Strauss on Xenophon's Socrates Xenophon's Socratic Discourse: An ...

STRAUSS ON XENOPHON 111
portant and controversial in carefully written books is often hidden,
and at the same time indicated, by being mentioned in the central
place, speaks explicitly of Socrates' justice only in his discussion of
Chapter II, while speaking of his alleged transcendence of justice in
the discussion of Chapter I and of his (broken) promises in the
discussion of Chapter III. Is it possible that Socrates' justice is in
some way more in need of being hidden, in <strong>Strauss</strong>'s view, than his
alleged transcendence of justice?
On Chapters Four and Five
Toward the end of his discussion of Chapter III, <strong>Strauss</strong> raises the
question of "the connection between household management in
general and farming in particular " (112). That connection is the
primary theme of Chapters IV and V; and <strong>Strauss</strong>'s discussions of
those chapters, as the titles he gives them and the many comparisons
he draws between the chapters show, must be considered together.
For example, toward the beginning of his discussion of Chapter IV,
<strong>Strauss</strong> reminds us that the art of household management, as
Socrates possesses and practices it, would exclude the art of war
(113-114; cf. 87-89). Toward the end of the discussion of Chapter V,
<strong>Strauss</strong> speaks again of war. Farming is akin to warfare-"a kinship
which induces Socrates to abstain from calling the art of farming a
peaceable art" (123)-not only for the reason <strong>Strauss</strong> indicates in the
immediate context of this observation, but also in being more dependent
on the gods or piety than the other arts are (124). Nevertheless,
the practice of farming is less dependent on the gods than the practice
of warfare: whereas "prior to warlike actions men appease the
gods and consult them by means of sacrifices and omens as to what
men should do or forbear to do," it is necessary merely to "appease
and worship the gods in regard to agricultural actions" (124, my emphasis).
These facts must be taken into account, <strong>Strauss</strong> implies,
when one weighs the implications of Socrates' willingness to praise
farming rather than the art of war and of his abstaining from the
practice of farming: Socrates resisted such reliance on the gods. (cf.
"The Spirit of Sparta or the Taste of Xenophon" 534: "In
Xenophon's view of the dignity of war as compared with the dignity
of peace and leisure and education, his judgement on piety is implied.")
By pointing to this resistance, <strong>Strauss</strong> supplies in advance an