Phaedrus — Plato

p. 8truth of this, and to them I appeal. Speak then, you who have heard me, and tell your neighbors whether any of you have ever known me hold forth in few words or in many upon matters of this sort. . . You hear their answer. And from what they say of this you will be able to judge of the truth of the rest. As little foundation is there for the report that I am a teacher, and take money ; that is no more true than the other.

Although, if a man is able to teach, I honor him for being paid. There is Gorgias of Leontium, and Prodicus of Ceos, and Hippias of Elis,' who go the round of the cities, and are able to persuade the young men to leave their own citizens, by whom they might be taught for nothing, and come to them whom they not only pay, but are thankful if they ^^ may be allowed to pay them.

There is actually a Parian philosopher * residing in Athens, of whom I have heard ; and I came to hear of him in this wav : I met a man who has spent a world of money on the Sophists, Callias* the son of Hipponicus, and knowing that he had sons, I asked him : "Callias,** I said, **if your two sons were foals or calves, there would be no difficulty in finding some one to put over them ; we should hire a trainer of horses, or a former probably, who would improve and perfect them in their own proper virtue and excellence ; but as they are human beings, whom are you thinking of placing over them ?

Is there any one who understands human and political virtue ? You must have thought about this as you have sons ; is there any one? " " There is,'* he said. *' Who is he ? " said I, " and of what country ? and what does he charge ? * * * * Evenus the Parian, * * he replied ; '* he is the man, and his charge is five minae." ^ Happy is Evenus, I said to myself, if he really has this wis-

' Of these three Sophists, the most famous was Gorgias (g6r^r-as), a native of Leontini in Sicily. One of Plato's dialogues bears his name. He was a great rhetorician and the founder of a school of oratory. He was very popular and received large fees, Prodicus (prodT-kus). Hippias (hfp'pi-as).

See Protagoras, note i. • Evenus (e-ve'nus) of Paros (pfi'ros, an island in the -/Egean): mentioned in the Phaedo as a poet, and in the Phaedrus as the inventor of certain rhetorical devices. • Callias Qdinf-as) : an Athenian of noble and wealthy family, and a great admirer of the Sophists. His house is the scene of Plato's Protagoras. »"> Mina (mi'na) ; pL Mince (mi'n?) or Minas : a sum of money varying in value ; in Athens, about $i6 or $i8.

p. 9dom, and teaches at such a modest charge.*^ Had I the same, I should have been very proud and conceited ; but the truth is that I have no knowledge of the kind, O Athenians. I dare say that some one will ask the question, ** Why is this, Socrates, and what is the origin of these accusations of you: for there must have been something strange which you have been doing ?

All this great fame and talk about you would never have arisen if you had been like other men : tell us, then, why this is, as we should be sorry to judge hastily of you.'* Now I regard this as a fair challenge, and I will endeavor to explain to you the origin of this name of ** wise," and of this evil fame. Please to attend, then. And although some of you may think that I am joking, I declare that I will tell you the entire truth.

Men of Athens, this reputation of mine has come of a certain sort of wisdom which I possess. If you ask me wftat kind of wisdom, I reply, such wisdom as is attainable by man, for to that extent I am inclined to believe that I am wise; whereas the persons of whom I was speaking have a supferhuman wisdom, which I may fail / to describe, because I have it not myself; and he who says that I have, speaks falsely, and is taking away my character.

And here, O men of Athens, I must beg you not to interrupt me, even if I seem to say something extravagant. For the word which I will speak is not mine.

I will refer you to a witness who is worthy of credit, and will tell you about my wisdom — whether I have any, and of what sort — and that witness shall be the God of Delphi. ^^ You must have known Chaerephon ; ^3 he was early a friend of mine, and also a friend of yours, for he shared in the exile of the people," and returned with you.

Well, Chgerephon, as you know, was very impetuous in all his doings, and he went to Delphi and " The Sophists Gorgias and Protagoras are said to have received as much as one hundred minae. »' Delphi (d^l'fi), a small city in central Greece, was the seat of one of the most famous oracles.

Here Apollo, one of the greatest and most beneficent of the Greek gods, was supposed to inspire his prophetess and through her reveal his will to those who came to consult him. This priestess of Apollo was sometimes called the Pythian prophetess because the ancient name of Delphi was Pytho (py'tho).

" Chaerepnon (kSr'e-fon) : an enthusiastic admirer of Socrates. >« The Peloponnesian War (431-404 b.c), was a conflict between Athens and Sparta in which Athens was defeated. Sparta placed Athens under the control of a Council of Thirty. Under these tyrants Athens suffered many cruelties, one of them being the exile of many of her citizens.