[57,0] THE FIFTY-SEVENTH DISCOURSE : NESTOR.
(1) Why in the world do you suppose Homer caused 
Nestor to speak the following verses to Agamemnon 
and Achilles when he was trying to pacify them and 
teach them not to quarrel with one another ?
"For once in bygone days I dealt with men 
Still braver than ye are, yet they did ne'er 
Make light of me. Such men I had not seen, 
Nor ever shall, as were Peirithoüs
And Dryas, shepherd of the soldiery,
And Caeneus and Exadius, Polypheme 
Divine and Theseus son of Aegeus, like
The deathless gods. Aye, they were reared most strong
Of earthly men ; most strong were they and with 
The strongest strove, wild creatures of the hills, 
And slew them ruthlessly. They understood 
My counsels and they hearkened to my word. 
And so should ye, since hearkening is best."
(2) Can it be that Homer has made a braggart of Nestor 
when he says of Peirithoüs and Dryas and the others 
that, though they were not only marvellous by nature, 
but also far superior to Agamemnon and Achilles, still
they wanted his opinion too, gong on to say that he 
had come from Pylus to Thessaly by invitation, since 
they wanted to enjoy his company and to converse 
with him ? For why, after having said that they 
were the strongest of men, does Nestor seem to offer 
as a weighty testimonial in their favour, that they 
understood his mind and hearkened to his words ? 
Or do we say his purpose was virtually this—that 
no man of understanding ever disobeys those whose 
words are right ; nay, disobedience is tantamount to 
lack of understanding ? 
(3) Come then, let us examine also the other aspects 
of the case, to see if Nestor has spoken rightly or 
as a braggart. Certainly foolish persons universally 
scorn men of no reputation and pay no heed to them, 
even though they may chance to be giving most 
excellent advice ; but, on the other hand, when they 
see men being honoured by the multitude or by 
persons of greatest power, they do not disdain to be 
guided by them. This is one count, therefore, on 
which Nestor commends himself, namely, that in days 
gone by he has been able to persuade many men of 
influence, and that Agamemnon and Achilles will 
refuse to obey, if they do refuse, because of their own 
folly and lack of perception, and not because Nestor 
is incompetent to give advice about things of highest 
importance. Accordingly, just as Nestor would not 
have hesitated to disparage himself, if by disparaging 
and saying that no one ever deigned to consult him 
about anything he were likely to move Agamemnon
and Achilles to obey his words, so, if he thought his 
self-praise would move them to this, it was reasonable 
for him to resort to praise. Or is it not the mark of a 
foolish person to be ashamed to praise himself when 
by praise he is likely to confer the greatest benefits ; 
just as it is also, I fancy, to do the opposite—put on 
airs and talk about oneself a great deal, in case some 
risk or loss should be involved ? 

[57,5] Therefore, just as when a physician who wants a patient 
to submit to surgery or cautery or to the drinking of some 
unpleasant drug, knowing the patient to be cowardly 
and foolish, mentions others who have been saved 
by him because they willingly submitted to his 
treatment, no one says the man who makes these 
statements is bragging, so it seems to me that 
Nestor could not justly be accused of bragging either.
(6) This, then, was one benefit resulting from his 
words. And here is another—Nestor knew that 
both Agamemnon and Achilles were misbehaving for 
no other reason than because of insolence ; and he 
believed that men are insolent most of all, one might 
say, when they despise the others and deem them 
far inferior to themselves, being puffed up through 
reputation or power, and he perceived that this was 
why Achilles and Agamemnon were puffed up and 
wrangling, each of them because of arrogance. For 
the one, as he saw, being a son of Peleus and Thetis 
and pre-eminent among the men of his day in fighting, 
believed that it befitted his dignity not to listen to 
anyone at all or to regard anyone as superior to himself ; 
(7) but in Agamemnon's case the cause of his 
arrogance was the power attached to his kingship and 
his being sole ruler of all the Greeks. Seeing, therefore, 
that they had been spoiled by these things and 
could not live at peace with one another, but that they 
were swollen in spirit—as later Achilles declares,
"My heart with wrath doth swell"
Nestor wished to humble them and, if possible, 
reduce their pride, just as persons reduce swellings 
by pricking or squeezing. This explains why he 
mentioned men of fame and power, and besides, I 
fancy, men of former times, knowing as he did that 
fame attaches rather to such men. (8) Moreover, he did 
not leave to his hearers to determine what opinion 
they should hold about the men, but instead he 
himself expressly declares that they were far superior 
to Agamemnon and Achilles, in the hope that they 
might abate somewhat their folly and madness.
Do you think, I ask you, that Homer put these 
words into Nestor's mouth at random, the Nestor 
whom he declares to be most eloquent of men and 
whose power of eloquence he likens to the sweetness 
of honey, which is most pleasant and sweetest of all 
to those who are well, though to those who are ill and 
suffering from fever, so I hear, it is most unpleasant 
and has the natural power of cleansing and causing 
to smart parts which are festered and diseased ? 
(9) For instance, the speech of Nestor, though it appeared 
sweet to the others, seemed bitter to Achilles and 
Agamemnon, diseased as they were and corrupted 
by their rage, and as a result they did not obey him
because of their folly. Therefore Homer did not say 
this at random either or, as some imagine, by chance.

[57,10] Well then, let us say no more on these topics. 
However, there is one matter which calls for consideration 
in the light of what has been said. Suppose 
that some one in addressing ordinary men tells 
them that on a previous occasion, having addressed 
others who were far superior—popular assemblies or 
kings or tyrants—he did not fail of his purpose with 
them but secured their attention and compliance, is 
it just that such a man should be thought a braggart, 
on the assomption that he had mentioned those 
words of his for the purpose of being admired and 
deemed a genius, or was it rather for the purpose of 
having the compliance of his hearers, imitating the 
teaching of Nestor ? (11) For indeed it is odd if, while 
Socrates was accustomed to walk but a short distance 
and then report to those in the Academy the words he 
had spoken in the Lyceum and, vice versa, had no reluctance 
to go to the Lyceum and use the words he 
had spoken in the Academy, and while it has now 
been so long a time since they  began to bring out 
the same tragedies and comedies year after year,
we, on the other hand, shall be thought to be acting 
strangely in case, when you wish to listen to speeches, 
we now report the words we have spoken in the 
presence of the Emperor, as if it were a matter of no 
consequence to know whether those words are beneficial 
and serviceable, both for you and for the rest 
of mankind as well, or trivial and useless. 
(12) For rest assured that, while words addressed to private persons 
pertain to those men themselves and to few others, 
words addressed to kings are like public prayers or 
imprecations. For that reason I believe the Persian 
king was especially unwise in being accustomed to 
dispatch in all directions ordinary persons, King's 
Ears as they were called, and to entrust them with 
the responsibility of listening to everything, it being 
necessary to protect the real ears of the king much 
more carefully than the golden plane-tree, to prevent 
their hearing anything disagreeable and harmful.