Euthydemus

​SOCRATES: ‘Come now,’ he said, ‘tell me immediately: since you agree that Zeus and the other gods are yours, is it then permitted to you to sell them, or to give them, or to use them in whatever other way you wish, just like the other animals?’ I indeed, O Crito, as if struck by the argument, lay speechless; but Ctesippus, coming to my aid, said, ‘My word, O Heracles, what a beautiful argument!’ —And Dionysodorus said, ‘Is Heracles then a “my word”, or is “my word” Heracles?’ —And Ctesippus said, ‘O Poseidon, what dreadful arguments. I withdraw; the two men are invincible.’ At this point, indeed, my dear Crito, there was no one of those present who did not extravagantly praise the argument and the two men, and laughing, clapping, and rejoicing, they were almost exhausted. For while on each of the previous points only the admirers of Euthydemus had raised a splendid clamor, here almost even the pillars in the Lyceum clamored in approval of the two men and rejoiced. I myself was so affected that I agreed that I had never yet seen any men so wise, and being completely enslaved by their wisdom, I turned to praising and eulogizing them, and said, ‘O blessed pair for your wonderful nature, who have accomplished so great a work so quickly and in so short a time! Your arguments have indeed many other beautiful features, O Euthydemus and Dionysodorus; and among them, this is most magnificent, that you care nothing for the many, nor indeed for those who seem to be something, but only for those who are like yourselves. For I know well that very few men like yourselves would appreciate these arguments, while the rest are so ignorant of them that I know well they would be more ashamed to refute others with such arguments than to be refuted themselves. And here is another popular and gentle thing in your arguments: whenever you say that there is nothing beautiful, nor any good thing, nor white, nor any other such thing, nor altogether that one thing is different from another, you literally sew up the mouths of men, as you also say; and that you would seem to sew up not only the mouths of others, but even your own, this is very charming and takes away the offensiveness of your arguments. And the greatest thing of all is that these things are so conditioned by you and artistically devised, that any human being whatsoever could learn them in a very short time; I myself realized, paying attention to Ctesippus, how quickly he was able to imitate you on the spot.’