Call. With all my heart (and as he spoke he faced Hermogenes). Why, when the flute is talking, we are as silent as the grave.
Her. What, would you have me imitate Nicostratus (1) the actor, reciting his tetrameters (2) to the music of the fife? Must I discourse to you in answer to the flute?
(1) See Cobet, "Pros. Xen." p. 53; and cf. Diog. Laert. iv. 3, 4;
Polyaen. vi. 10; "Hell." IV. viii. 18.
(2) See Aristoph. "Clouds," where Socrates is giving Strepsiades a
lesson in "measures," 639-646: {poteron to trimetron e to
tetrametron}.
Then Socrates: By all that's holy, I wish you would, Hermogenes. How delightful it would be. Just as a song sounds sweeter in concert with the flute, so would your talk be more mellifluous attuned to its soft pipings; and particularly if you would use gesticulation like the flute-girl, to suit the tenor of your speech.
Here Callias demanded: And when our friend (Antisthenes) essays to cross-examine people (3) at a banquet, what kind of piping (4) should he have?
(3) Or, "a poor body," in reference to the elentic onslaught made on
himself by Antisthenes above.
(4) {to aulema}, a composition for reed instruments, "music for the
flute." Cf. Aristoph. "Frogs," 1302.
Ant. The person in the witness-box would best be suited with a serpent-hissing theme. (5)
(5) Or, "motif on a scrannel pipe." See L. & S. s.v. {puthaules}. Cf.
Poll. iv. 81, {puthikon aulema}, an air ({nomos}) played on the
{puthois aulos}, expressing the battle between Apollo and the
Python, the hiss of which was imitated.
Thus the stream of talk flowed on; until the Syracusan, who was painfully aware that while the company amused themselves, his "exhibition" was neglected, turned, in a fit of jealous spleen, at last on Socrates. (6)
(6) "The Syracusan is 'civil as an orange, and of that jealous
complexion.'"