At another time, seeing Nicomachides on his way back from the elections (of magistrates), he asked him: Who are elected generals, Nicomachides?
Cf. "Pol. Ath." i. 3; Aristot. "Ath. Pol." 44. 4; and Dr. Sandys' note ad loc. p. 165 of his edition.
And he: Is it not just like them, these citizens of Athens--just like them, I say--to go and elect, not me, who ever since my name first apepared on the muster-roll have literally worn myself out with military service--now as a captain, now as a colonel--and have received all these wounds fromthe enemy, look you! (at the same time, and suiting the action to the word, he bared his arms and proceeded to show the scars of ancient wounds)-- they elect not me (he went on), but, if you please, Antisthenes! who never served as a hoplite in his life nor in the cavalry ever made a brilliant stroke, that I ever heard tell of; no! in fact, he has got no science at all, I take it, except to amass stores of wealth.
Cf. Lys. xiv. 10.
But still (returned Socrates), surely that is one point in his favour --he ought to be able to provide the troops with supplies.
Nic. Well, for the matter of that, merchants are good hands at collecting stores; but it does not follow that a merchant or trader will be able to command an army.
But (rejoined Socrates) Antisthenes is a man of great pertinacity, who insists on winning, and that is a very necessary quality in a general. Do not you see how each time he has been choragos he has been successful with one chorus after another?
See Grote, "Plato," i. 465 foll.
Choir-master, or Director of the Chorus. It was his duty to provide and preside over a chorus to sing, dance, or play at any of the public festivals, defraying the cost as a state service of{leitourgia}. See "Pol. Ath." iii. 4; "Hiero," ix. 4; Aristot. "Pol. Ath." 28. 3.
Nic. Bless me! yes; but there is a wide difference between standing at the head of a band of singers and dancers and a troop of soldiers.
Soc. Still, without any practical skill in singing or in the training of a chorus, Antisthenes somehow had the art to select the greatest proficients in both.
Nic. Yes, and by the same reasoning we are to infer that on a campaign he will find proficients, some to marshal the troops for him and others to fight his battles?
Soc. Just so. If in matters military he only exhibits the same skill in selecting the best hands as he has shown in matters of the chorus, it is highly probable he will here also bear away the palm of victory; and wemay presume that if he expended so much to win a choric victory with a single tribe, he will be ready to expend more to secure a victory in war with the whole state to back him.
See Dem. "against Lept." 496. 26. Each tribe nominated such of its members as were qualified to undertake the burden.
Nic. Do you really mean, Socrates, that it is the function of the same man to provide efficient choruses and to act as commander-in-chief?
Soc. I mean this, that, given a man knows what he needs to provide, and has the skill to do so, no matter what the deparment of things may be-- house or city or army--you will find him a good chief and director of the same.
Or, "representative."
