protagoras   

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