protagoras-第3章

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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　that　the　company　are



assembled；　Socrates；　tell　me　about　the　youngman　of　whom　you　were



just　now　speaking。



　　I　replied：　I　will　begin　again　at　the　same　point；　Protagoras；　and



tell　you　once　more　the　purport　of　my　visit：　this　is　my　friend



Hippocrates；　who　is　desirous　of　making　your　acquaintance；　he　would



like　to　know　what　will　happen　to　him　if　he　associates　with　you。　I　have



no　more　to　say。



　　Protagoras　answered：　Young　man；　if　you　associate　with　me；　on　the



very　first　day　you　will　return　home　a　better　man　than　you　came；　and



better　on　the　second　day　than　on　the　first；　and　better　every　day



than　you　were　on　the　day　before。



　　When　I　heard　this；　I　said：　Protagoras；　I　do　not　at　all　wonder　at



hearing　you　say　this；　even　at　your　age；　and　with　all　your　wisdom；　if



any　one　were　to　teach　you　what　you　did　not　know　before；　you　would



become　better　no　doubt：　but　please　to　answer　in　a　different　way…I　will



explain　how　by　an　example。　Let　me　suppose　that　Hippocrates；　instead　of



desiring　your　acquaintance；　wished　to　become　acquainted　with　the　young



man　Zeuxippus　of　Heraclea；　who　has　lately　been　in　Athens；　and　he　had



come　to　him　as　he　has　come　to　you；　and　had　heard　him　say；　as　he　has



heard　you　say；　that　every　day　he　would　grow　and　become　better　if　he



associated　with　him：　and　then　suppose　that　he　were　to　ask　him；　〃In



what　shall　I　become　better；　and　in　what　shall　I　grow？〃…Zeuxippus　would



answer；　〃In　painting。〃　And　suppose　that　he　went　to　Orthagoras　the



Theban；　and　heard　him　say　the　same　thing；　and　asked　him；　〃In　what



shall　I　become　better　day　by　day？〃　he　would　reply；　〃In　flute…playing。〃



Now　I　want　you　to　make　the　same　sort　of　answer　to　this　young　man　and



to　me；　who　am　asking　questions　on　his　account。　When　you　say　that　on



the　first　day　on　which　he　associates　with　you　he　will　return　home　a



better　man；　and　on　every　day　will　grow　in　like　manner；…In　what；



Protagoras；　will　he　be　better？　and　abo