§1ἐρωτᾷς, ὦ μειράκιον, ὅπως ἂν ῥήτωρ γένοιο καὶ τὸ σεμνότατον τοῦτο καὶ πάντιμον ὄνομα σοφιστὴς εἶναι δόξαις· ἀβίωτα γὰρ εἶναί σοι φής, εἰ μὴ τοιαύτην τινὰ τὴν δύναμιν περιβάλοιο ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ὡς ἄμαχον εἶναι καὶ ἀνυπόστατον καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι πρὸς ἁπάντων καὶ ἀποβλέπεσθαι, περισπούδαστον ἄκουσμα τοῖς Ἕλλησι δοκοῦντα·
You ask, my young friend, how you might become an orator and be thought to deserve that most venerable and honorable title of "Sophist." For you say that life is not worth living for you unless you can wrap yourself in such power of speech as to be invincible and irresistible, admired by all and looked up to, appearing to the Greeks as an object of intense interest.
καὶ δὴ τὰς ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἀγούσας ὁδοὺς αἵτινές ποτέ εἰσιν ἐθέλεις ἐκμαθεῖν.
And indeed you wish to learn what the paths leading to this are.
ἀλλʼ οὐδεὶς φθόνος, ὦ παῖ, καὶ μάλιστα ὁπότε νέος τις αὐτὸς ὤν, ὀρεγόμενος τῶν ἀρίστων, οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅθεν ἂν ταῦτα ἐκπορίσαιτο, ἱερόν τι χρῆμα τὴν συμβουλὴν οὖσαν, καθάπερ νῦν σύ, τοῦτο αἰτοίη προσελθών.
Well, there is no grudge, my boy, especially when someone who is young himself, striving for the best and not knowing how to obtain it, comes and asks for advice, which is a sacred thing, just as you are doing now.
ὥστε ἄκουε, τό γε ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ πάνυ θαρρῶν ὡς τάχιστα δεινὸς ἀνὴρ ἔσῃ γνῶναί τε τὰ δέοντα καὶ ἑρμηνεῦσαι αὐτά, ἢν τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο ἐθελήσῃς αὐτὸς ἐμμένειν οἷς ἂν ἀκούσῃς παρʼ ἡμῶν καὶ φιλοπόνως αὐτὰ μελετᾶν καὶ προθύμως ἀνύειν τὴν ὁδὸν ἔστʼ ἂν ἀφίκῃ πρὸς τὸ τέρμα.
Therefore, listen, and as far as I am concerned, be of very good courage that you will quickly become a man skilled both in knowing what is necessary and in expressing it, if after this you yourself are willing to abide by what you hear from us, and study it industriously, and eagerly pursue the path until you reach the goal.
§2τὸ μὲν οὖν θήραμα οὐ σμικρὸν οὐδὲ ὀλίγης τῆς σπουδῆς δεόμενον, ἀλλὰ ἐφʼ ὅτῳ καὶ πονῆσαι πολλὰ καὶ ἀγρυπνῆσαι καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ὑπομεῖναι ἄξιον.
The prize, then, is not small, nor does it require little diligence, but it is something for which it is worth suffering many pains, losing sleep, and enduring anything whatsoever.
σκόπει γοῦν ὁπόσοι τέως μηδὲν ὄντες ἔνδοξοι καὶ πλούσιοι καὶ νὴ Δία εὐγενέστατοι ἔδοξαν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων.
Consider, at any rate, how many who were previously nothing have seemed illustrious, wealthy, and, by Zeus, most noble because of their speeches.
§3ὅμως δὲ μὴ δέδιθι, μηδὲ πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος τῶν ἐλπιζομένων ἀποδυσπετήσῃς, μυρίους τινὰς τοὺς πόνους προπονῆσαι οἰηθείς.
Nevertheless, do not fear, nor lose heart at the magnitude of what is hoped for, thinking that you must perform thousands of labors beforehand.
οὐ γάρ σε τραχεῖάν τινα οὐδὲ ὄρθιον καὶ ἱδρῶτος μεστὴν ἡμεῖς ἄξομεν, ὡς ἐκ μέσης αὐτῆς ἀναστρέψαι καμόντα, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν ἂν διεφέρομεν τῶν ἄλλων ὅσοι τὴν συνήθη ἐκείνην ἡγοῦνται, μακρὰν καὶ ἀνάντη καὶ καματηρὰν καὶ ὡς τὸ πολὺ ἀπεγνωσμένην.
For we shall not lead you along some rough, steep, and sweat-filled path, so that you would turn back exhausted from the middle of it—since we would be no different from all those others who lead along that customary way, which is long, steep, tiresome, and for the most part hopeless.
ἀλλὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐξαίρετον τῆς συμβουλῆς τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι ἡδίστην τε ἅμα καὶ ἐπιτομωτάτην καὶ ἱππήλατον καὶ κατάντη σὺν πολλῇ τῇ θυμηδίᾳ καὶ τρυφῇ διὰ λειμώνων εὐανθῶν καὶ σκιᾶς ἀκριβοῦς σχολῇ καὶ βάδην ἀνιὼν ἀνιδρωτὶ ἐπιστήσῃ τῇ ἄκρᾳ καὶ ἀγρεύσεις οὐ καμὼν καὶ νὴ Δίʼ εὐωχήσῃ κατακείμενος, ἐκείνους ὁπόσοι τὴν ἑτέραν ἐτράποντο ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ ἐπισκοπῶν ἐν τῇ ὑπωρείᾳ τῆς ἀνόδου ἔτι, κατὰ δυσβάτων καὶ ὀλισθηρῶν τῶν κρημνῶν μόλις ἀνέρποντας, ἀποκυλιομένους ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ἐνίοτε καὶ πολλὰ τραύματα λαμβάνοντας περὶ τραχείαις ταῖς πέτραις·
But this is the exquisite part of our advice: that at once the most pleasant, shortest, carriage-accessible, and downhill path, with much cheerfulness and luxury, through flowery meadows and rich shade, ascending leisurely and at a walk, you will without sweat stand upon the summit and catch your prey without tiring, and, by Zeus, feast reclining, looking down from the height upon those who turned to the other path, who are still at the foot of the ascent, crawling with difficulty up the impassable and slippery cliffs, sometimes rolling headlong and receiving many wounds on the rough rocks.
σὺ δὲ πρὸ πολλοῦ ἄνω ἐστεφανωμένος εὐδαιμονέστατος ἔσῃ, ἅπαντα ἐν βραχεῖ ὅσα ἐστὶν ἀγαθὰ παρὰ τῆς ῥητορικῆς μονονουχὶ καθεύδων λαβών.
But you, long before, will be crowned above, most happy, receiving in a short time all the goods that come from rhetoric, almost while sleeping.
§4ἡ μὲν δὴ ὑπόσχεσις οὕτω μεγάλη· σὺ δὲ πρὸς Φιλίου μὴ ἀπιστήσῃς, εἰ ῥᾷστά τε ἅμα καὶ ἥδιστά σοι ταῦτα ἐπιδείξειν φαμέν.
The promise is indeed so great; but do not, by the god of friendship, disbelieve us if we say we will show you these things in the easiest and most pleasant way.
τί γάρ;
For why?
Ἡσίοδος μὲν ὀλίγα φύλλα ἐκ τοῦ Ἑλικῶνος λαβὼν αὐτίκα μάλα ποιητὴς ἐκ ποιμένος κατέστη καὶ ᾖδε θεῶν καὶ ἡρώων γένη κάτοχος ἐκ Μουσῶν γενόμενος, ῥήτορα δέ, ὃ πολὺ ἔνερθε ποιητικῆς μεγαληγορίας ἐστίν, ἐν βραχεῖ καταστῆναι ἀδύνατον, εἴ τις ἐκμάθοι τὴν ταχίστην ὁδόν;
Hesiod, receiving a few leaves from Helicon, immediately became a poet from a shepherd, and sang the generations of gods and heroes, having become possessed by the Muses. Is it then impossible for an orator—which is far below the high-sounding nature of poetry—to be made in a short time, if one learns the quickest way?
§5ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ διηγήσασθαι σοι βούλομαι Σιδωνίου τινὸς ἐμπόρου ἐπίνοιαν διʼ ἀπιστίαν ἀτελῆ γενομένην καὶ τῷ ἀκούσαντι ἀνόνητον.
Indeed, I also want to tell you the scheme of a certain Sidonian merchant, which became unaccomplished through disbelief and useless to the hearer.
ἦρχε μὲν γὰρ ἤδη Ἀλέξανδρος Περσῶν, μετὰ τὴν ἐν Ἀρβήλοις μάχην Δαρεῖον καθῃρηκώς· ἔδει δὲ πανταχόσε τῆς ἀρχῆς διαθεῖν τοὺς γραμματοφόρους τὰ ἐπιτάγματα τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου κομίζοντας.
For Alexander was already ruling the Persians, having overthrown Darius after the battle of Arbela; and it was necessary for letter-carriers to run everywhere in the empire carrying Alexander's commands.
ἐκ Περσῶν δὲ πολλὴ εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐγίγνετο ἡ ὁδός· ἐκπεριιέναι γὰρ ἔδει τὰ ὄρη, εἶτα διὰ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας εἰς τὴν Ἀραβίαν ἐλθεῖν, εἶτα ἐρήμην πολλὴν περάσαντα ἀφικέσθαι ποτὲ μόλις εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἴκοσι μηκίστους ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ σταθμοὺς τούτους διανύσαντα.
But the journey from Persia to Egypt was long: for they had to go around the mountains, then come through Babylonia into Arabia, then cross a vast desert to arrive at last with difficulty in Egypt, completing these twenty longest stages for an active man.
ἤχθετο οὖν ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ἐπὶ τούτῳ, διότι Αἰγυπτίους τι παρακινεῖν ἀκούων οὐκ εἶχε διὰ ταχέων ἐκπέμπειν τοῖς σατράπαις τὰ δοκοῦντά οἱ περὶ αὐτῶν.
Alexander was therefore annoyed at this, because, hearing that the Egyptians were stirring up some trouble, he was unable to dispatch quickly to the satraps his decisions about them.
τότε δὴ ὁ Σιδώνιος ἔμπορος,
ἐγώ σοι,
ἔφη,
ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὑπισχνοῦμαι δείξειν ὁδὸν οὐ πολλὴν ἐκ Περσῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον.
Just then, the Sidonian merchant said, "I promise you, O King, to show a path not long from Persia to Egypt.
εἰ γάρ τις ὑπερβαίη τὰ ὄρη ταῦτα — ὑπερβαίη δʼ ἂν τριταῖος — αὐτίκα μάλα ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ οὗτός ἐστιν. καὶ εἶχεν οὕτω.
For if one should cross over these mountains—and he could cross them on the third day—he is immediately in Egypt." And it was so.
πλὴν ὅ γε Ἀλέξανδρος οὐκ ἐπίστευσεν, ἀλλὰ γόητα ᾤετο εἶναι τὸν ἔμπορον.
Except that Alexander did not believe him, but thought the merchant was an impostor.
οὕτω τὸ παράδοξον τῆς ὑποσχέσεως ἄπιστον δοκεῖ τοῖς πολλοῖς.
Thus the extraordinary nature of a promise seems unbelievable to the majority.