[1] Cf. Isocr. "Against the Sophists"; "Antidosis"; "Hel. Encom.";
Plat. "Sophist."
[2] Who are these {oi nun sophistai}?
[3] Lit. "do they present writings to the world."
[4] Or, "as to certain weightier matters gravely."
[5] {remata} = "words and phrases"; {ynomai} = "moral maxims, just
thoughts."
[6] "Being myself but a private individual and a plain man." According
to Hartman, "A. X. N." p. 350, "ridicule detorquet Hesiodeum":
{outos men panaristos os auto panta noese esthlos d' au kakeinos os eu eiponti pithetai}.
[7] Al. "in true sophistic style." The writer seems to say: "I lack
subtlety of expression (nor is that at all my object); what I do
aim at is to trace with some exactness, to present with the
lucidity appropriate to them, certain thoughts demanded by persons
well educated in the school of virtue."
Nor am I singular in thus reproaching the modern type of sophist (not the true philosopher, be it understood); it is a general reproach that the wisdom he professes consists in word-subtleties, not in ideas.[8] Certainly it does not escape my notice that an orderly sequence of ideas adds beauty to the composition:[9] I mean it will be easy to find fault with what is written incorrectly.[10] Nevertheless, I warrant it is written in this fashion with an eye to rectitude, to make the reader wise and good, not more sophistical. For I would wish my writings not to seem but rather to be useful. I would have them stand the test of ages in their blamelessness.[11]
[8] {onomasi}, "in names"; {noemasi}, "thoughts and ideas."
[9] Or, "I am alive to the advantage to be got from methodic, orderly
expression artistically and morally."
[10] This passage, since H. Estienne (Stephanus) first wrote against
it "huic loco meae conjecturae succumbunt," has been a puzzle to
all commentators. The words run: {ou lanthanei de me oti kalos kai
exes gegraphthai} [{gegraptai} in the margin of one MS.] {radion
gar estai autois takhu me orthos mempsasthai' kaitoi gegraptai ge
outos k.t.l.} For {takhu me orthos} (1) {takhu ti me orthos}, (2)
{to} (or {ta}) {me orthos}, have been suggested. It is not clear
whether {autois} = {tois sophistais} (e.g. "it will be easy for
these people to lay a finger at once on blots, however unfairly"),
or = {tois suggrammasi} (sc. my(?) compositions; so {auta}, S. 7
below, {ou gar dokein auta boulomai k.t.l.}) (e.g. "since it will
be easy offhand to find fault with them incorrectly") [or if {ta
me orthos}, "what is incorrect in them"]. I append the three
translations of Gail, Lenz, and Talbot. "Je sais combien il est
avantageux de presenter des ouvrages methodiquement ecrits; aussi
par le meme sera-t-il plus facile de prouver aux sophistes leur
futilite!" {radion gar estai} [sub. {emoi}] {mempsasthai outois
takhu (to) me} (sous-entendu) {gegraphthai orthos} (Gail). "Zwar
entgeht mir nicht, dass es schon say die Worte kunstvoll zu
ordnen, denn leichter wird ihnen sonst, schnell, aber mit Unrecht
zu tadeln" (Lenz). "Aussi leur sera-t-il facile de me reprocher
d'ecrire vite et sans ordre" (Talbot). As if {takhu me orthos}
were the reproachful comment of the sophist on the author's
treatise.
[11] i.e. "the arguments to be blameless at once and irrefutable for
all time."
That is my point of view. The sophist has quite another-words with him are for the sake of deception, writing for personal gain; to benefit any other living soul at all is quite beside his mark. There never was nor is there now a sage among them to whom the title "wise" could be applied. No! the appellation "sophist" suffices for each and all, which among men of common sense[12] sounds like a stigma. My advice then is to mistrust the sonorous catch-words[13] of the sophist, and not to despise the reasoned conclusions[14] of the philosopher; for the sophist is a hunter after the rich and young, the philosopher is the common friend of all; he neither honours nor despises the fortunes of men.
[12] L. Dind. cf. Eur. "Heracl." 370, {tou tauta kalos an eie} | {para
g' eu phronousin}.
[13] {paraggelmata}. Cf. Aesch. "Ag." 480, "telegraph"; Lys. 121. 32;
Dem. 569. 1; "words of command"; Dion. H. "De Comp." 248,
"instructions, precepts."
[14] {enthumemata}.
Nor would I have you envy or imitate those either who recklessly pursue the path of self-aggrandisement,[15] whether in private or in public life; but consider well[16] that the best of men,[17] the true nobility, are discovered by their virtues;[18] they are a laborious upwards-striving race; whilst the base are in evil plight[19] and are discovered by their demerits.[20] Since in proportion as they rob the private citizen of his means and despoil the state[21] they are less serviceable with a view to the public safety than any private citizen;[22] and what can be worse or more disgraceful for purposes of war than the bodily form of people so incapable of toil?[23] Think of huntsmen by contrast, surrendering to the common weal person and property alike in perfect condition for service of the citizens. They have both a battle to wage certainly: only the one set are for attacking beasts; and the other their own friends.[24] And naturally the assailant of his own friends does not win the general esteem;[25] whilst the huntsman in attacking a wild beast may win renown. If successful in his capture, he was won a victory over a hostile brood; or failing, in the first place, it is a feather in his cap that his attempt is made against enemies of the whole community; and secondly, that it is not to the detriment of man nor for love of gain that the field is taken; and thirdly, as the outcome of the very attempt, the hunter is improved in many respects, and all the wiser: by what means we will explain. Were it not for the very excess of his pains, his well-reasoned devices, his manifold precautions, he would never capture the quarry at all; since the antagonists he deals with are doing battle for bare life and in their native haunts,[26] and are consequently in great force. So that if he fails to overmatch the beasts by a zest for toil transcending theirs and plentiful intelligence, the huntsman's labours are in vain.
[15] Or, "surrender themselves heedlessly to the ways of self-
seeking." But the phraseology here seems to savour of extreme
youth, or else senility.
[16] {enthumethenta}. Query, in reference to {enthumemata} above?
[17] Reading {andron}. For the vulg. {auton} see Schneid. ad loc., who
suggests {ton aston}.
[18] "Recognisable for the better."
[19] "They are not famous but infamous"; "the bad fare as their name
suggests" (i.e. badly).
[20] "Recognisable for the worse."
[21] Or, "what with private extortionsand public peculation."
[22] {ton idioton}, "laymen," I suppose, as opposed to "professional"
lawyers or politicians.
[23] "What with their incapacity for hard work, their physique for