just when I am about to
entertain Autolycus and his father at a feast. The splendour of the
entertainment shall be much enhanced, I need not tell you, if my hall
(13) should happily be graced by worthies like yourselves, who have
attained to purity of soul, (14) rather than by generals and cavalry
commanders (15) and a crowd of place-hunters. (16)

(13) Or, "dining-room." See Becker, "Charicles," 265.

(14) See Grote, "H. G." viii. 619 foll. Cf. Plat. "Rep." 527 D;
"Soph." 230 E.

(15) Lit. Strategoi, Hipparchs.

(16) Or, "petitioners for offices of state." Reading {spoudarkhiais}.

Whereat Socrates: When will you have done with your gibes, Callias? Why,
because you have yourself spent sums of money on Protagoras, (17) and
Gorgias, and Prodicus, and a host of others, to learn wisdom, must you
pour contempt on us poor fellows, who are but self-taught tinkers (18)
in philosophy compared with you?

(17) As to Protagoras of Abdera, Gorgias of Leontini, Prodicus of
Ceos, see Plat. "Prot." 314 C, "Rep." x. 600 C, "Apol." 19 E;
"Anab." II. vi. 17; "Mem." II. i. 21; "Encyc. Brit." "Sophists,"
H. Jackson.

(18) Or, "hand-to-mouth cultivators of philosophy," "roturiers." Cf.
Plat. "Rep." 565 A: "A third class who work for themselves"; Thuc.
i. 141: "The Peloponnesians cultivate their own soil, and they
have no wealth either public or private." Cf. "Econ." v. 4.

Hitherto, no doubt (retorted Callias), although I had plenty of wise
things to say, I have kept my wisdom to myself; but if only you will
honour me with your company to-day, I promise to present myself in quite
another light; you will see I am a person of no mean consideration after
all. (19)

(19) Or, "I will prove to you that I am worthy of infinite respect."

Socrates and the others, while thanking Callias politely for the
invitation, were not disposed at first to join the dinner party; but the
annoyance of the other so to be put off was so obvious that in the end
the party were persuaded to accompany their host.

After an interval devoted to gymnastic exercise (and subsequent
anointing of the limbs) by some, whilst others of them took a bath, the
guests were severally presented to the master of the house.

Autolycus was seated next his father, as was natural, (20) while the
rest reclined on couches. Noting the scene presented, the first idea to
strike the mind of any one must certainly have been that beauty has
by nat