Chapter 17 Volume Two, Chapter Ten

Socrates exhorts the rich man Theodorus to help his friend Hermogenes in extreme poverty.If a man knows how to save the life of a servant, he should try to save a friend, for a friend will always repay his kindness well. I know that he had the following conversation with one of his servants, Diodorus. "Tell me, Diodorus," Socrates asked, "if one of your house servants runs away, will you take steps to get him back?" "Of course," he replied, "I'll ask someone to help me, and there's a reward for getting him back." "If one of your servants is sick," continued Socrates, "would you not take care of him and send a doctor to treat him so that he does not die?"

"Of course", he replied. "If a friend of yours, who is more useful to you than your servant, is dying of want, don't you think it's not worth taking steps to save his life? You know Hermogenes was a very honest man. A man would think it very disgraceful if he received favors from you and did not reciprocate them in gratitude. In fact, to have such a willing, kindly, faithful helper as he is capable of doing not only what you bid him things, and can take the initiative to serve you without waiting for orders, giving ideas and making plans. I think his value is equivalent to that of many servants. A really good steward said that when the market price of valuable things is the cheapest, buy them. There is never a better time to advance; as things stand, now is the best time to get good friends at the lowest price."

"You speak well, Socrates," said Diodorus, "call Hermogenes to come to me!" "I would never do that," replied Socrates. "It seems to me that it would be at least as honorable to you to invite him to you as to go to him yourself, because it would be to his The good is no greater than the good for you."Thereupon Diodorus arose and went to Hermogenes, thus gaining, at little cost, a friend who, in everything he said and did, had Diodorus's interest in mind and his To his favor.