[57,10] ἐκεῖνο δ´ ἐνθυμηθῆναι ἄξιον ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων, ἐάν τις ἀνθρώποις ὁμιλῶν διηγῆται πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι καὶ πρότερον ἄλλοις ὁμιλήσας πολὺ κρείττοσι, δήμοις ἢ βασιλεῦσιν ἢ τυράννοις, οὐκ ἀπέτυχεν αὐτῶν, ἀλλ´ ἔσχεν ὑπακούοντας καὶ πειθομένους, εἰ δίκαιός ἐστιν ἀλαζὼν δοκεῖν, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο μεμνημένος ἐκείνων τῶν λόγων, ἵνα θαυμάζοιτο καὶ δοκοίη μακάριος, ἢ μᾶλλον ἵνα πειθομένους ἔχοι τοὺς ἀκούοντας, μιμούμενος τὴν τοῦ Νέστορος διδασκαλίαν. (11) καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον, εἰ Σωκράτης μὲν τοὺς ἐν Λυκείῳ ῥηθέντας λόγους ὀλίγον μεταβὰς ἀπήγγελλε τοῖς ἐν Ἀκαδημίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς ἐν Ἀκαδημίᾳ πάλιν εἰς τὸ Λύκειον ἐλθὼν οὐκ ὤκνει διαλέγεσθαι, καὶ τοσοῦτος ἤδη χρόνος ἐστὶν ἐξ οὗ τὰς αὐτὰς διδάσκουσι τραγῳδίας καὶ κωμῳδίας· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτοπον δόξομεν ποιεῖν, ἐπειδὴ βούλεσθε ἀκροᾶσθαι λόγων τινῶν, τοὺς ῥηθέντας πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα νῦν ἀπαγγέλλοντες, ὡς οὐ διαφέρον εἰδέναι πότερον ὠφέλιμοι καὶ χρήσιμοι καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις ἅπασιν ἐκεῖνοι ἢ φαῦλοι καὶ ἀνωφελεῖς. (12) εὖ γὰρ ἴστε ὅτι τοῖς μὲν ἰδιώταις οἱ λεγόμενοι λόγοι πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους τείνουσι καὶ ὀλίγους τῶν ἄλλων· οἱ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς βασιλέας ταῖς δημοσίαις ἐοίκασιν εὐχαῖς ἢ κατάραις. ὅθεν ἐγὼ τὸν Πέρσην οὔτε τἄλλα νομίζω φρόνιμον οὔτε ὅτι τοὺς τυχόντας ἀνθρώπους πανταχῇ διέπεμπεν, ὦτα βασιλέως καλουμένους, καὶ πάντα ἐκείνοις ἀκούειν ἐπέτρεπε, δέον φυλάττεσθαι τὰ βασιλέως ὦτα πολὺ μᾶλλον τῆς χρυσῆς πλατάνου, μή τι δυσχερὲς ἀκούσῃ καὶ βλαβερόν.

[57,10] Well then, let us say no more on these topics. However, there is one matter which calls for consideration in the light of what has been said. Suppose that some one in addressing ordinary men tells them that on a previous occasion, having addressed others who were far superior—popular assemblies or kings or tyrants—he did not fail of his purpose with them but secured their attention and compliance, is it just that such a man should be thought a braggart, on the assomption that he had mentioned those words of his for the purpose of being admired and deemed a genius, or was it rather for the purpose of having the compliance of his hearers, imitating the teaching of Nestor ? (11) For indeed it is odd if, while Socrates was accustomed to walk but a short distance and then report to those in the Academy the words he had spoken in the Lyceum and, vice versa, had no reluctance to go to the Lyceum and use the words he had spoken in the Academy, and while it has now been so long a time since they began to bring out the same tragedies and comedies year after year, we, on the other hand, shall be thought to be acting strangely in case, when you wish to listen to speeches, we now report the words we have spoken in the presence of the Emperor, as if it were a matter of no consequence to know whether those words are beneficial and serviceable, both for you and for the rest of mankind as well, or trivial and useless. (12) For rest assured that, while words addressed to private persons pertain to those men themselves and to few others, words addressed to kings are like public prayers or imprecations. For that reason I believe the Persian king was especially unwise in being accustomed to dispatch in all directions ordinary persons, King's Ears as they were called, and to entrust them with the responsibility of listening to everything, it being necessary to protect the real ears of the king much more carefully than the golden plane-tree, to prevent their hearing anything disagreeable and harmful.