first, I must define the nature and power of education, and by this road we will travel on to the God Dionysus.  The man who is to be good at anything must have early training; —­the future builder must play at building, and the husbandman at digging; the soldier must learn to ride, and the carpenter to measure and use the rule,—­all the thoughts and pleasures of children should bear on their after-profession.—­Do you agree with me?  ‘Certainly.’  And we must remember further that we are speaking of the education, not of a trainer, or of the captain of a ship, but of a perfect citizen who knows how to rule and how to obey; and such an education aims at virtue, and not at wealth or strength or mere cleverness.  To the good man, education is of all things the most precious, and is also in constant need of renovation.  ‘We agree.’  And we have before agreed that good men are those who are able to control themselves, and bad men are those who are not.  Let me offer you an illustration which will assist our argument.  Man is one; but in one and the same man are two foolish counsellors who contend within him—­pleasure and pain, and of either he has expectations which we call hope and fear; and he is able to reason about good and evil, and reason, when affirmed by the state, becomes law.  ‘We cannot follow you.’  Let me put the matter in another way:  Every creature is a puppet of the Gods—­whether he is a mere plaything or has any serious use we do not know; but this we do know, that he is drawn different ways by cords and strings.  There is a soft golden cord which draws him towards virtue—­this is the law of the state; and there are other cords made of iron and hard materials drawing him other ways.  The golden reasoning influence has nothing of the nature of force, and therefore requires ministers in order to vanquish the other principles.  This explains the doctrine that cities and citizens both conquer and are conquered by themselves.  The individual follows reason, and the city law, which is embodied reason, either derived from the Gods or from the legislator.  When virtue and vice are thus distinguished, education will be better understood, and in particular the relation of education to convivial intercourse.  And now let us set wine before the puppet.  You admit that wine stimulates the passions?  ‘Yes.’  And does wine equally stimulate the reasoning faculties?  ’No; it brings the soul back to a state of childhood.’  In such a state a man has the least control over himself, and is, therefore, worst.  ‘Very true.’  Then how can we believe that drinking should be encouraged?  ’You seem to think that it ought to be.’  And I am ready to maintain my position.  ’We should like to hear you prove that a man ought to make a beast of himself.’  You are speaking of the degradation of the soul:  but how about the body?  Would any man willingly degrade or weaken that?  ‘Certainly not.’  And yet if he goes to a doctor or a gymnastic master, does he not make himself ill in the hope of getting