We`re told Socrates lived a extremely disciplined life. One example of this occurs at the end of the Symposium when he gets up after a night of drinking and goes to the gym. Arguably this is something most of us would find very hard to do, even without the hangover.
One might wonder how he would conduct himself today. Zenophon has captured his thoughts on gift giving, eating and drinking in his Memorabilia Book 1, 5-8.
When it came to giving presents he said;
“in our treatment of friends and strangers and in all our behavior, it is a noble principle to give according to our power”
He believed it was just to give within your ability and not pretend to be someone you're not by giving beyond your means. He also said;
“It is unprofitable to have a reputation for wealth, courage or strength when it is undeserved. Tasks beyond their powers are laid on the incompetent and no mercy is shown to them when they disappoint the expectation formed of their capability.”
This helps one appropriately manage expenses and avoid stress caused by the presence of debt after gift giving.
When it came to food and drink he believed that;
“ appetite was the best sauce”
Any food he ate was just sufficient to make eating a pleasure and he only drank when he was thirsty.
Whenever he did attend a feast he resisted the temptation to exceed the limit of satiety and advised all to avoid appetizers that encourage one to eat and drink what they did not want. Socrates would say;
“for such trash was the ruin of stomach and brain and soul”
He would conclude saying;
“ I believe it was by providing a feast of such things that Circe made swine and it was partly by the prompting of Hermes, partly through his own self-restraint and avoidance of excessive indulgence in such things, that Odysseus was not turned into a pig”
