[12,13] ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκείνη αὐτὴ μὲν οὐδὲν χρῆται τοῖς προσπετομένοις, ἀνδρὶ δὲ ὀρνιθοθήρᾳ πάντων λυσιτελέστατόν ἐστι κτημάτων· οὐδὲν γὰρ δεῖ οὔτε τροφὴν προβάλλειν οὔτε φωνὴν μιμεῖσθαι, μόνον δ´ ἐπιδεικνύντα τὴν γλαῦκα πολὺ πλῆθος ἔχειν ὀρνέων· οὕτω κἀμοὶ τῆς σπουδῆς τῶν πολλῶν οὐδὲν ὄφελος. οὐ γὰρ λαμβάνω μαθητάς, εἰδὼς ὅτι οὐδὲν ἂν ἔχοιμι διδάσκειν, ἅτε οὐδ´ αὐτὸς ἐπιστάμενος· ὡς δὲ ψεύδεσθαι καὶ ἐξαπατᾶν ὑπισχνούμενος, οὐκ ἔχω ταύτην τὴν ἀνδρείαν· σοφιστῇ δὲ ἀνδρὶ ξυνὼν μεγάλα ἂν ὠφέλουν ὄχλον πολὺν ἀθροίζων πρὸς αὑτόν, ἔπειτα ἐκείνῳ παρέχων ὅπως βούλεται διαθέσθαι τὴν ἄγραν. ἀλλ´ οὐκ οἶδα ὅπως οὐδείς με ἀναλαμβάνει τῶν σοφιστῶν οὐδὲ ἥδονται ὁρῶντες.

[12,13] For just as that bird makes no use herself of the others that fly to her side, but to the fowler is the most useful of all possessions — since he has no need to throw out feed or mimic a call, but merely to show the owl and then have a great multitude of birds—so I too have nothing to gain by the interest of the many. For I do not take disciples, since I know there is nothing I should be able to teach them, seeing that I know nothing myself ; but to lie and deceive by my promises, I have not the courage for that. But if I associated myself with a professional sophist, I should help him greatly by gathering a great crowd to him and then allowing him to dispose of the catch as he wished. However, for some reason or other, not one of the sophists is willing to take me on, nor can they bear the sight of me.

[12,14] σχεδὸν μὲν οὖν ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι πιστεύετέ μοι λέγοντι ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀπειρίας τε κἀνεπιστημοσύνης τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ, δῆλον ὡς διὰ τὴν αὑτῶν ἐπιστήμην καὶ φρόνησιν· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Σωκράτει δοκεῖτέ μοι πιστεύειν ἄν, ταὐτὰ ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ προβαλλομένῳ πρὸς ἅπαντας ὡς οὐδὲν ᾔδει· τὸν δὲ Ἱππίαν καὶ τὸν Πῶλον καὶ τὸν Γοργίαν, ὧν ἕκαστος αὑτὸν μάλιστα ἐθαύμαζε καὶ ἐξεπλήττετο, σοφοὺς ἂν ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ μακαρίους·

[12,14] Now I am almost sure that you believe me when I speak of my own inexperience and lack of knowledge —evidently on account of your knowledge and sagacity—and it seems to me that you not only believe me on this point, but would have believed Socrates also, when he continually and to all men advanced on his own behalf the same defence — that he knew nothing ; but that Hippias and Polus and Gorgias, each of whom was more struck with admiration of himself than of anyone else, you would have considered wise and blessed.