Page:The Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology, Volume 1, 1854.djvu/175

 The Sophists. 165 marked antithesis in the Memorabilia." But if Socrates had not ac- tually been brought into frequent collision with the Sophists, would Plato, for the mere sake of contrasting his teaching and princi- ples with theirs, have chosen to represent him as their constant antagonist ? I do not think that he would so soon after his mas- ter's death (and even during his life-time, if, as is nearly certain, the Protagoras was written at that period) have ventured thus to violate historical probability, and to trifle with his character and his memory. Indeed the mere love of fun (for Socrates had a most keen sense of the ludicrous) and the pleasure of exercising his dialectical skill in unmasking these pompous swaggering pre- tenders, apart from any points of difference between their views and feelings, or the mischievous effects which he may have at- tributed to their teaching, must necessarily have led to constant "wit-combates" between them, similar to those which are de- scribed in the Protagoras and Gorgias. That this was the case there are sufficient indications in the Memorabilia : and it must be remembered that the apologetic purpose of that work would lead its author to report conversations of which the whole world could understand the drift, and in which positive principles and rules of conduct were inculcated, rather than discussions which many of his readers might chance to think frivolous and leading to no certain conclusion : so that we should not expect to find many of these encounters narrated by Xenophon. But at the same time he points out the difference between Socrates and the Sophists, by showing that the former was an honest and sincere man, whose great object was to instil virtuous principles into those who sought his advice and instruction. However, we have in that work positive evidence of Socrates' opinion of some of the Sophists, conveyed either by direct statements, or by implication from the opposition of their views on this or that subject. See the argument with Hippias upon justice and the laws, Mem. rv. 4; particularly the witty answer to the Sophist, conveying a severe reproof, which Plato has borrowed, Gorg. 490. e. 491. b. [in the latter passage Plato explains the joke, in a very unworthy and matter of fact manner] Mem. i. 2. 6. his opinion of taking money for the privilege of intercourse and conversation ; lb. 7, life, and method of philosophising, jus- uncompromising opponent of them and tify the position assigned to him in the their principles. Platonic dialogues as the systematic and