第145页 / 共734页

And, again, a man is not a coward for fearing insult to his wife

or children, or envy, or any such thing; nor is he a Brave man

for being bold when going to be scourged.

What kind of fearful things then do constitute the object-matter

of the Brave man? first of all, must they not be the greatest,

since no man is more apt to withstand what is dreadful. Now the

object of the greatest dread is death, because it is the end of

all things, and the dead man is thought to be capable neither of

good nor evil. Still it would seem that the Brave man has not for

his object-matter even death in every circumstance; on the sea,

for example, or in sickness: in what circumstances then? must it

not be in the most honourable? now such is death in war, because

it is death in the greatest and most honourable danger; and this

is confirmed by the honours awarded in communities, and by

monarchs.