protagoras   

out of goodwill, but only adversaries and enemies wrangle. And then

our meeting will be delightful; for in this way you, who are the

speakers, will be most likely to win esteem, and not praise only,

among us who are your audience; for esteem is a sincere conviction

of the hearers' souls, but praise is often an insincere expression

of men uttering falsehoods contrary to their conviction. And thus we

who are the hearers will be gratified and not pleased; for

gratification is of the mind when receiving wisdom and knowledge,

but pleasure is of the body when eating or experiencing some other

bodily delight. Thus spoke Prodicus, and many of the company applauded

his words.

Hippias the sage spoke next. He said: All of you who are here

present I reckon to be kinsmen and friends and fellow-citizens, by

nature and not by law; for by nature like is akin to like, whereas law

is the tyrant of mankind, and often compels us to do many things which

are against nature. How great would be the disgrace then, if we, who

know the nature of things, and are the wisest of the Hellenes, and

as such are met together in this city, which is the metropolis of

wisdom, and in the greatest and most glorious house of this city,

should have nothing to show worthy of this height of dignity, but

should only quarrel with one another like the meanest of mankind I

pray and advise you, Protagoras, and you, Socrates, to agree upon a

compromise. Let us be your peacemakers. And do not you, Socrates,

aim at this precise and extreme brevity in discourse, if Protagoras

objects, but loosen and let go the reins of speech, that your words

may be grander and more becoming to you. Neither do you, Protagoras,

go forth on the gale with every sail set out of sight of land into

an ocean of words, but let there be a mean observed by both of you. Do

as I say. And let me also persuade you to choose an arbiter or

overseer or president; he will keep watch over your words and will

prescribe their proper length.

This proposal was received by the company with universal approval;