Euthydemus (300-301)

Soc.

said Euthydemus, [*] said Ctesippus. he asked. asked Dionysodorus, replied Ctesippus. he said. (It struck me that Ctesippus was specially excited on account of his young friend’s presence.) said Euthydemus, he replied. said Ctesippus, said Euthydemus. he said: said Dionysodorus, snatching the word from him: At this Ctesippus, as his manner was, gave a mighty guffaw, and said: Then Cleinias was greatly delighted and laughed, so that Ctesippus felt his strength was as the strength of ten: but I fancy Ctesippus—he is such a rogue—had picked up these very words by overhearing the men themselves, since in nobody else of the present age is such wisdom to be found. So I remarked: Why are you laughing, Cleinias, at such serious and beautiful things? asked Dionysodorus. Yes, I have, I replied, and many of them, Dionysodorus.

Soc.

he said, Here I was desperately perplexed, and felt that I had my deserts for the grunt I had made: however, I replied that they were different from the beautiful itself, though each of them had some beauty present with it. he said, Heavens, do not say that! I cried. Are you at a loss there? I asked: already I was attempting to imitate the cleverness of these men, I was so eager to get it. he said, What is that you say, Dionysodorus? I asked: is not the beautiful beautiful, and the ugly ugly? he replied. Then does it seem so? he said. Then the same also is the same, and the different different? For I presume the different cannot be the same; nay, I thought not even a child would doubt that the different is different. But, Dionysodorus, you have deliberately passed over this one point; though, on the whole, I feel that, like craftsmen finishing off each his special piece of work, you two are carrying out your disputation in excellent style. he asked, I can: a brazier’s. A potter’s. A caterer’s, I said. he said, Yes, to be sure. I did so, I replied, but pray forgive me. he proceeded, Poseidon! I exclaimed, there you give the finishing touch to your wisdom. I wonder if this skill could ever come to me in such manner as to be my very own. he asked, Yes, if only you are agreeable, I replied, without a doubt. he went on, Yes, if I take your meaning aright: for all my hopes arise from you, and end in Euthydemus here.[*]