Dialogues

he shall exhibit to you. Socrates Very good, Callicles; but will he answer our questions? for I want to hear from him what is the nature of his art, and what it is which he professes and teaches; he may, as you (Chaerephon) suggest, defer the exhibition to some other time. Callicles There is nothing like asking him, Socrates; and indeed to answer questions is a part of his exhibition, for he was saying only just now, that anyone in my house might put any question to him, and that he would answer. Socrates How fortunate! will you ask him, Chaerephon⁠—? Chaerephon What shall I ask him? Socrates Ask him who he is. Chaerephon What do you mean? Socrates I mean such a question as would elicit from him, if he had been a maker of shoes, the answer that he is a cobbler. Do you understand? Chaerephon I understand, and will ask him: Tell me, Gorgias, is our friend Callicles right in saying that you undertake to answer any questions which you are asked? Gorgias Quite right, Chaerephon: I was saying as much only just now; and I may add, that many years have elapsed since anyone has asked me a new one. Chaerephon Then you must be very ready, Gorgias. Gorgias Of that, Chaerephon, you can make trial. Polus Yes, indeed, and if you like, Chaerephon, you may make trial of me too, for I think that Gorgias, who has been talking a long time, is tired. Chaerephon And do you, Polus, think that you can answer better than Gorgias? Polus What does that matter if I answer well enough for you? Chaerephon Not at all:⁠—and you shall answer if you like. Polus Ask:⁠— Chaerephon My question is this: If Gorgias had the skill of his brother Herodicus, what ought we to call him? Ought he not to have the name which is given to his brother? Polus Certainly. Chaerephon Then we should be right in calling him a physician? Polus Yes. Chaerephon And if he had the skill of Aristophon the son of Aglaophon, or of his brother Polygnotus, what ought we to call him? Polus Clearly, a painter. Chaerephon But now what shall we call him⁠—what is the art in which he is skilled. Polus O Chaerephon, there are many arts among mankind which are experimental, and have their origin in experience, for experience makes the days of men to proceed according to art, and inexperience according to chance, and different persons in different ways are proficient in different arts, and the best persons in the best arts. And our friend Gorgias is one of the best, and the art in which he is a proficient is the noblest. Socrates Polus has been taught how to make a capital speech, Gorgias; but he is not fulfilling the promise which he made to Chaerephon. Gorgias What do you mean, Socrates? Socrates I mean that he has not exactly answered the question which he was asked. Gorgias Then why not ask him yourself? Socrates But I would much rather ask you, if you are disposed to answer: for I see, from the few words which Polus has uttered, that he has attended more to the art which is called rhetoric than to dialectic. Polus What makes you say so, Socrates? Socrates Because, Polus, when Chaerephon asked you what was the art which Gorgias knows, you praised it as if you were answering someone who found fault with it, but you never said what the art was. Polus Why, did I not say that it was the noblest of arts? Socrates Yes, indeed, but that was no answer to the question: nobody asked what was the quality, but what was the nature, of the art, and by what name we were to describe Gorgias. And I would still beg you briefly and clearly, as you answered Chaerephon when he asked you at first, to say what this art is, and what we ought to call Gorgias: Or rather, Gorgias, let me turn to you, and ask the same question⁠—what are we to call you, and what is the art which you profess? Gorgias Rhetoric, Socrates, is my art. Socrates Then I am to call you a rhetorician? Gorgias Yes, Socrates, and a good one too, if you would call me that which, in Homeric language, “I boast myself to be.” Socrates I should wish to do so. Gorgias Then pray do. Socrates And are we to say that you are able to make other men rhetoricians? Gorgias Yes, that is exactly what I profess to make them, not only at Athens, but in all places. Socrates And will you continue to ask and answer questions, Gorgias, as we are at present doing, and reserve for another occasion the longer mode of speech which Polus was attempting? Will you keep your promise, and answer shortly the questions which are asked of you? Gorgias Some answers, Socrates, are of necessity longer; but I will do my best to make them as short as possible; for a part of my profession is that I can be as short as anyone. Socrates That is what is wanted, Gorgias; exhibit the shorter method now, and the longer one at some other time. Gorgias Well, I will; and you will certainly say, that you never heard a man use fewer words. Socrates Very good then; as you profess to be a rhetorician, and a maker of rhetoricians, let me ask you, with what is rhetoric concerned: I might ask with what is weaving concerned, and you would reply (would you not?), with the making of garments? Gorgias Yes. Socrates And music is concerned with the composition of melodies? Gorgias It is. Socrates By Herè, Gorgias, I admire the surpassing brevity of your answers. Gorgias Yes, Socrates, I do think myself good at that. Socrates I am glad to hear it; answer me in like manner about rhetoric: with what is rhetoric concerned? Gorgias With discourse. Socrates What sort of discourse, Gorgias?⁠—such discourse as would teach the sick under what treatment they might get well? Gorgias No. Socrates Then rhetoric does not treat of all kinds of discourse? Gorgias Certainly not. Socrates And yet rhetoric makes men able to speak? Gorgias Yes. Socrates And to understand that about which they speak? Gorgias Of course.