protagoras-第2章

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and　of　your　friends　in　carrying　out　at　any　price　this　determination；



although；　as　you　admit；　you　do　not　know　him；　and　have　never　spoken



with　him：　and　you　call　him　a　Sophist；　but　are　manifestly　ignorant　of



what　a　Sophist　is；　and　yet　you　are　going　to　commit　yourself　to　his



keeping。



　　When　he　heard　me　say　this；　he　replied：　No　other　inference；　Socrates；



can　be　drawn　from　your　words。



　　I　proceeded：　Is　not　a　Sophist；　Hippocrates；　one　who　deals



wholesale　or　retail　in　the　food　of　the　soul？　To　me　that　appears　to



be　his　nature。



　　And　what；　Socrates；　is　the　food　of　the　soul？



　　Surely；　I　said；　knowledge　is　the　food　of　the　soul；　and　we　must



take　care；　my　friend；　that　the　Sophist　does　not　deceive　us　when　he



praises　what　he　sells；　like　the　dealers　wholesale　or　retail　who　sell



the　food　of　the　body；　for　they　praise　indiscriminately　all　their



goods；　without　knowing　what　are　really　beneficial　or　hurtful：



neither　do　their　customers　know；　with　the　exception　of　any　trainer



or　physician　who　may　happen　to　buy　of　them。　In　like　manner　those　who



carry　about　the　wares　of　knowledge；　and　make　the　round　of　the



cities；　and　sell　or　retail　them　to　any　customer　who　is　in　want　of



them；　praise　them　all　alike；　though　I　should　not　wonder；　O　my



friend；　if　many　of　them　were　really　ignorant　of　their　effect　upon



the　soul；　and　their　customers　equally　ignorant；　unless　he　who　buys



of　them　happens　to　be　a　physician　of　the　soul。　If；　therefore；　you　have



understanding　of　what　is　good　and　evil；　you　may　safely　buy　knowledge



of　Protagoras　or　of　any　one；　but　if　not；　then；　O　my　friend；　pause；　and



do　not　hazard　your　dearest　interests　at　a　game　of　chance。　For　there　is



far　greater　peril　in　buying　knowledge　than　in　buying　meat　and　drink：



the　one　you　purchase　of　the　wholesale　or　retail　dealer；　and　carry　them



away　in　other　vessels；　and　before　you　receive　them　into　the　body　as



food；　you　may　deposit　them　at　home　and　call　in　any　experienced



friend　who　knows　what　is　good　to　be　eaten　or　drunken；　and　what　not；



and　how　much；　and　when；　and　then　the　danger　of　purchasing　them　is



not　so　great。　But　you　cannot　buy　the　wares　of　knowledge　and　carry　them



away　in　another　vessel；　when　you　have　paid　for　them　you　must　receive



them　into　the　soul　and　go　your　way；　either　greatly　harmed　or　greatly



benefited；　and　therefore　we　should　deliberate　and　take　counsel　with



our　elders；　for　we　are　still　young…too　young　to　determine　such　a



matter。　And　now　let　us　go；　as　we　were　intending；　and　hear



Protagoras；　and　when　we　have　heard　what　he　has　to　say；　we　may　take



counsel　of　others；　for　not　only　is　Protagoras　at　the　house　of　Callias；



but　there　is　Hippias　of　Elis；　and；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　Prodicus　of



Ceos；　and　several　other　wise　men。



　　To　this　we　agreed；　and　proceeded　on　our　way　until　we　reached　the



vestibule　of　the　house；　and　there　we　stopped　in　order　to　conclude　a



discussion　which　had　arisen　between　us　as　we　were　going　along；　and



we　stood　talking　in　the　vestibule　until　we　had　finished　and　come　to　an



understanding。　And　I　think　that　the　doorkeeper；　who　was　a　eunuch；



and　who　was　probably　annoyed　at　the　great　inroad　of　the　Sophists；　must



have　heard　us　talking。　At　any　rate；　when　we　knocked　at　the　door；　and



he　opened　and　saw　us；　he　grumbled：　They　are　Sophists　…he　is　not　at



home；　and　instantly　gave　the　door　a　hearty　bang　with　both　his　hands。



Again　we　knocked；　and　he　answered　without　opening：　Did　you　not　hear　me



say　that　he　is　not　at　home；　fellows？　But；　my　friend；　I　said；　you



need　not　be　alarmed；　for　we　are　not　Sophists；　and　we　are　not　come　to



see　Callias；　but　we　want　to　see　Protagoras；　and　I　must　request　you



to　announce　us。　At　last；　after　a　good　deal　of　difficulty；　the　man



was　persuaded　to　open　the　door。



　　When　we　entered；　we　found　Protagoras　taking　a　walk　in　the



cloister；　and　next　to　him；　on　one　side；　were　walking　Callias；　the



son　of　Hipponicus；　and　Paralus；　the　son　of　Pericles；　who；　by　the



mother's　side；　is　his　half…brother；　and　Charmides；　the　son　of　Glaucon。



On　the　other　side　of　him　were　Xanthippus；　the　other　son　of　Pericles；



Philippides；　the　son　of　Philomelus；　also　Antimoerus　of　Mende；　who　of



all　the　disciples　of　Protagoras　is　the　most　famous；　and　intends　to



make　sophistry　his　profession。　A　train　of　listeners　followed　him；



the　greater　part　of　them　appeared　to　be　foreigners；　whom　Protagoras



had　brought　with　him　out　of　the　various　cities　visited　by　him　in　his



journeys；　he；　like　Orpheus；　attracting　them　his　voice；　and　they



following。　I　should　mention　also　that　there　were　some　Athenians　in　the



company。　Nothing　delighted　me　more　than　the　precision　of　their



movements：　they　never　got　into　his　way　at　all；　but　when　he　and　those



who　were　with　him　turned　back；　then　the　band　of　listeners　parted



regularly　on　either　side；　he　was　always　in　front；　and　they　wheeled



round　and　took　their　places　behind　him　in　perfect　order。



　　After　him；　as　Homer　says；　〃I　lifted　up　my　eyes　and　saw〃　Hippias



the　Elean　sitting　in　the　opposite　cloister　on　a　chair　of　state；　and



around　him　were　seated　on　benches　Eryximachus；　the　son　of　Acumenus；



and　Phaedrus　the　Myrrhinusian；　and　Andron　the　son　of　Androtion；　and



there　were　strangers　whom　he　had　brought　with　him　from　his　native　city



of　Elis；　and　some　others：　they　were　putting　to　Hippias　certain



physical　and　astronomical　questions；　and　he；　ex　cathedra；　was



determining　their　several　questions　to　them；　and　discoursing　of　them。



　　Also；　〃my　eyes　beheld　Tantalus〃；　for　Prodicus　the　Cean　was　at



Athens：　he　had　been　lodged　in　a　room　which；　in　the　days　of　Hipponicus；



was　a　storehouse；　but；　as　the　house　was　full；　Callias　had　cleared　this



out　and　made　the　room　into　a　guest…chamber。　Now　Prodicus　was　still



in　bed；　wrapped　up　in　sheepskins　and　bed…clothes；　of　which　there



seemed　to　be　a　great　heap；　and　there　was　sitting　by　him　on　the　couches



near；　Pausanias　of　the　deme　of　Cerameis；　and　with　Pausanias　was　a



youth　quite　young；　who　is　certainly　remarkable　for　his　good　looks；



and；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　is　also　of　a　fair　and　gentle　nature。　I



thought　that　I　heard　him　called　Agathon；　and　my　suspicion　is　that　he



is　the　beloved　of　Pausanias。　There　was　this　youth；　and　also　there　were



the　two　Adeimantuses；　one　the　son　of　Cepis；　and　the　other　of



Leucolophides；　and　some　others。　I　was　very　anxious　to　hear　what



Prodicus　was　saying；　for　he　seems　to　me　to　be　an　all…wise　and　inspired



man；　but　I　was　not　able　to　get　into　the　inner　circle；　and　his　fine



deep　voice　made　an　echo　in　the　room　which　rendered　his　words



inaudible。



　　No　sooner　had　we　entered　than　there　followed　us　Alcibiades　the



beautiful；　as　you　say；　and　I　believe　you；　and　also　Critias　the　son



of　Callaeschrus。



　　On　entering　we　stopped　a　little；　in　order　to　look　about　us；　and　then



walked　up　to　Protagoras；　and　I　said：　Protagoras；　my　friend　Hippocrates



and　I　have　come　to　see　you。



　　Do　you　wish；　he　said；　to　speak　with　me　alone；　or　in　the　presence



of　the　company？



　　Whichever　you　please；　I　said；　you　shall　determine　when　you　have



heard　the　purpose　of　our　visit。



　　And　what　is　your　purpose？　he　said。



　　I　must　explain；　I　said；　that　my　friend　Hippocrates　is　a　native



Athenian；　he　is　the　son　of　Apollodorus；　and　of　a　great　and



prosperous　house；　and　he　is　himself　in　natural　ability　quite　a　match



for　anybody　of　his　own　age。　I　believe　that　he　aspires　to　political



eminence；　and　this　he　thinks　that　conversation　with　you　is　most　likely



to　procure　for　him。　And　now　you　can　determine　whether　you　would　wish



to　speak　to　him　of　your　teaching　alone　or　in　the　presence　of　the



company。



　　Thank　you；　Socrates；　for　your　consideration　of　me。　For　certainly　a



stranger　finding　his　way　into　great　cities；　and　persuading　the



flower　of　the　youth　in　them　to　leave　company　of　their　kinsmen　or　any



other　acquaintances；　old　or　young；　and　live　with　him；　under　the　idea



that　they　will　be　improved　by　his　conversation；　ought　to　be　very



cautious；　great　jealousies　are　aroused　by　his　proceedings；　and　he　is



the　subject　of　many　enmities　and　conspiracies。　Now　the　art　of　the



Sophist　is；　as　I　believe；　of　great　antiquity；　but　in　ancient　times



those　who　practised　it；　fearing　this　odium；　veiled　and　disguised



themselves　under　various　names；　some　under　that　of　poets；　as　Homer；



Hesiod；　and　Simonides；　some；　of　hierophants　and　prophets；　as　Orpheus



and　Musaeus；　and　some；　as　I　observe；　even　under　the　name　of



gymnastic…masters；　like　Iccus　of　Tarentum；　or　the　more　recently



celebrated　Herodicus；　now　of　Selymbria　and　formerly　of　Megara；　who



is　a　first…rate　Sophist。　Your　own　Agathocles　pretended　to　be　a



musician；　but　was　really　an　eminent　Sophist；　also　Pythocleides　the



Cean；　and　there　were　many　others；　and　all　of　them；　as　I　was　saying；



adopted　these　arts　as　veils　or　disguises　because　they　were　afraid　of



the　odium　which　they　would　incur。　But　that　is　not　my　way；　for　I　do　not



believe　that　they　effected　their　purpose；　which　was　to　deceive　the



government；　who　were　not　blinded　by　them；　and　as　to　the　people；　they



have　no　understanding；　and　only　repeat　what　their　rulers　are　pleased



to　tell　them。　Now　to　run　away；　and　to　be　caught　in　running　away；　is



the　very　height　of　folly；　and　also　greatly　increases　the



exasperation　of　mankind；　for　they　regard　him　who　runs　away　as　a　rogue；



in　addition　to　any　other　objections　which　they　have　to　him；　and



therefore　I　take　an　entirely　opposite　course；　and　acknowledge　myself



to　be　a　Sophist　and　instructor　of　mankind；　such　an　open



acknowledgement　appears　to　me　to　be　a　better　sort　of　caution　than



concealment。　Nor　do　I　neglect　other　precautions；　and　therefore　I　hope；



as　I　may　say；　by　the　favour　of　heaven　that　no　harm　will　come　of　the



acknowledgment　that　I　am　a　Sophist。　And　I　have　been　now　many　years



in　the　profession…for　all　my　years　when　added　up　are　many：　there　is　no



one　here　present　of　whom　I　might　not　be　the　father。　Wherefore　I　should



much　prefer　conversing　with　you；　if　you　want　to　speak　with　me；　in



the　presence　of　the　company。



　　As　I　suspected　that　he　would　like　to　have　a　little　display　and



glorification　in　the　presence　of　Prodicus　and　Hippias；　and　would



gladly　show　us　to　them　in　the　light　of　his　admirers；　I　said：　But　why



should　we　not　summon　Prodicus　and　Hippias　and　their　friends　to　hear



us？



　　Very　good；　he　said。



　　Suppose；　said　Callias；　that　we　hold　a　council　in　which　you　may　sit



and　discuss。…This　was　agreed　upon；　and　great　delight　was　felt　at　the



prospect　of　hearing　wise　men　talk；　we　ourselves　took　the　chairs　and



benches；　and　arranged　them　by　Hippias；　where　the　other　benches　had



been　already　placed。　Meanwhile　Callias　and　Alcibiades　got　Prodicus　out



of　bed　and　brought　in　him　and　his　companions。



　　When　we　were　all　seated；　Protagoras　said：　Now　t