 Beautiful and wise hippiest. It has been a long time since you've landed in Athens. My time is not my own Socrates. Whenever Ellis needs to do business with another Republic, I am the first citizen they choose to be their ambassador. They think I am the one who is most capable to judge and interpret messages from any other Republic. I have led delegations to many Republics, but I have gone most often to Sparta, where I have handled the most important matters. That explains why I come here so seldom. Hippiest, that's how it is to be a truly wise and talented man. In your private life, you are able to earn a lot of money from the young and provide them with even greater benefits. And as a public servant, you are able to do a lot of good in your Republic, as one must who wants to be honored rather than ignored by the people. But Hippiest, why is it that men from earlier times who are famous for their wisdom, I mean Pithecus and Beas, Thales from Miletus and his followers, and later ones up to the time of Anxagoras, clearly avoided political life? Socrates, is it not because they were powerless to apply their wisdom both to the public and private realms? Then by the gods your craft is just like the ones in which the skill of the earlier craftsmen is poor when compared to those of today. In the same way, can we say that your skill as a sophist far surpasses the inferior ability of the ancients? That's exactly right, Socrates. So, Hippiest, if Beas came back to life today, his wisdom would be a joke when compared to yours. In the same way that sculptors say, deadless would be ridiculous if he were reborn and produced works like the ones that made him famous. What you say is true, Socrates. However, I usually praise the ancients and others who came before us more than I do the current generation. Although I fear the jealousy of the living, I fear the anger of the dead even more. You are putting beautiful thoughts into beautiful words, Hippiest, if you ask me. And I affirm the truth of what you say. The skill that you sophists have developed in managing both public and private affairs has definitely increased over the years. Consider Gorgias, the sophist from Leontini, who came here as ambassador because he was best qualified to deal with public matters. He became famous as the best speaker in the legislature. In private, he gave demonstrations to young people, earning him a lot of money in this city. Or, if you prefer, take our friend, Prodacus, who has come here often on official business. During his most recent visit from Chaos, he became famous by speaking before the Athenian Council of 500. And he gave private demonstrations and instruction to the young that provided him with amazing wealth. But none of the famous men from earlier times thought it was appropriate to collect money in payment for public service, or for giving demonstrations of their wisdom to the people. They were so simple-minded that they never realized the enormous value of money. But, other than Protagoras, Gorgias and Prodacus have made more money with their wisdom than any master of any other skill. Socrates, you have no idea how beautiful this really is. You would be amazed if you knew how much money I have made. I will give you just one example. Once I went to Sicily when Protagoras was staying there, although he was older and more famous, in a short time I, so much younger, had earned more than a hundred and fifty menis. And in one tiny place named Inicus, I made more than twenty menis. When I came home and gave that money to my father, he and all the other citizens were astonished. I believe that I have made more money than any two sophists put together. What you say really is beautiful hippies, and it is powerful evidence of your own wisdom and that of other people of today when compared to wisdom of the past. Based on what you say, in earlier times people must have been quite ignorant. What people say about Anaxagoras is the opposite of what happened. Sample complete. Ready to continue?