[60,0] THE SIXTIETH DISCOURSE : NESSUS OR DEĎANEIRA.
(1) (Interlocuteur) Can you solve me this problem —
whether or not people are warranted in finding fault 
now with Archilochus and now with Sophocles in their 
treatment of the story of Nessus and Deďaneira ? 
For some say Archilochus makes nonsense when he 
represents Deďaneira as chanting a long story to 
Heracles while an attack upon her honour is being 
made by the Centaur, thereby reminding him of the 
love-making of Acheloüs—and of the events which 
took place on that occasion —in consequence of 
which recital Nessus would have ample time to 
accomplish his purpose ; others charge that Sophocles 
has introduced the shooting of the arrow too soon, 
while they were still crossing the river, for in those 
circumstances, they claim, Deďaneira too would have 
perished, since the dying Centaur would have dropped 
her in the river. However, do not, as you usually do, 
speak quite counter to the general belief and give 
any version rather titan what a man would naturally believe.
(2) (Dion) Then do you bid me tell you those things 
which a man would believe who believes correctly, or 
what a man would believe even though not correctly ?
(Interlocuteur) I prefer what one would believe who believes 
correctly.
(Dion) Then what about beliefs which the masses 
hold ? Must he who desires to interpret correctly 
speak counter to the belief of the masses ?
(Interlocuteur) He must.
(Dion) Then do not be irritated as you follow the 
argument, if what is said is of that nature, but 
rather consider whether it is not suitably expressed.
(Interlocuteur) Very well, speak and proceed with your 
exposition as seems good to you.
(Dion) Very good ; I tell you that the whole misconception 
connected with the myth is the matter 
of the Centaur's attempt to violate Deďaneira.
(Interlocuteur) What, did he not attempt it ?
(3) (Dion) No. Or does it seem to you plausible that in 
full view of Heracles, who was carrying his bow, and 
alter having previously had experience of Heracles 
valour — the time when he alone of the Centaurs 
escaped from the cave of Pholus, though they had 
done no such injury as that to Heracles —Nessus 
should attempt to violate the hero's wife ?
(Interlocuteur) Yes, there is a certain difficulty in a matter of 
that sort ; however, if we raise this question, perhaps 
we may destroy the myth altogether.
(Dion) By no means, provided we consider first how 
the affair occurred, and how it was likely to have occurred.
Inf. Very good ; I wish you would tell me.
(4) (Dion) Nessus attempted to corrupt Deďaneira the
moment he began to carry her across the stream, as 
well as in the crossing, as I shall explain—not through 
violence, as men say, but by speaking to her words 
suited to his purpose and showing how she might 
obtain mastery over Heracles, saying : " Now he is 
fierce and stern and will stay with you only a short 
while, and that too in fretful temper, because of his 
labours and his expeditions abroad and the life he has 
chosen. But if," said he, "you win him over, partly 
by solicitude for his welfare and partly by argument, 
urging him to give up this life of hardship and his 
labours and to live a life of ease and pleasure, he will 
not only be far kinder toward you, but will also live 
a better life and remain at home and keep you company 
from then on."

[60,5] Now the Centaur went into these details with 
designs on Heracles, in the hope that he might somehow 
turn him in the direction of indulgence and 
indolence, for he knew that as soon as he changed his 
mode of living and his occupation he would be- easy 
to manage and weak. But Deďaneira, as she heard 
him, paid no casual attention to his words, but rather 
considered that the Centaur was correct in what he 
said, as indeed might have been expected, since she 
wished to have her husband under her control. 
Heracles, on the other hand, suspecting that the 
Centaur was saying nothing honourable, judging 
from the earnestness with which he was talking to 
Deďaneira, and because she gave him her attention, 
therefore shot him with his bow. But, though dying, 
nevertheless the Centaur bade Deďaneira to remember 
what he had said and to act as he had advised.
Later on, when Deďaneira recalled the words of the 
Centaur, and when also Heracles did not relax at all 
but made an even lengthier journey away from home 
—his final journey, during which he captured Oechalia 
—and when in fact he was reported to have become 
enamoured of Iolę, thinking it better that what the 
Centaur had advised should be accomplished, she set 
to work upon Heracles and—such is the nature of 
female wile and cunning—she did not desist until, 
partly by coaxing and saying that she was anxious 
about him, lest he come to grief by persisting winter 
and summer alike in going unclothed, wearing only 
his lion's skin, she at last persuaded him to doff the 
skin and put on dress like that of other men. And 
this, of course, was what is called the shirt of Deďaneira, 
which Heracles put on.
(8) But along with his dress, she made him change his 
mode of living in general, now sleeping on bedding 
and not camping in the open for the most part, as 
was his former custom, nor labouring with his own 
hands, nor using the saure food as formerly, but rather 
eating grain most carefully prepared and fish and 
sweet wine and in fact whatever goes with these 
things. But as an outcome of this change, as was 
inevitable methinks, falling into weakness and flabbiness 
of body, and thinking that, having once adopted 
self-indulgence, it was no longer easy to lay it aside, 
he therefore set himself on fire, not only because he 
believed it better to be freed from such a life as that,
but also because he was distressed that he had 
allowed himself to take up a life of luxury.
So there you have my reasoning, such as I have 
been able to express it, regarding the myth.
(Interlocuteur)  And, by Heaven, it seems to me not at all a 
bad one or unconvincing either. And somehow or 
other I have the feeling that the method of some 
philosophers in dealing with their arguments resembles 
in a way that of the makers of figurines. 
For those craftsmen produce a mould, and whatever 
clay they put into this they render like to the mould 
in form ; and some of the philosophers ere now have 
proved like that, with the result that, whatever myth 
or story they take in hand, by tearing it to pieces and 
moulding it to suit their fancy they render it beneficial 
and suited to philosophy, the sort of philosopher in fact 
that Socrates in particular proved to be, as we are told. 

[60,10] For Socrates indeed entered the lists in all 
kinds of arguments and all sorts of lectures—against 
orators, sophists, geometricians, musicians, athletic 
trainers, and all the other craftsmen—and, whether 
in palaestra or symposium or market-place, he was 
not prevented in any way at all from plying his 
calling as philosopher or from impelling toward virtue 
those who were with him, not by introducing any 
topic of his own or any preconceived problem, but 
rather by consistently employing the topic at hand 
and applying it to philosophy.