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1、360BCTHESEVENTHLETTERbyPlatotranslatedbyJ.HarwardPLATOTOTHERELATIVESANDFRIENDSOFDION.WELFARE.YouwritetomethatImustconsideryourviewsthesameasthoseofDion,andyouurgemetoaidyourcausesofarasIcaninwordanddeed.Myansweristhat,ifyouhavethesameopinionanddesireashehad,Iconsen
2、ttoaidyourcause;butifnot,Ishallthinkmorethanonceaboutit.Nowwhathispurposeanddesirewas,Icaninformyoufromnomereconjecturebutfrompositiveknowledge.ForwhenImademyfirstvisittoSicily,beingthenaboutfortyyearsold,DionwasofthesameageasHipparinosisnow,andtheopinionwhichhethe
3、nformedwasthatwhichhealwaysretained,ImeanthebeliefthattheSyracusansoughttobefreeandgovernedbythebestlaws.SoitisnomatterforsurpriseifsomeGodshouldmakeHipparinosadoptthesameopinionasDionaboutformsofgovernment.Butitiswellworthwhilethatyoushouldall,oldaswellasyoung,hea
4、rthewayinwhichthisopinionwasformed,andIwillattempttogiveyouanaccountofitfromthebeginning.Forthepresentisasuitableopportunity.InmyyouthIwentthroughthesameexperienceasmanyothermen.Ifanciedthatif,earlyinlife,Ibecamemyownmaster,Ishouldatonceembarkonapoliticalcareer.And
5、Ifoundmyselfconfrontedwiththefollowingoccurrencesinthepublicaffairsofmyowncity.Theexistingconstitutionbeinggenerallycondemned,arevolutiontookplace,andfifty-onemencametothefrontasrulersoftherevolutionarygovernment,namelyeleveninthecityandteninthePeiraeus-eachofthese
6、bodiesbeinginchargeofthemarketandmunicipalmatters-whilethirtywereappointedrulerswithfullpowersoverpublicaffairsasawhole.Someofthesewererelativesandacquaintancesofmine,andtheyatonceinvitedmetoshareintheirdoings,assomethingtowhichIhadaclaim.Theeffectonmewasnotsurpris
7、inginthecaseofayoungman.Iconsideredthattheywould,ofcourse,somanagetheStateastobringmenoutofabadwayoflifeintoagoodone.SoIwatchedthemverycloselytoseewhattheywoulddo.Andseeing,asIdid,thatinquiteashorttimetheymadetheformergovernmentseembycomparisonsomethingpreciousasgo
8、ld-foramongotherthingstheytriedtosendafriendofmine,theagedSocrates,whomIshouldscarcelyscrupletodescribeasthemostuprightmanofthatday,withsomeother
