to
tetrametron}.

Then Socrates: By all that's holy, I wish you would, Hermogenes. How
delightful it would be. Just as a song sounds sweeter in concert with
the flute, so would your talk be more mellifluous attuned to its soft
pipings; and particularly if you would use gesticulation like the
flute-girl, to suit the tenor of your speech.

Here Callias demanded: And when our friend (Antisthenes) essays to
cross-examine people (3) at a banquet, what kind of piping (4) should he
have?

(3) Or, "a poor body," in reference to the elentic onslaught made on
himself by Antisthenes above.

(4) {to aulema}, a composition for reed instruments, "music for the
flute." Cf. Aristoph. "Frogs," 1302.

Ant. The person in the witness-box would best be suited with a
serpent-hissing theme. (5)

(5) Or, "motif on a scrannel pipe." See L. & S. s.v. {puthaules}. Cf.
Poll. iv. 81, {puthikon aulema}, an air ({nomos}) played on the
{puthois aulos}, expressing the battle between Apollo and the
Python, the hiss of which was imitated.

Thus the stream of talk flowed on; until the Syracusan, who was
painfully aware that while the company amused themselves, his
"exhibition" was neglected, turned, in a fit of jealous spleen, at last
on Socrates. (6)

(6) "The Syracusan is 'civil as an orange, and of that jealous
complexion.'"

The Syr. They call you Socrates. Are you that person commonly nicknamed
the thinker? (7)

(7) Apparently he has been to see the "Clouds" (exhibited first in 423
B.C.), and has conceived certain ideas concerning Socrates, "a
wise man, who speculated about the heaven above, and searched into
the earth beneath, and made the worse appear the better cause."
Plat. "Apol." 18 B, 19 C. "Clouds," 101, 360, {khair o presbuta
... ton nun meteorosophiston... ta te meteora phrontistes}.

Soc. Which surely is a better fate than to be called a thoughtless
person?

The Syr. Perhaps, if you were not thought to split your brains on things
above us--transcendental stuff. (8)

(8) Or, "if only you were held to be less 'meteoric,' less head-in-
airy in your speculations."

Soc. And is there anything more transcendental than the gods?

The Syr. By heaven! no, it is not the gods above us whom you care for,
but for matters void of use and valueless. (9)

(9) It is impossible to give the play on words. The Syr.
{anophelestaton}. Soc. {ano... ophelousin}. Schenkl after