The Works of Plato

B.

But instruction cannot be carried in another vessel; it is necessary, having received it into the very soul (and having learned from it), to depart either having been harmed or benefited original: "τὸ μάθημα ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ψυχῇ λαβόντα καὶ μαθόντα ἀπιέναι ἢ βεβλαμμένον ἢ ὠφελημένον.". So let us consider this together with those who are older than us; because we are still too young to examine such a matter. But for now, let us go, as we intended, and listen to this man, and having listened to him, we will converse with others: for Protagoras is not alone there, but with him is Hippias of Elis; I think also Prodicus of Ceos, and many other wise men.
So having decided, we went; when we found ourselves before the gates original: "ἐν τῷ προθύρῳ.", we paused and talked about some matter that had come into our heads on the way. So that we would not abandon it, but finish it before entering, we talked, standing before the gates, until we agreed with each other. And it seems to me that the doorman, a eunuch, was eavesdropping on us, but because of the multitude of sophists, he must have grown weary of visitors to this house. So, when we knocked at the door, he opened it and saw us—"Well!" he says, "Some sophists: he is busy" original: "οὐ σχολὴ αὐτῷ" — to him, that is, the master of the house, Callias.—and immediately grabbing the door with both hands, he slammed it with all his might in his annoyance. And we knocked again, and he answered from behind the locked door: "Hey you! He says, did you not hear that he is busy?"
— But, my dear fellow, I say, we have not come to see Callias, and we are not sophists. Calm down: we have come out of necessity to see Protagoras—so let us in! original: "εἰσάγγειλον οὖν" — so announce! But it is unlikely this verb here means more than simply "let us in."—With difficulty, this man opened the door for us; when we...