and another in which the creator of the appearance is himself the
instrument.

THEAETETUS: What do you mean?

STRANGER: When any one makes himself appear like another in his figure
or his voice, imitation is the name for this part of the phantastic art.

THEAETETUS: Yes.

STRANGER: Let this, then, be named the art of mimicry, and this the
province assigned to it; as for the other division, we are weary and
will give that up, leaving to some one else the duty of making the class
and giving it a suitable name.

THEAETETUS: Let us do as you say--assign a sphere to the one and leave
the other.

STRANGER: There is a further distinction, Theaetetus, which is worthy of
our consideration, and for a reason which I will tell you.

THEAETETUS: Let me hear.

STRANGER: There are some who imitate, knowing what they imitate, and
some who do not know. And what line of distinction can there possibly be
greater than that which divides ignorance from knowledge?

THEAETETUS: There can be no greater.

STRANGER: Was not the sort of imitation of which we spoke just now the
imitation of those who know? For he who would imitate you would surely
know you and your figure?

THEAETETUS: Naturally.

STRANGER: And what would you say of the figure or form of justice or of
virtue in general? Are we not well aware that many, having no knowledge
of either, but only a sort of opinion, do their best to show that this
opinion is really entertained by them, by expressing it, as far as they
can, in word and deed?

THEAETETUS: Yes, that is very common.

STRANGER: And do they always fail in their attempt to be thought just,
when they are not? Or is not the very opposite true?

THEAETETUS: The very opposite.

STRANGER: Such a one, then, should be described as an imitator--to be
distinguished from the other, as he who is ignorant is distinguished
from him who knows?

THEAETETUS: True.

STRANGER: Can we find a suitable name for each of them? This is clearly
not an easy task; for among the ancients there was some confusion
of ideas, which prevented them from attempting to divide genera into
species; wherefore there is no great abundance of names. Yet, for the
sake of distinctness, I will make bold to call the imitation which
coexists with opinion, the imitation of appearance--that which coexists
with science, a scientific or learned imitation.

THEAETETUS: Granted.

STRANGER: The former is our present concern, for the Sophist was classed