Phaedrus — Plato

p. 68Soc. What of his beard ? Are you not of Homer's opinion, who says that — *' Youth is most charming when the heard first appears ? " And that is now the charm of Alcibiades. Com. Well, and how do matters proceed ? Have you been visiting him, and was he gracious to you ? Soc, Yes, I thought that he was very gracious ; and especially to-day, for I have just come from him, and he has been helping me in an argument.

But shall I tell you a strange thing ? Although he was present, I never attended to him, and several times he quite passed out of my mind. Com. What is the meaning of this? Has anything happened between you and him ? For surely you cannot have discovered a fairer love^ than he is; certainly not in this city of Athens. Soc. Yes, much fairer. Com. What do you mean — a citizen or a foreigner ? Soc. A foreigner. Com. Of what country ? Soc. Of Abdera.

Com. And is this stranger really in your opinion fairer than the son of Cleinias ? ^ Soc. And is not the wiser always the fairer, sweet friend ? Com. But have you really met, Socrates, with some wise one? Soc. Yes ; I would say rather, with the wisest of all living men, if you are willing to accord that title to Protagoras. Com. What ! Do you mean to say that Protagoras is in Athens ? Soc. Yes ; he has been here two days. Com.

And do you just come from an interview with him ? Soc. Yes ; and I have heard and said many things. Com. Then, if you have no engagement, suppose that you sit down and tell me what passed, and my attendant shall give up his place to you. Soc. To be sure ; and I shall be grateful to you for listening. Com. Thank you, too, for telling us. « See Phaedrus, note 9. » Son of Cleinias (kli'nT-as) : Alcibiades.

p. 69Soc, That is thank you twice over. Listen then : — Last night, or rather very early this morning, Hippocrates, the son of Apollodorus and the brother of Phason,^ gave a tremendous thump with his staff at my door ; some one opened to him, and he came rushing in and bawled out : Socrates, are you awake or asleep ? I knew his voice, and said : Hippocrates, is that you ? and do you bring any news ? Good news, he said ; nothing but good.

Very good, I said ; but what news ? and why have you come here at this unearthly hour ? He drew nearer to me and said : Protagoras is come. Yes, I said ; he came two days ago ; have you only just heard of his arrival ? Yes, indeed, he said ; I heard yesterday evening.

At the same time he felt for the truckle-bed, and sat down at my feet, and then he said : I heard yesterday quite late in the evening, on my return from CEenoe ^ whither I had gone in pursuit of my runaway slave Satyrus ^ — as I was going to have told you if some other matter had not come in the way; on my return, when we had done supper and were about to retire to rest, my brother said to me : Protagoras is come.

And I was going to you at once, if I had not considered that the night was far spent. But when sleep relaxed her hold on me after my toil, I got up and came hither direct. I, who knew the very courageous madness of the man, said: What is the matter? has Protagoras robbed you of anything? He replied, laughing : Yes, indeed he has, Socrates, of the wisdom which he keeps to himself.

But, surely, I said, if you give him money, and make friends with him, he will make you as wise as he is himself. Would to heaven, he replied, that he would ! He might take all that I have, and all that my friends have, if he would.

And that is why I have come to you now, in order that you may speak to him on my behalf ; for I am young, and also I have never seen nor heard him (when he visited Athens before I was but a child) ; and all men praise him, Socrates, as being the most accomplished of speakers. There is no • Apollodorus (ft-pSllS-do'rus) ; Phason (fa'son) : neither one mentioned in other dialogues of Plato. • (Enoe (5n-6'e) : a deme of Attica. See Apology, note 36. • Satyrus (sSt'j^-rus),

^0 PLATO THE TEACHER reason why we should not go to him at once, and then we shall find him at home. He lodges, as I hear, with Callias, the son of Hipponicus.'' Let us start. I replied : Not yet, my good friend ; the hour is too early. But let us rise and take a turn in the court and wait there until daybreak, and when the day breaks, then we will go ; for Protagoras is generally at home, and we shall be sure to find him ; never fear.

Upon this we got up and walked about in the court, and I thought that I would make trial of the strength of his resolution. So I examined him and put questions to him. Tell me, Hippocrates, I said, as you are going to Protagoras, and will be paying your money to him, what is he to whom you are going ? and what will he make of you ?

If you were going to Hippocrates, the Coan, the Asclepiad,® and were about to give him your money, and some one said to you : As being what, do you give money to your namesake Hippocrates, O Hippocrates ? what would you answer ? I should say, he replied, that I give money to him as a physician. And what will he make of you ? A physician, he said.

And if you went to Polycleitus* the Argive, or Phidias^^ the Athenian, and intended to give them money, and some one were to ask you : As being what, do you give this money to Polycleitus and Phidias ? what would you answer ? I should answer, as being statuaries. And what will they make of you ? A statuary, of course. Well now, I said, you and I are going to Protagoras, and we are ready to pay him money for you.

If our own means ^ Hipponicus (hifp'poni'cus). * Hippocrates (lifp-pSk'ra-tez, 460-377 B.C.): a famous Greek physician, born in Cos, an island of the -<Egean. He belonged to the race of the Asclepiadae (dsncle-pi'a de) so called because supposed to be descendants of Asclepius (2s-kle'pf-us) or ^sculapius (^sTcu-la'pf-us), god of medicine.

This family were an order of priests who regarded the knowledge of medicine as a secret which they handed down from father to son. • Polycleitus (pSl'y-kli'tus, 5th century B.C.): a noted Greek sculptor who contributed much to the development of Greek art ; a native of Argos, a city of Greece about sixty miles southwest of Athens. *" Phidias (fid'i-as 490 7-432 ? B.C.) : the greatest sculptor and statuary of Greece. His works were the glory of Greece, and have never been surpassed.