Now what astonishes me in the "sophists," as they are called,[1] is, that though they profess, the greater part of them, to lead the young to virtue, they really lead them in the opposite direction. Never have we set eyes on the man anywhere who owed his goodness to the sophists of to- day.[2] Nor do their writings contain anything[3] calculated to make men good, but they have written volumes on vain and frivolous subjects, in which the young may find pleasures that pall, but the essence of virtue is not in them. The result of this literature is to inflict unncessary waste of time on those who look to learn something from it all and look in vain, cutting them off from wholesome occupations and even teaching what is bad. I cannot then but blame them for certain large offences[4] more than lightly; but as regards the subject matter of their writings my charge is, that while full of far-fetched phraseology,[5] of solid wholesome sentiments, by which the young might be trained to virtue, I see not a vestige. Speaking as a plain man, I know that to be taught what is good by one's own nature is best of all,[6] and next best to learn of those who really do know some good thing rather than of those who have an art to deceive. It may well be that I fail to express myself in subtle language,[7] nor do I pretend to aim at subtlety; what I do aim at is to express rightly- conceived thoughts such as may serve the need of those who have been nobly disciplined in virtue; for it is not words and names that give instruction, but thoughts and sentiments worthy the name.
[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 eueiponti 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 doaim 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 willbe 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.
