protagoras   

his countrymen the Ceans, when they spoke of "hard" meant "evil," or

something which you do not understand. Let us ask Prodicus, for he

ought to be able to answer questions about the dialect of Simonides.

What did he mean, Prodicus, by the term "hard?"

Evil, said Prodicus.

And therefore, I said, Prodicus, he blames Pittacus for saying,

"Hard is the good," just as if that were equivalent to saying, Evil is

the good.

Yes, he said, that was certainly his meaning; and he is twitting

Pittacus with ignorance of the use of terms, which in a Lesbian, who

has been accustomed to speak a barbarous language, is natural.

Do you hear, Protagoras, I asked, what our friend Prodicus is

saying? And have you an answer for him?

You are entirely mistaken, Prodicus, said Protagoras; and I know

very well that Simonides in using the word "hard" meant what all of us

mean, not evil, but that which is not easy-that which takes a great

deal of trouble: of this I am positive.

I said: I also incline to believe, Protagoras, that this was the

meaning of Simonides, of which our friend Prodicus was very well

aware, but he thought that he would make fun, and try if you could

maintain your thesis; for that Simonides could never have meant the

other is clearly proved by the context, in which he says that God only

has this gift. Now he cannot surely mean to say that to be good is

evil, when he afterwards proceeds to say that God only has this

gift, and that this is the attribute of him and of no other. For if

this be his meaning, Prodicus would impute to Simonides a character of

recklessness which is very unlike his countrymen. And I should like to

tell you, I said, what I imagine to be the real meaning of Simonides

in this poem, if you will test what, in your way of speaking, would be

called my skill in poetry; or if you would rather, I will be the

listener.

To this proposal Protagoras replied: As you please;-and Hippias,