§1εἰ πάντες ἤθελον οἱ παιδεύειν ἐπιχειροῦντες ἀληθῆ λέγειν, καὶ μὴ μείζους ποιεῖσθαι τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ὧν ἔμελλον ἐπιτελεῖν, οὐκ ἂν κακῶς ἤκουον ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν· νῦν δʼ οἱ τολμῶντες λίαν ἀπερισκέπτως ἀλαζονεύεσθαι πεποιήκασιν ὥστε δοκεῖν ἄμεινον βουλεύεσθαι τοὺς ῥᾳθυμεῖν αἱρουμένους τῶν περὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν διατριβόντων.
If all those who attempt to educate were willing to speak the truth, and not to make promises greater than those they were going to fulfill, they would not be ill spoken of by ordinary people; but as it is, those who dare to boast all too recklessly have brought it about that those who choose to idle away their time seem to plan better than those who study philosophy.
τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἃν μισήσειεν ἅμα καὶ καταφρονήσειε πρῶτον μὲν τῶν περὶ τὰς ἔριδας διατριβόντων, οἳ προσποιοῦνται μὲν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ζητεῖν, εὐθὺς δʼ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν ἐπαγγελμάτων ψευδῆ λέγειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν;
For who would not both hate and despise, first of all, those who spend their time in disputations, who pretend indeed to seek the truth, but attempt to speak falsely right at the beginning of their promises?
§2οἶμαι γὰρ ἅπασιν εἶναι φανερὸν ὅτι τὰ μέλλοντα προγιγνώσκειν οὐ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεώς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον ἀπέχομεν ταύτης τῆς φρονήσεως, ὥσθʼ Ὅμηρος ὁ μεγίστην ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ δόξαν εἰληφὼς καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς πεποίηκεν ἔστιν ὅτε βουλευομένους ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, οὐ τὴν ἐκείνων γνώμην εἰδώς, ἀλλʼ ἡμῖν ἐνδείξασθαι βουλόμενος ὅτι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἓν τοῦτο τῶν ἀδυνάτων ἐστίν.
For I think it is manifest to all that to foreknow future events is not of our nature, but we are so far removed from this wisdom that even Homer, who has received the greatest reputation for wisdom, has represented even the gods as sometimes deliberating about them, not because he knew their mind, but wishing to show us that this one thing is impossible for human beings.
§3οὗτοι τοίνυν εἰς τοῦτο τόλμης ἐληλύθασιν, ὥστε πειρῶνται πείθειν τοὺς νεωτέρους ὡς, ἢν αὐτοῖς πλησιάζωσιν, ἅ τε πρακτέον ἐστὶν εἴσονται καὶ διὰ ταύτης τῆς ἐπιστήμης εὐδαίμονες γενήσονται.
These men, therefore, have arrived at such a pitch of daring that they attempt to persuade the young that, if they associate with them, they will know what must be done and through this knowledge will become happy.
καὶ τηλικούτων ἀγαθῶν αὑτοὺς διδασκάλους καὶ κυρίους καταστήσαντες, οὐκ αἰσχύνονται τρεῖς ἢ τέτταρας μνᾶς ὑπὲρ τούτων αἰτοῦντες.
And having established themselves as teachers and masters of such great goods, they are not ashamed to demand three or four minae for these things.
§4ἀλλʼ εἰ μέν τι τῶν ἄλλων κτημάτων πολλοστοῦ μέρους τῆς ἀξίας ἐπώλουν, οὐκ ἂν ἠμφεσβήτησαν ὡς εὖ φρονοῦντες τυγχάνουσι, σύμπασαν δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν οὕτως ὀλίγου τιμῶντες, ὡς νοῦν ἔχοντες διδάσκαλοι τῶν ἄλλων ἀξιοῦσι γίγνεσθαι.
But if they were selling any of their other possessions for a small fraction of its value, they would not have disputed that they happen to be of sound mind; yet, while valuing the whole of virtue and happiness so cheaply, they claim to become teachers of others as if they were sensible men.
καὶ λέγουσι μὲν ὡς οὐδὲν δέονται χρημάτων, ἀργυρίδιον καὶ χρυσίδιον τὸν πλοῦτον ἀποκαλοῦντες, μικροῦ δὲ κέρδους ὀρεγόμενοι μόνον οὐκ ἀθανάτους ὑπισχνοῦνται τοὺς συνόντας ποιήσειν.
And they say indeed that they have no need of money, calling wealth "petty silver" and "petty gold," but while desiring a small profit, they promise to make those who associate with them almost immortal.
§5ὃ δὲ πάντων καταγελαστότατον, ὅτι παρὰ μὲν ὧν δεῖ λαβεῖν αὐτούς, τούτοις μὲν ἀπιστοῦσιν, οἷς μέλλουσι τὴν δικαιοσύνην παραδώσειν, ὧν δʼ οὐδεπώποτε διδάσκαλοι γεγόνασι, παρὰ τούτοις τὰ παρὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μεσεγγυοῦνται, πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἀσφάλειαν εὖ βουλευόμενοι, τῷ δʼ ἐπαγγέλματι τἀναντία πράττοντες.
But what is most ridiculous of all is that, while they distrust those from whom they must receive payment, to whom they are going to transmit justice, they have the payments from their disciples deposited with those of whom they have never been teachers, planning well for their own security, but doing the very opposite of their profession.
§6τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλο τι παιδεύοντας προσήκει διακριβοῦσθαι περὶ τῶν διαφερόντων, οὐδὲν γὰρ κωλύει τοὺς περὶ ἕτερα δεινοὺς γενομένους μὴ χρηστοὺς εἶναι περὶ τὰ συμβόλαια· τοὺς δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐνεργαζομένους πῶς οὐκ ἄλογόν ἐστι μὴ τοῖς μαθηταῖς μάλιστα πιστεύειν;
For those who teach some other subject may properly be precise about financial transactions, for nothing prevents those who have become clever in other matters from being dishonest in contracts; but how is it not irrational for those who implant virtue and temperance not to trust their disciples most of all?
οὐ γὰρ δή που περὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὄντες καλοὶ κἀγαθοὶ καὶ δίκαιοι περὶ τούτους ἐξαμαρτήσονται, διʼ οὓς τοιοῦτοι γεγόνασιν.
For surely those who are honorable and just towards others will not commit injustice towards those through whom they have become such.
§7ἐπειδὰν οὖν τῶν ἰδιωτῶν τινες, ἅπαντα ταῦτα συλλογισάμενοι, κατίδωσι τοὺς τὴν σοφίαν διδάσκοντας καὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν παραδιδόντας αὐτούς τε πολλῶν δεομένους καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς μικρὸν πραττομένους, καὶ τὰς ἐναντιώσεις ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν λόγων τηροῦντας, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἔργων μὴ καθορῶντας, ἔτι δὲ περὶ μὲν τῶν μελλόντων εἰδέναι προσποιουμένους, §8περὶ δὲ τῶν παρόντων μηδὲν τῶν δεόντων μήτʼ εἰπεῖν μήτε συμβουλεῦσαι δυναμένους, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ὁμονοοῦντας καὶ πλείω κατορθοῦντας τοὺς ταῖς δόξαις χρωμένους ἢ τοὺς τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἔχειν ἐπαγγελλομένους, εἰκότως οἶμαι καταφρονοῦσι, καὶ νομίζουσιν ἀδολεσχίαν καὶ μικρολογίαν ἀλλʼ οὐ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμέλειαν εἶναι τὰς τοιαύτας διατριβάς.
When, therefore, some of the ordinary people, having calculated all these things, see those who teach wisdom and transmit happiness being themselves in need of many things and demanding a small fee from their disciples, and observing contradictions in words but not seeing them in deeds, and furthermore pretending to know about the future, but being unable to say or advise anything of what is necessary about present affairs, but rather that those who follow opinions are more in agreement and achieve more success than those who profess to have knowledge, they naturally, I think, despise them, and believe that such pursuits are babbling and hair-splitting, but not care of the soul.