Pagina 863 van 1391

They were very acute persons, those sons of Asclepius.

Naturally so, I replied. Nevertheless, the tragedians and Pindar

disobeying our behests, although they acknowledge that Asclepius

was the son of Apollo, say also that he was bribed into healing a

rich man who was at the point of death, and for this reason he

was struck by lightning. But we, in accordance with the principle

already affirmed by us, will not believe them when they tell us

both;-if he was the son of a god, we maintain that he was not

avaricious; or, if he was avaricious, he was not the son of a

god.

All that, Socrates, is excellent; but I should like to put a

question to you: Ought there not to be good physicians in a

State, and are not the best those who have treated the greatest

number of constitutions good and bad? and are not the best judges

in like manner those who are acquainted with all sorts of moral

natures?

Yes, I said, I too would have good judges and good physicians.

But do you know whom I think good?