§7τῷ τοίνυν καταφρονεῖν τὸ θαυμάζειν ἀντικείμενον εὐγνωμονεστέρας μέν ἐστι δήπου καὶ ἡμερωτέρας φύσεως, δεῖταί γε μὴν οὐδʼ αὐτὸ μικρᾶς εὐλαβείας, τάχα δὲ καὶ μείζονος·
Therefore, being opposite to despising, admiring is indeed of a more candid and gentle nature; nevertheless, it does not itself stand in need of small caution, and perhaps even of greater.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ καταφρονητικοὶ καὶ θρασεῖς ἧττον ὠφελοῦνται ὑπὸ τῶν λεγόντων, οἱ δὲ θαυμαστικοὶ καὶ ἄκακοι μᾶλλον βλάπτονται, καὶ τὸν Ἡράκλειτον οὐκ ἐλέγχουσιν εἰπόντα
βλὰξ ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ παντὶ λόγῳ ἐπτοῆσθαι φιλεῖ. δεῖ δὲ τὸν μὲν ἔπαινον ἀφελῶς τοῖς λέγουσι τὴν δὲ πίστιν εὐλαβῶς προΐεσθαι τοῖς λόγοις, καὶ τῆς μὲν λέξεως καὶ προφορᾶς τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων εὐμενῆ καὶ ἁπλοῦν εἶναι θεατήν, τῆς δὲ χρείας καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας τῶν λεγομένων ἀκριβῆ καὶ πικρὸν ἐξεταστήν, ἵνʼ οἱ μὲν λέγοντες μὴ μισῶσιν, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μὴ βλάπτωσιν· ὡς πολλὰ ψευδῆ καὶ πονηρὰ δόγματα λανθάνομεν εὐνοίᾳ καὶ πίστει τῇ πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας ἐνδεχόμενοι.
For those who are inclined to despise and are bold benefit less from speakers, whereas those who are full of admiration and innocent are harmed more, and they do not disprove Heraclitus when he says: "A foolish man loves to be fluttered by every discourse." But one must bestow praise freely upon speakers, yet yield credit cautiously to their discourses, and be a well-disposed and simple spectator of the style and delivery of those who strive, but an accurate and severe examiner of the utility and the truth of what is said, so that the speakers may not be hated, and the discourses may not harm; for we unconsciously accept many false and bad dogmas through goodwill and credit toward speakers.
οἱ μὲν οὖν Λακεδαιμονίων ἄρχοντες ἀνδρὸς οὐκ εὖ βεβιωκότος γνώμην δοκιμάσαντες ἑτέρῳ προσέταξαν εἰπεῖν εὐδοκιμοῦντι περὶ τὸν βίον καὶ τὸ ἦθος, ὀρθῶς πάνυ καὶ πολιτικῶς ἐθίζοντες τὸν δῆμον ὑπὸ τοῦ τρόπου μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ λόγου τῶν συμβουλευόντων ἄγεσθαι.
The rulers of the Lacedaemonians, then, having approved the opinion of a man who had not lived well, ordered another who was in high repute for his life and character to speak it, very rightly and politically accustoming the people to be led by the character rather than by the discourse of their advisers.
τοὺς δʼ ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ λόγους ἀφαιροῦντα χρὴ τὴν τοῦ λέγοντος δόξαν αὐτοὺς ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν ἐξετάζειν.
But one must strip away the reputation of the speaker and examine philosophical discourses by themselves.
ὡς γὰρ πολέμου, καὶ ἀκροάσεως πολλὰ τὰ κενά ἐστι.
For as in war, so in listening there are many empty things.
καὶ γὰρ πολιὰ τοῦ λέγοντος καὶ πλάσμα καὶ ὀφρῦς καὶ περιαυτολογία, μάλιστα δʼ αἱ κραυγαὶ καὶ οἱ θόρυβοι καὶ τὰ πηδήματα τῶν παρόντων συνεκπλήττει τὸν ἄπειρον ἀκροατὴν καὶ νέον ὥσπερ ὑπὸ ῥεύματος παραφερόμενον.
For indeed, the speaker's gray hair, his facial expression, his superciliousness, and his self-glorification, and most of all the shouts, applauses, and leapings of those present, overwhelm the inexperienced and young listener, who is carried away as if by a torrent.
ἔχει δέ τι καὶ ἡ λέξις ἀπατηλόν, ὅταν ἡδεῖα καὶ πολλὴ καὶ μετʼ ὄγκου τινὸς καὶ κατασκευῆς ἐπιφέρηται τοῖς πράγμασιν.
And style also has something deceptive about it, when it is applied to things in a sweet and abundant manner, with a certain weight and preparation.
ὡς γὰρ τῶν ὑπʼ αὐλοῖς ᾀδόντων αἱ πολλαὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἁμαρτίαι διαφεύγουσιν, οὕτω περιττὴ καὶ σοβαρὰ λέξις ἀντιλάμπει τῷ ἀκροατῇ πρὸς τὸ δηλούμενον.
For as most of the errors of those who sing to the flute escape their hearers, so an excessive and pompous style dazzles the listener against what is being shown.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ Μελάνθιος, ὡς ἔοικε, περὶ τῆς Διογένους τραγῳδίας ἐρωτηθεὶς οὐκ ἔφη κατιδεῖν αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἐπιπροσθουμένην αἱ δὲ τῶν πολλῶν διαλέξεις καὶ μελέται σοφιστῶν οὐ μόνον τοῖς ὀνόμασι παραπετάσμασι χρῶνται τῶν διανοημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν φωνὴν ἐμμελείαις τισὶ καὶ μαλακότησι καὶ παρισώσεσιν ἐφηδύνοντες ἐκβακχεύουσι καὶ παραφέρουσι τοὺς ἀκροωμένους, κενὴν ἡδονὴν διδόντες καὶ κενωτέραν δόξαν ἀντιλαμβάνοντες.
For Melanthius, as it seems, when asked about Diogenes' tragedy, said he could not see it because it was obstructed by its words; but the discourses and declamations of many sophists not only use words as curtains for their thoughts, but also, sweetening their voice with certain modulations, soft tones, and balanced clauses, they drive their listeners mad and lead them astray, giving them an empty pleasure and receiving in return a still emptier reputation.
ὥστʼ αὐτοῖς συμβαίνει τὸ ὑπὸ Διονυσίου ῥηθέν.
So there happens to them what was said by Dionysius.
ἐκεῖνος γάρ, ὡς ἔοικεν, εὐδοκιμοῦντι κιθαρῳδῷ παρὰ τὴν θέαν ἐπαγγειλάμενος δωρεάς τινας μεγάλας ὕστερον οὐδὲν ἔδωκεν ὡς ἀποδεδωκὼς τὴν χάριν· ὅσον γάρ
ἔφη
χρόνον εὔφραινες ᾄδων, τοσοῦτον ἔχαιρες ἐλπίζων
τοῦτον δὲ τὸν ἔρανον αἱ τοιαῦται πληροῦσιν ἀκροάσεις τοῖς λέγουσι· θαυμάζονται γὰρ ἐφʼ ὅσον τέρπουσιν, εἶθʼ ἅμα τῆς ἀκοῆς ἐξερρύη τὸ ἡδὺ κἀκείνους προλέλοιπεν ἡ δόξα, καὶ μάτην, τοῖς μὲν ὁ χρόνος τοῖς δὲ καὶ ὁ βίος ἀνάλωται.
For he, as it seems, having promised some great gifts to a highly reputed cithara-player during the performance, afterwards gave him nothing on the ground that he had already returned the favor: "For as long as," he said, "you delighted me by singing, so long did you rejoice in expecting." And such listenings pay this very tribute to speakers; for they are admired as long as they please, and then, as soon as the pleasure has flowed out of the hearing, the reputation also leaves them, and in vain, time has been spent by the one, and even life by the other.