ern　times。　　The　persons　whom　Plato　ridicules　in　the　epilogue　to　the　Euthydemus　are　of　this　class。　　They　occupy　a　border…ground　between　philosophy　and　politics；　they　keep　out　of　the　dangers　of　politics；　and　at　the　same　time　use　philosophy　as　a　means　of　serving　their　own　interests。　　Plato　quaintly　describes　them　as　making　two　good　things；　philosophy　and　politics；　a　little　worse　by　perverting　the　objects　of　both。　　Men　like　Antiphon　or　Lysias　would　be　types　of　the　class。　　Out　of　a　regard　to　the　respectabilities　of　life；　they　are　disposed　to　censure　the　interest　which　Socrates　takes　in　the　exhibition　of　the　two　brothers。　　They　do　not　understand；　any　more　than　Crito；　that　he　is　pursuing　his　vocation　of　detecting　the　follies　of　mankind；　which　he　finds　'not　unpleasant。'　　（Compare　Apol。）
  Education　is　the　common　subject　of　all　Plato's　earlier　Dialogues。　　The　concluding　remark　of　Crito；　that　he　has　a　difficulty　in　educating　his　two　sons；　and　the　advice　of　Socrates　to　him　that　he　should　not　give　up　philosophy　because　he　has　no　faith　in　philosophers；　seems　to　be　a　preparation　for　the　more　peremptory　declaration　of　the　Meno　that　'Virtue　cannot　be　taught　because　there　are　no　teachers。'
  The　reasons　for　placing　the　Euthydemus　early　in　the　series　are：　　（1）　the　similarity　in　plan　and　style　to　the　Protagoras；　Charmides；　and　Lysis；the　relation　of　Socrates　to　the　Sophists　is　still　that　of　humorous　antagonism；　not；　as　in　the　later　Dialogues　of　Plato；　of　embittered　hatred；　and　the　places　and　persons　have　a　considerable　family　likeness；　（2）　the　Euthydemus　belongs　to　the　Socratic　period　in　which　Socrates　is　represented　as　willing　to　learn；　but　unable　to　teach；　and　in　the　spirit　of　Xenophon's　Memorabilia；　philosophy　is　defined　as　'the　knowledge　which　will　make　us　happy；'　（3）　we　seem　to　have　passed　the　stage　arrived　at　in　the　Protagoras；　for　Socrates　is　no　longer　discussing　whether　virtue　can　be　taughtfrom　this　question　he　is　relieved　by　the　ingenuous　declaration　of　the　youth　Cleinias；　and　（4）　not　yet　to　have　reached　the　point　at　which　he　asserts　'that　there　are　no　teachers。'　　Such　grounds　are　precarious；　as　arguments　from　style　and　plan　are　apt　to　be　（Greek）。　　But　no　arguments　equally　strong　can　be　urged　in　favour　of　assigning　to　the　Euthydemus　any　other　position　in　the　series。
  EUTHYDEMUS
  by
  Plato
  Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
  PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　Socrates；　who　is　the　narrator　of　the　Dialogue。　Crito；　Cleinias；　Euthydemus；　Dionysodorus；　Ctesippus。
  SCENE：　　The　Lyceum。
  CRITO：　　Who　was　the　person；　Socrates；　with　whom　you　were　talking　yesterday　at　the　Lyceum？　　There　was　such　a　crowd　around　you　that　I　could　not　get　within　hearing；　but　I　caught　a　sight　of　him　over　their　heads；　and　I　made　out；　as　I　thought；　that　he　was　a　stranger　with　whom　you　were　talking：　　who　was　he？
  SOCRATES：　　There　were　two；　Crito；　which　of　them　do　you　mean？
  CRITO：　　The　one　whom　I　mean　was　seated　second　from　you　on　the　right…hand　side。　　In　the　middle　was　Cleinias　the　young　son　of　Axiochus；　who　has　wonderfully　grown；　he　is　only　about　the　age　of　my　own　Critobulus；　but　he　is　much　forwarder　and　very　good…looking：　　the　other　is　thin　and　looks　younger　than　he　is。
  SOCRATES：　　He　whom　you　mean；　Crito；　is　Euthydemus；　and　on　my　left　hand　there　was　his　brother　Dionysodorus；　who　also　took　part　in　the　conversation。
  CRITO：　　Neither　of　them　are　known　to　me；　Socrates；　they　are　a　new　importation　of　Sophists；　as　I　should　imagine。　　Of　what　country　are　they；　and　what　is　their　line　of　wisdom？
  SOCRATES：　　As　to　their　origin；　I　believe　that　they　are　natives　of　this　part　of　the　world；　and　have　migrated　from　Chios　to　Thurii；　they　were　driven　out　of　Thurii；　and　have　been　living　for　many　years　past　in　these　regions。　　As　to　their　wisdom；　about　which　you　ask；　Crito；　they　are　wonderful　consummate！　　I　never　knew　what　the　true　pancratiast　was　before；　they　are　simply　made　up　of　fighting；　not　like　the　two　Acarnanian　brothers　who　fight　with　their　bodies　only；　but　this　pair　of　heroes；　besides　being　perfect　in　the　use　of　their　bodies；　are　invincible　in　every　sort　of　warfare；　for　they　are　capital　at　fighting　in　armour；　and　will　teach　the　art　to　any　one　who　pays　them；　and　also　they　are　most　skilful　in　legal　warfare；　they　will　plead　themselves　and　teach　others　to　speak　and　to　compose　speeches　which　will　have　an　effect　upon　the　courts。　　And　this　was　only　the　beginning　of　their　wisdom；　but　they　have　at　last　carried　out　the　pancratiastic　art　to　the　very　end；　and　have　mastered　the　only　mode　of　fighting　which　had　been　hitherto　neglected　by　them；　and　now　no　one　dares　even　to　stand　up　against　them：　　such　is　their　skill　in　the　war　of　words；　that　they　can　refute　any　proposition　whether　true　or　false。　　Now　I　am　thinking；　Crito；　of　placing　myself　in　their　hands；　for　they　say　that　in　a　short　time　they　can　impart　their　skill　to　any　one。
  CRITO：　　But；　Socrates；　are　you　not　too　old？　there　may　be　reason　to　fear　that。
  SOCRATES：　　Certainly　not；　Crito；　as　I　will　prove　to　you；　for　I　have　the　consolation　of　knowing　that　they　began　this　art　of　disputation　which　I　covet；　quite；　as　I　may　say；　in　old　age；　last　year；　or　the　year　before；　they　had　none　of　their　new　wisdom。　　I　am　only　apprehensive　that　I　may　bring　the　two　strangers　into　disrepute；　as　I　have　done　Connus　the　son　of　Metrobius；　the　harp…player；　who　is　still　my　music…master；　for　when　the　boys　who　go　to　him　see　me　going　with　them；　they　laugh　at　me　and　call　him　grandpapa's　master。　　Now　I　should　not　like　the　strangers　to　experience　similar　treatment；　the　fear　of　ridicule　may　make　them　unwilling　to　receive　me；　and　therefore；　Crito；　I　shall　try　and　persuade　some　old　men　to　accompany　me　to　them；　as　I　persuaded　them　to　go　with　me　to　Connus；　and　I　hope　that　you　will　make　one：　　and　perhaps　we　had　better　take　your　sons　as　a　bait；　they　will　want　to　have　them　as　pupils；　and　for　the　sake　of　them　willing　to　receive　us。
  CRITO：　　I　see　no　objection；　Socrates；　if　you　like；　but　first　I　wish　that　you　would　give　me　a　description　of　their　wisdom；　that　I　may　know　beforehand　what　we　are　going　to　learn。
  SOCRATES：　　In　less　than　no　time　you　shall　hear；　for　I　cannot　say　that　I　did　not　attendI　paid　great　attention　to　them；　and　I　remember　and　will　endeavour　to　repeat　the　whole　story。　　Providentially　I　was　sitting　alone　in　the　dressing…room　of　the　Lyceum　where　you　saw　me；　and　was　about　to　depart；　when　I　was　getting　up　I　recognized　the　familiar　divine　sign：　　so　I　sat　down　again；　and　in　a　little　while　the　two　brothers　Euthydemus　and　Dionysodorus　came　in；　and　several　others　with　them；　whom　I　believe　to　be　their　disciples；　and　they　walked　about　in　the　covered　court；　they　had　not　taken　more　than　two　or　three　turns　when　Cleinias　entered；　who；　as　you　truly　say；　is　very　much　improved：　　he　was　followed　by　a　host　of　lovers；　one　of　whom　was　Ctesippus　the　Paeanian；　a　well…bred　youth；　but　also　having　the　wildness　of　youth。　　Cleinias　saw　me　from　the　entrance　as　I　was　sitting　alone；　and　at　once　came　and　sat　down　on　the　right　hand　of　me；　as　you　describe；　and　Dionysodorus　and　Euthydemus；　when　they　saw　him；　at　first　stopped　and　talked　with　one　another；　now　and　then　glancing　at　us；　for　I　particularly　watched　them；　and　then　Euthydemus　came　and　sat　down　by　the　youth；　and　the　other　by　me　on　the　left　hand；　the　rest　anywhere。　　I　saluted　the　brothers；　whom　I　had　not　seen　for　a　long　time；　and　then　I　said　to　Cleinias：　　Here　are　two　wise　men；　Euthydemus　and　Dionysodorus；　Cleinias；　wise　not　in　a　small　but　in　a　large　way　of　wisdom；　for　they　know　all　about　war；all　that　a　good　general　ought　to　know　about　the　array　and　command　of　an　army；　and　the　whole　art　of　fighting　in　armour：　　and　they　know　about　law　too；　and　can　teach　a　man　how　to　use　the　weapons　of　the　courts　when　he　is　injured。
  They　heard　me　say　this；　but　only　despised　me。　　I　observed　that　they　looked　at　one　another；　and　both　of　them　laughed；　and　then　Euthydemus　said：　　Those；　Socrates；　are　matters　which　we　no　longer　pursue　seriously；　to　us　they　are　secondary　occupations。
  Indeed；　I　said；　if　such　occupations　are　regarded　by　you　as　secondary；　what　must　the　principal　one　be；　tell　me；　I　beseech　you；　what　that　noble　study　is？
  The　teaching　of　virtue；　Socrates；　he　replied；　is　our　principal　occupation；　and　we　believe　that　we　can　impart　it　better　and　quicker　than　any　man。
  My　God！　I　said；　and　where　did　you　learn　that？　　I　always　thought；　as　I　was　saying　just　now；　that　your　chief　accomplishment　was　the　art　of　fighting　in　armour；　and　I　used　to　say　as　much　of　you；　for　I　remember　that　you　professed　this　when　you　were　here　before。　　But　now　if　you　really　have　the　other　knowledge；　O　forgive　me：　　I　address　you　as　I　would　superior　beings；　and　ask　you　to　pardon　the　impiety　of　my　former　expressions。　　But　are　you　quite　sure　about　this；　Dionysodorus　and　Euthydemus？　the　promise　is　so　vast；　that　a　feeling　of　incredulity　steals　over　me。
  You　may　take　our　word；　Socrates；　for　the　fact。
  Then　I　think　you　happier　in　having　such　a　treasure　than　the　great　king　is　in　the　possession　of　his　kingdom。　　And　please　to　tell　me　whether　you　intend　to　exhibit　your　wisdom；　or　what　will　you　do？
  That　is　why　we　have　come　hither；　Socrates；　and　our　purpose　is　not　only　to　exhibit；　but　also　to　teach　any　one　who　likes　to　learn。
  But　I　can　promise　you；　I　said；　that　every　unvirtuous　perso