They arrived at his house, which was quite unpretending. They found him picking parsley. They caught sight of him from a distance. He was a man of simple appearance. They conversed with one another, and considered the above-mentioned facts. And they said to one another: this man will be an easy bargain for us, for he seemed to them to be poor rather than rich.
They arrived and said: may God save you, O man of great wisdom, for so you must be since the Romans have entrusted so weighty a matter as this to you.
They showed him the decision of Rome, and said to him: we shall set our reasonable arguments, which are many, before you. Your own sense will [[143]]ensure our rights. And know that we obey a rich master: you will take these perperi[2] which are many, and yet for our lord are nothing, though to you they may be very useful.
And Socrates answered the ambassadors, and said: first you will dine, and then we will attend to your business.
They accepted the invitation and dined very poorly without leaving a morsel.
After dinner, Socrates spoke to the ambassadors and said: gentlemen, what is better, one thing or two things? The ambassadors replied: two. And he said: now go to the Romans with your persons, for if the city of Rome has the persons of the Greeks, it will have their persons and their goods. And if I took the gold, the Romans would lose their trust in me.
Then the ambassadors left the philosopher, full of shame, and obeyed the Romans. [[144]]
[1] Various commentators have observed that this tale is only a garbled version of the story told of Curio by Cicero in his De Senectute, 55. See also Gesta Romanorum, ch. LXI. [↑]