protagoras   

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