§20τούτων γὰρ ἕκαστος, ὦ ἄνδρες, οἷός τʼ ἐστὶν ἰὼν εἰς ἑκάστην τῶν πόλεων τοὺς νέους—οἷς ἔξεστι τῶν ἑαυτῶν πολιτῶν προῖκα συνεῖναι ᾧ ἂν βούλωνται—τούτους πείθουσι τὰς ἐκείνων συνουσίας ἀπολιπόντας σφίσιν συνεῖναι χρήματα διδόντας καὶ χάριν προσειδέναι.
For each of these men, gentlemen, is able, going to each of the cities, to persuade the young men—who are permitted to associate for free with whomever of their own citizens they wish—to leave their associations with those men and associate with themselves, paying them money and being grateful besides.
ἐπεὶ καὶ ἄλλος ἀνήρ ἐστι Πάριος ἐνθάδε σοφὸς ὃν ἐγὼ ᾐσθόμην ἐπιδημοῦντα· ἔτυχον γὰρ προσελθὼν ἀνδρὶ ὃς τετέλεκε χρήματα σοφισταῖς πλείω ἢ σύμπαντες οἱ ἄλλοι, Καλλίᾳ τῷ Ἱππονίκου·
Actually, I also learned of another wise man, a Parian, who is in town; for I happened to meet a man who has paid more money to sophists than all the others combined, Callias the son of Hipponicus.
τοῦτον οὖν ἀνηρόμην—ἐστὸν γὰρ αὐτῷ δύο ὑεῖ—
ὦ Καλλία,
ἦν δʼ ἐγώ,
εἰ μέν σου τὼ ὑεῖ πώλω ἢ μόσχω ἐγενέσθην, εἴχομεν ἂν αὐτοῖν ἐπιστάτην λαβεῖν καὶ μισθώσασθαι ὃς ἔμελλεν αὐτὼ καλώ τε κἀγαθὼ ποιήσειν τὴν προσήκουσαν ἀρετήν, ἦν δʼ ἂν οὗτος ἢ τῶν ἱππικῶν τις ἢ τῶν γεωργικῶν·
So I questioned him—for he has two sons: "Callias," I said, "if your two sons had been born colts or calves, we would have been able to find and hire a supervisor for them who was going to make them noble and good in their proper virtue, and this would have been either someone from the horsemen or from the farmers.
νῦν δʼ ἐπειδὴ ἀνθρώπω ἐστόν, τίνα αὐτοῖν ἐν νῷ ἔχεις ἐπιστάτην λαβεῖν;
But now, since they are humans, whom do you have in mind to take as a supervisor for them?
τίς τῆς τοιαύτης ἀρετῆς, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης τε καὶ πολιτικῆς, ἐπιστήμων ἐστίν;
Who is knowledgeable in such virtue, that of a human and a citizen?
οἶμαι γάρ σε ἐσκέφθαι διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑέων κτῆσιν.
For I think you have considered this because of your possession of your sons.
ἔστιν τις,
ἔφην ἐγώ,
ἢ οὔ; πάνυ γε,
ἦ δʼ ὅς.
Is there anyone," I said, "or not?" "Certainly," said he.
τίς,
ἦν δʼ ἐγώ,
καὶ ποδαπός, καὶ πόσου διδάσκει; Εὔηνος,
ἔφη,
ὦ Σώκρατες, Πάριος, πέντε μνῶν. καὶ ἐγὼ τὸν Εὔηνον ἐμακάρισα εἰ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἔχοι ταύτην τὴν τέχνην καὶ οὕτως ἐμμελῶς διδάσκει.
"Who is he," I said, "and where is he from, and for how much does he teach?" "Evenus," he said, "Socrates, a Parian, for five minas." And I congratulated Evenus if he truly possessed this art and teaches so reasonably.
ἐγὼ γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκαλλυνόμην τε καὶ ἡβρυνόμην ἂν εἰ ἠπιστάμην ταῦτα· ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ ἐπίσταμαι, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι.
I, at least, would also be proud and give myself airs if I understood these things; but indeed I do not understand them, men of Athens.
ὑπολάβοι ἂν οὖν τις ὑμῶν ἴσως· ἀλλʼ, ὦ Σώκρατες, τὸ σὸν τί ἐστι πρᾶγμα;
Someone among you might perhaps reply: "But, Socrates, what is your affair?
πόθεν αἱ διαβολαί σοι αὗται γεγόνασιν;
From where have these slanders arisen against you?
οὐ γὰρ δήπου σοῦ γε οὐδὲν τῶν ἄλλων περιττότερον πραγματευομένου ἔπειτα τοσαύτη φήμη τε καὶ λόγος γέγονεν, εἰ μή τι ἔπραττες ἀλλοῖον ἢ οἱ πολλοί.
For surely, if you were not busying yourself with something more unusual than other people, such a great rumor and talk would not have arisen, unless you were doing something different from the multitude.
λέγε οὖν ἡμῖν τί ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ ἡμεῖς περὶ σοῦ αὐτοσχεδιάζωμεν. ταυτί μοι δοκεῖ δίκαια λέγειν ὁ λέγων, κἀγὼ ὑμῖν πειράσομαι ἀποδεῖξαι τί ποτʼ ἐστὶν τοῦτο ὃ ἐμοὶ πεποίηκεν τό τε ὄνομα καὶ τὴν διαβολήν.
Tell us, then, what it is, so that we may not judge you offhand." In saying this, the speaker seems to me to speak justly, and I will attempt to show you what indeed it is that has brought me this name and this slander.
ἀκούετε δή.
Listen then.
καὶ ἴσως μὲν δόξω τισὶν ὑμῶν παίζειν· εὖ μέντοι ἴστε, πᾶσαν ὑμῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐρῶ.
And perhaps I shall seem to some of you to be joking; be well assured, however, that I shall tell you the whole truth.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, διʼ οὐδὲν ἀλλʼ ἢ διὰ σοφίαν τινὰ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα ἔσχηκα.
For I, men of Athens, have acquired this name through nothing other than a certain wisdom.
ποίαν δὴ σοφίαν ταύτην;
What indeed is this wisdom?
ἥπερ ἐστὶν ἴσως ἀνθρωπίνη σοφία· τῷ ὄντι γὰρ κινδυνεύω ταύτην εἶναι σοφός.
That which is perhaps human wisdom; for in fact I am likely to be wise in this.
οὗτοι δὲ τάχʼ ἄν, οὓς ἄρτι ἔλεγον, μείζω τινὰ ἢ κατʼ ἄνθρωπον σοφίαν σοφοὶ εἶεν, ἢ οὐκ ἔχω τί λέγω· οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἔγωγε αὐτὴν ἐπίσταμαι, ἀλλʼ ὅστις φησὶ ψεύδεταί τε καὶ ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τῇ ἐμῇ λέγει.
But those men whom I just mentioned might perhaps be wise in some wisdom greater than human, or I do not know what to say; for indeed I do not understand it, and whoever says I do is lying and speaks to slander me.
καί μοι, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μὴ θορυβήσητε, μηδʼ ἐὰν δόξω τι ὑμῖν μέγα λέγειν· οὐ γὰρ ἐμὸν ἐρῶ τὸν λόγον ὃν ἂν λέγω, ἀλλʼ εἰς ἀξιόχρεων ὑμῖν τὸν λέγοντα ἀνοίσω.
And do not make a disturbance, men of Athens, even if I seem to you to say something boastful; for I shall not say the words as my own, but I shall refer the speaker to a trustworthy authority for you.
τῆς γὰρ ἐμῆς, εἰ δή τίς ἐστιν σοφία καὶ οἵα, μάρτυρα ὑμῖν παρέξομαι τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἐν Δελφοῖς.
For of my wisdom, if indeed it is any wisdom and of what kind it is, I shall offer as witness to you the god in Delphi.
Χαιρεφῶντα γὰρ ἴστε που.
For you surely know Chaerephon.