It was the sort of day that modern students of Ancient Greece would imagine as they compared it to their twenty first century environment. The sun was shining brightly, the air was warm and perfumed by the proliferation of wild flowers growing all about. Insects buzzed and darted amongst the plant life.
‘Ancient Greece must have been like this’, they would think, ‘otherwise how would people have survived with no central heating and modern clothing’.
In fact, Ancient Greece could be a very inhospitable place climate-wise. However, today it wasn’t like that and a pleasant, warm calm surrounded everyone lucky enough to have been alive at this time.
In one corner of the square, slightly out of the way but close enough to be seen, sat Socrates. A soft smile played around the corners of his mouth as he gazed towards the heavens and contemplated some philosophical gem or other. To every observer, it was just Socrates…thinking again. He did a lot of thinking, did Socrates. Became quite well known for it. Although the noises of the merchants and general public in the square were all within earshot, Socrates remained oblivious as he continued to smile, skywards.
Opposite, sitting at the table of a pavement café, two men were watching him.
“It’s alright for some,” said Heracles, sipping his wine “look at him. Not a care in the world.”
Heracles’s drinking companion, a cobbler named Ximenes, followed his gaze to where Socrates was sitting. He picked up his goblet of wine and took a drink before speaking.
“I think you’re right, but you shouldn’t be too harsh on him. Don’t forget he has a great deal to think about. There’s his school to run as well as his own reputation to maintain. Educating that bunch can’t be easy.”
The two Greeks nodded in agreement and reverted to watching with amusement as Socrates continued to philosophise.
To their surprise, Socrates suddenly rose from the place he was sitting and began to cross the square towards them. He’d covered about half the distance when a young man, obviously one of his students, rushed towards him.
“Socrates! Socrates!” he called breathlessly as he approached. “Socrates, have you heard….”
Socrates, with a smile still playing around his lips, held up his hand to quieten his excited visitor.
“My boy,” he began “it is obvious to me that you have something to tell me. Something that has excited you beyond all reason but, I beg you, calm down. Before you tell me this thing I want you to pass a test.”
“A test?” enquired the young man “what sort of test?”
Heracles and Ximenes both put down their cups and leant forward to listen. Convinced they were about to witness something remarkable.
“I’m glad you asked me that”, replied Socrates “it is a test in three parts, it is a sort of filter I have called the Triple Filter test.”
“Triple Filter...?” said his charge in wonderment.
“Yes,” said Socrates, “the first part of the test is a test of usefulness. Now tell me, this thing you are so anxious to impart to me. Will I find it useful?”
“Well no,” responded the young man, “it’s just that I’ve just heard…..”
Socrates once more raised his hand to stop him.
“So,” he continued, “ what you wish to tell me is not useful to me. Never mind, we will proceed with the second test, the test of truth. Now tell me, do you know this thing to be true?”
The young man hesitated, “well… no… as I say I just heard…”
“Aahh,” went on Socrates with a smile. “This thing that you are so excited about is of no use to me and cannot be said to be true. Never mind, we will proceed with the final test, the test of goodness. Is what you are about to impart to me good?”
“On the contrary,” said the student, “it’s just that I’ve heard about Pl…”
Another raised hand quietened the young man who would never venture to speak over his master.
“Right,” said Socrates happy at last to be able to make his point. “You wish to tell me something that has excited you so much and yet it is of no use to me. It can’t be said to be true and it isn’t a good thing. Why bother to tell me at all?”
The young man walked away scratching his head and looking puzzled.
Heracles and Ximenes had watched all of this with interest. Taking another sip of wine Heracles turned to Ximenes.
“Did you hear that? The man is a genius, I only wish I knew what it meant.”
Ximenes nodded slowly in agreement, reached up his arm and waved the boy over to them. When the lad arrived he said,
“you must be so in awe of your master. Did you ever think that you would be taught by a genius?”
The lad smiled.
“Oh, he’s a genius alright, but he’s never going to know that Plato is having an affair with his wife!”
SPIRITUAL JUSTICE