for a man to grow old before he
has tried his own strength, and seen to what degree of dexterity and
perfection he can attain, which he can never know if he give himself over
for useless; because dexterity and strength come not of themselves, but
by practice and exercise."