of　other　things。　And　if　he　were　further　to　ask：　What　is　the　wisdom
  of　the　Sophist；　and　what　is　the　manufacture　over　which　he
  presides？…how　should　we　answer　him？
  How　should　we　answer　him；　Socrates？　What　other　answer　could　there　be
  but　that　he　presides　over　the　art　which　makes　men　eloquent？
  Yes；　I　replied；　that　is　very　likely　true；　but　not　enough；　for　in　the
  answer　a　further　question　is　involved：　Of　what　does　the　Sophist　make　a
  man　talk　eloquently？　The　player　on　the　lyre　may　be　supposed　to　make
  a　man　talk　eloquently　about　that　which　he　makes　him　understand；　that
  is　about　playing　the　lyre。　Is　not　that　true？
  Yes。
  Then　about　what　does　the　Sophist　make　him　eloquent？　Must　not　he　make
  him　eloquent　in　that　which　he　understands？
  Yes；　that　may　be　assumed。
  And　what　is　that　which　the　Sophist　knows　and　makes　his　disciple
  know？
  Indeed；　he　said；　I　cannot　tell。
  Then　I　proceeded　to　say：　Well；　but　are　you　aware　of　the　danger　which
  you　are　incurring？　If　you　were　going　to　commit　your　body　to　some
  one；　who　might　do　good　or　harm　to　it；　would　you　not　carefully　consider
  and　ask　the　opinion　of　your　friends　and　kindred；　and　deliberate　many
  days　as　to　whether　you　should　give　him　the　care　of　your　body？　But　when
  the　soul　is　in　question；　which　you　hold　to　be　of　far　more　value　than
  the　body；　and　upon　the　good　or　evil　of　which　depends　the　well…being　of
  your　all；…about　this　never　consulted　either　with　your　father　or　with
  your　brother　or　with　any　one　of　us　who　are　your　companions。　But　no
  sooner　does　this　foreigner　appear；　than　you　instantly　commit　your　soul
  to　his　keeping。　In　the　evening；　as　you　say；　you　hear　of　him；　and　in
  the　morning　you　go　to　him；　never　deliberating　or　taking　the　opinion　of
  any　one　as　to　whether　you　ought　to　intrust　yourself　to　him　or　not；…you
  have　quite　made　up　your　mind　that　you　will　at　all　hazards　be　a　pupil
  of　Protagoras；　and　are　prepared　to　expend　all　the　property　of　yourself
  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