380　BC
  PROTAGORAS
  by　Plato
  translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
  PROTAGORAS
  PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　SOCRATES；　who　is　the　narrator　of　the
  Dialogue　to　his　Companion；　HIPPOCRATES；　ALCIBIADES；　CRINAS；
  PROTAGORAS；　HIPPIAS；　PRODICUS；　Sophists；　CALLIAS；　a　wealthy
  Athenian。　Scene：　The　House　of　Callias
  Com。　Where　do　you　come　from；　Socrates？　And　yet　I　need　hardly　ask　the
  question；　for　I　know　that　you　have　been　in　chase　of　the　fair
  Alcibiades。　I　saw　the　day　before　yesterday；　and　he　had　got　a　beard
  like　a　man…and　he　is　a　man；　as　I　may　tell　you　in　your　ear。　But　I
  thought　that　he　was　still　very　charming。
  Soc。　What　of　his　beard？　Are　you　not　of　Homer's　opinion；　who　says
  Youth　is　most　charming　when　the　beard　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？　I　paid　no　attention
  to　him；　and　several　times　I　quite　forgot　that　he　was　present。
  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　a　fairer　love
  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。　Say　rather；　with　the　wisest　of　all　living　men；　if　you　are
  willing　to　accord　that　title　to　Protagoras。
  Com。　What！　Is　Protagoras　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　tell
  me　what　passed；　and　my　attendant　here　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。
  Soc。　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。
  Delightful；　I　said；　but　what　is　the　news？　and　why　have　you　come
  hither　at　this　unearthly　hour？
  He　drew　nearer　to　me　and　said：　Protagoras　is　come。
  Yes；　I　replied；　he　came　two　days　ago：　have　you　only　just　heard　of
  his　arrival？
  Yes；　by　the　gods；　he　said；　but　not　until　yesterday　evening。
  At　the　same　time　he　felt　for　the　truckle…bed；　and　sat　down　at　my
  feet；　and　then　he　said：　Yesterday　quite　late　in　the　evening；　on　my
  return　from　Oenoe　whither　I　had　gone　in　pursuit　of　my　runaway　slave
  Satyrus；　as　I　meant　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。
  I　was　going　to　you　at　once；　and　then　I　thought　that　the　night　was
  far　spent。　But　the　moment　sleep　left　me　after　my　fatigue；　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　from　me。
  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　this　were　the　case！　He　might
  take　all　that　I　have；　and　all　that　my　friends　have；　if　he　pleased。　But
  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；　he　is　reputed　to　be　the　most　accomplished　of
  speakers。　There　is　no　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　about　there　until
  daybreak；　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；　for　example；　you　had　thought　of　going　to　Hippocrates　of　Cos；　the
  Asclepiad；　and　were　about　to　give　him　your　money；　and　some　one　had
  said　to　you：　You　are　paying　money　to　your　namesake　Hippocrates；　O
  Hippocrates；　tell　me；　what　is　he　that　you　give　him　money？　how　would
  you　have　answered？
  I　should　say；　he　replied；　that　I　gave　money　to　him　as　a　physician。
  And　what　will　he　make　of　you？
  A　physician；　he　said。
  And　if　you　were　resolved　to　go　to　Polycleitus　the　Argive；　or
  Pheidias　the　Athenian；　and　were　intending　to　give　them　money；　and　some
  one　had　asked　you：　What　are　Polycleitus　and　Pheidias？　and　why　do　you
  give　them　this　money？…how　would　you　have　answered？
  I　should　have　answered；　that　they　were　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　on　your　behalf。　If　our　own　means　are
  sufficient；　and　we　can　gain　him　with　these；　we　shall　be　only　too　glad；
  but　if　not；　then　we　are　to　spend　the　money　of　your　friends　as　well。
  Now　suppose；　that　while　we　are　thus　enthusiastically　pursuing　our
  object　some　one　were　to　say　to　us：　Tell　me；　Socrates；　and　you
  Hippocrates；　what　is　Protagoras；　and　why　are　you　going　to　pay　him
  money；…how　should　we　answer？　I　know　that　Pheidias　is　a　sculptor；　and
  that　Homer　is　a　poet；　but　what　appellation　is　given　to　Protagoras？　how
  is　he　designated？
  They　call　him　a　Sophist；　Socrates；　he　replied。
  Then　we　are　going　to　pay　our　money　to　him　in　the　character　of　a
  Sophist？
  Certainly。
  But　suppose　a　person　were　to　ask　this　further　question：　And　how
  about　yourself？　What　will　Protagoras　make　of　you；　if　you　go　to　see
  him？
  He　answered；　with　a　blush　upon　his　face　（for　the　day　was　just
  beginning　to　dawn；　so　that　I　could　see　him）：　Unless　this　differs　in
  some　way　from　the　former　instances；　I　suppose　that　he　will　make　a
  Sophist　of　me。
  By　the　gods；　I　said；　and　are　you　not　ashamed　at　having　to　appear
  before　the　Hellenes　in　the　character　of　a　Sophist？
  Indeed；　Socrates；　to　confess　the　truth；　I　am。
  But　you　should　not　assume；　Hippocrates；　that　the　instruction　of
  Protagoras　is　of　this　nature：　may　you　not　learn　of　him　in　the　same　way
  that　you　learned　the　arts　of　the　grammarian；　musician；　or　trainer；　not
  with　the　view　of　making　any　of　them　a　profession；　but　only　as　a　part
  of　education；　and　because　a　private　gentleman　and　freeman　ought　to
  know　them？
  Just　so；　he　said；　and　that；　in　my　opinion；　is　a　far　truer　account　of
  the　teaching　of　Protagoras。
  I　said：　I　wonder　whether　you　know　what　you　are　doing？
  And　what　am　I　doing？
  You　are　going　to　commit　your　soul　to　the　care　of　a　man　whom　you　call
  a　Sophist。　And　yet　I　hardly　think　that　you　know　what　a　Sophist　is；　and
  if　not；　then　you　do　not　even　know　to　whom　you　are　committing　your　soul
  and　whether　the　thing　to　which　you　commit　yourself　be　good　or　evil。
  I　certainly　think　that　I　do　know；　he　replied。
  Then　tell　me；　what　do　you　imagine　that　he　is？
  I　take　him　to　be　one　who　knows　wise　things；　he　replied；　as　his
  name　implies。
  And　might　you　not；　I　said；　affirm　this　of　the　painter　and　of　the
  carpenter　also：　Do　not　they；　too；　know　wise　things？　But　suppose　a
  person　were　to　ask　us：　In　what　are　the　painters　wise？　We　should
  answer：　In　what　relates　to　the　making　of　likenesses；　and　similarly
  of　other　things。　And　if　he　were　further　to　ask：　What　is　the　wisdom
  of　the　Sophist；　and　wh