euthydemus   

Scene
Crito. Who was the person, Socrates, with whom you were talking
yesterday at the Lyceum? There was such a crowd around you that I
could not get within hearing, but I caught a sight of him over their
heads, and I made out, as I thought, that he was a stranger with whom
you were talking: who was he?
Socrates. There were two, Crito; which of them do you mean?
Cri. The one whom I mean was seated second from you on the right-hand
side. In the middle was Cleinias the young son of Axiochus, who has
wonderfully grown; he is only about the age of my own Critobulus, but
he is much forwarder and very good-looking: the other is thin and
looks younger than he is.
Soc. He whom you mean, Crito, is Euthydemus; and on my left hand there
was his brother Dionysodorus, who also took part in the conversation.
Cri. Neither of them are known to me, Socrates; they are a new
importation of Sophists, as I should imagine. Of what country are
they, and what is their line of wisdom?
Soc. As to their origin, I believe that they are natives of this part
of the world, and have migrated from Chios to Thurii; they were driven
out of Thurii, and have been living for many years past in these
regions. As to their wisdom, about which you ask, Crito, they are
wonderful-consummate! I never knew what the true pancratiast was
before; they are simply made up of fighting, not like the two
Acarnanian brothers who fight with their bodies only, but this pair of
heroes, besides being perfect in the use of their bodies, are
invincible in every sort of warfare; for they are capital at fighting
in armour, and will teach the art to any one who pays them; and also
they are most skilful in legal warfare; they will plead themselves and
teach others to speak and to compose speeches which will have an
effect upon the courts. And this was only the beginning of their
wisdom, but they have at last carried out the pancratiastic art to the
very end, and have mastered the only mode of fighting which had been
hitherto neglected by them; and now no one dares even to stand up
against them: such is their skill in the war of words, that they can
refute any proposition whether true or false. Now I am thinking,
Crito, of placing myself in their hands; for they say that in a short
time they can impart their skill to any one.
Cri. But, Socrates, are you not too old? there may be reason to fear
that.
Soc. Certainly not, Crito; as I will prove to you, for I have the
consolation of knowing that they began this art of disputation which I
covet, quite, as I may say, in old age; last year, or the year before,
they had none of their new wisdom. I am only apprehensive that I may
bring the two strangers into disrepute, as I have done Connus the son
of Metrobius, the harp-player, who is still my music-master; for when
the boys who go to him see me going with them, they laugh at me and
call him grandpapa's master. Now I should not like the strangers to
experience similar treatment; the fear of ridicule may make them
unwilling to receive me; and therefore, Crito, I shall try and
persuade some old men to accompany me to them, as I persuaded them to
go with me to Connus, and I hope that you will make one: and perhaps
we had better take your sons as a bait; they will want to have them as
pupils, and for the sake of them willing to receive us.
Cri. I see no objection, Socrates, if you like; but first I wish that
you would give me a description of their wisdom, that I may know
beforehand what we are going to learn.
Soc. In less than no time you shall hear; for I cannot say that I did
not attend-I paid great attention to them, and I remember and will
endeavour to repeat the whole story. Providentially I was sitting
alone in the dressing-room of the Lyceum where you saw me, and was
about to depart; when I was getting up I recognized the familiar
divine sign: so I sat down again, and in a little while the two
brothers Euthydemus and Dionysodorus came in, and several others with
them, whom I believe to be their disciples, and they walked about in