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　about　what？
  When　Protagoras　heard　me　say　this；　he　replied：　You　ask　questions
  fairly；　and　I　like　to　answer　a　question　which　is　fairly　put。　If
  Hippocrates　comes　to　me　he　will　not　experience　the　sort　of　drudgery
  with　which　other　Sophists　are　in　the　habit　of　insulting　their
  pupils；　who；　when　they　have　just　escaped　from　the　arts；　are　taken
  and　driven　back　into　them　by　these　teachers；　and　made　to　learn
  calculation；　and　astronomy；　and　geometry；　and　music　（he　gave　a　look　at
  Hippias　as　he　said　this）；　but　if　he　comes　to　me；　he　will　learn　that
  which　he　comes　to　learn。　And　this　is　prudence　in　affairs　private　as
  well　as　public；　he　will　learn　to　order　his　own　house　in　the　best
  manner；　and　he　will　be　able　to　speak　and　act　for　the　best　in　the
  affairs　of　the　state。
  Do　I　understand　you；　I　said；　and　is　your　meaning　that　you　teach
  the　art　of　politics；　and　that　you　promise　to　make　men　good　citizens？
  That；　Socrates；　is　exactly　the　profession　which　I　make。
  Then；　I　said；　you　do　indeed　possess　a　noble　art；　if　there　is　no
  mistake　about　this；　for　I　will　freely　confess　to　you；　Protagoras；　that
  I　have　a　doubt　whether　this　art　is　capable　of　being　taught；　and　yet
  I　know　not　how　to　disbelieve　your　assertion。　And　I　ought　to　tell　you
  why　I　am　of　opinion　that　this　art　cannot　be　taught　or　communicated
  by　man　to　man。　I　say　that　the　Athenians　are　an　understanding　people；
  and　indeed　they　are　esteemed　to　be　such　by　the　other　Hellenes。　Now　I
  observe　that　when　we　are　met　together　in　the　assembly；　and　the
  matter　in　hand　relates　to　building；　the　builders　are　summoned　as
  advisers；　when　the　question　is　one　of　shipbuilding；　then　the
  ship…wrights；　and　the　like　of　other　arts　which　they　think　capable　of
  being　taught　and　learned。　And　if　some　person　offers　to　give　them
  advice　who　is　not　supposed　by　them　to　have　any　skill　in　the　art；
  even　though　he　be　good…looking；　and　rich；　and　noble；　they　will　not
  listen　to　him；　but　laugh　and　hoot　at　him；　until　either　he　is　clamoured
  down　and　retires　of　himself；　or　if　he　persist；　he　is　dragged　away　or
  put　out　by　the　constables　at　the　command　of　the　prytanes。　This　is
  their　way　of　behaving　about　professors　of　the　arts。　But　when　the
  question　is　an　affair　of　state；　then　everybody　is　free　to　have　a
  say…carpenter；　tinker；　cobbler；　sailor；　passenger；　rich　and　poor；　high
  and　low…any　one　who　likes　gets　up；　and　no　one　reproaches　him；　as　in
  the　former　case；　with　not　having　learned；　and　having　no　teacher；　and
  yet　giving　advice；　evidently　because　they　are　under　the　impression
  that　this　sort　of　knowledge　cannot　be　taught。　And　not　only　is　this
  true　of　the　state；　but　of　individuals；　the　best　and　wisest　of　our
  citizens　are　unable　to　impart　their　political　wisdom　to　others：　as　for
  example；　Pericles；　the　father　of　these　young　men；　who　gave　them
  excellent　instruction　in　all　that　could　be　learned　from　masters；　in
  his　own　departm