meno   

ever be so mad as to allow himself to be corrupted by them; for they

are a manifest pest and corrupting influences to those who have to

do with them.

Soc. What, Anytus? Of all the people who profess that they know

how to do men good, do you mean to say that these are the only ones

who not only do them no good, but positively corrupt those who are

entrusted to them, and in return for this disservice have the face

to demand money? Indeed, I cannot believe you; for I know of a

single man, Protagoras, who made more out of his craft than the

illustrious Pheidias, who created such noble works, or any ten other

statuaries. How could that A mender of old shoes, or patcher up of

clothes, who made the shoes or clothes worse than he received them,

could not have remained thirty days undetected, and would very soon

have starved; whereas during more than forty years, Protagoras was

corrupting all Hellas, and sending his disciples from him worse than

he received them, and he was never found out. For, if I am not

mistaken,-he was about seventy years old at his death, forty of

which were spent in the practice of his profession; and during all

that time he had a good reputation, which to this day he retains:

and not only Protagoras, but many others are well spoken of; some

who lived before him, and others who are still living. Now, when you

say that they deceived and corrupted the youth, are they to be

supposed to have corrupted them consciously or unconsciously? Can

those who were deemed by many to be the wisest men of Hellas have been

out of their minds?

Any. Out of their minds! No, Socrates; the young men who gave

their money to them, were out of their minds, and their relations

and guardians who entrusted their youth to the care of these men

were still more out of their minds, and most of all, the cities who

allowed them to come in, and did not drive them out, citizen and

stranger alike.

Soc. Has any of the Sophists wronged you, Anytus? What makes you