The Syr. They call you Socrates. Are you that person commonly nicknamed the thinker? (7)
(7) Apparently he has been to see the "Clouds" (exhibited first in 423
B.C.), and has conceived certain ideas concerning Socrates, "a
wise man, who speculated about the heaven above, and searched into
the earth beneath, and made the worse appear the better cause."
Plat. "Apol." 18 B, 19 C. "Clouds," 101, 360, {khair o presbuta
... ton nun meteorosophiston... ta te meteora phrontistes}.
Soc. Which surely is a better fate than to be called a thoughtless person?
The Syr. Perhaps, if you were not thought to split your brains on things above us—transcendental stuff. (8)
(8) Or, "if only you were held to be less 'meteoric,' less head-in-
airy in your speculations."
Soc. And is there anything more transcendental than the gods?
The Syr. By heaven! no, it is not the gods above us whom you care for, but for matters void of use and valueless. (9)
(9) It is impossible to give the play on words. The Syr.
{anophelestaton}. Soc. {ano... ophelousin}. Schenkl after
Madvig emend.: {ton ano en nephelais onton} = "but for things in
the clouds above."
Soc. It seems, then, by your showing I do care for them. How value less the gods, not more, if being above us they make the void of use to send us rain, and cause their light to shine on us? And now, sir, if you do not like this frigid (10) argument, why do you cause me trouble? The fault is yours. (11)
(10) Cf. "Cyrop." VIII. iv. 22, 23.
(11) {pho parekhousin... pragmata moi parekhon}. Lit. "cause light
... causing me trouble."