SOCRATES AND ALCIBIADES. 227

the larder, gave the poor housewife abundant provo-
cation. We know very little about the events of
his life, except that he served as a soldier in threé
campaigns, that he strictly obeyed the laws, per-
formed all his religious duties, and once, when act-
ing as judge, refused, at the peril of his life, to per-
form an unjust action.

Of the daily life of Socrates we have graphic
pictures, drawn by his friends and followers Xeno-
phon and Plato. From morning to night he might
be seen in the streets and public places, engaged in
endless talk,—prattling, his enemies called it. Inthe
early morning, his sturdy figure, shabbily dressed,
and his pale and ill-featured face, were familiar
visions in the public walks, the gymnasia, and the
schools. At the hour when the market-place was
most crowded, Socrates would be there, walking
about among the booths and tables, and talking to
every one whom he could induce to listen. Thus
was his whole day spent. He was ready to talk
with any one, old or young, rich or poor, being in
no sense a respecter of persons. He conversed with
artisans, philosophers, students, soldiers, politicians,
—all classes of men. He visited everywhere, was
known to all persons of distinction, and was a special
friend of Aspasia, the brilliant woman companion
of Pericles.

His conversational powers must have been ex-
traordinary, for none seemed to tire of hearing him,
and many sought him in his haunts, eager to hear
his engaging and instructive talk. Many, indeed,
in his later years, came from other cities of Greece,