obulus).

What (Socrates rejoined), shall you be able to maintain that by your
beauty you can make us better?

Crit. That will I, or prove myself a shabby sort of person.

Soc. Well, and what is it you pride yourself upon, Antisthenes?

On wealth (he answered).

Whereupon Hermogenes inquired: Had he then a large amount of money? (17)

(17) i.e. "out at interest," or, "in the funds," as we should say.

Not one sixpence: (18) that I swear to you (he answered).

(18) Lit. "not an obol" = "a threepenny bit," circa.

Herm. Then you possess large property in land?

Ant. Enough, I daresay, for the youngster there, Autolycus, to dust
himself withal. (19)

(19) i.e. "to sprinkle himself with sand, after anointing." Cf.
Lucian, xxxviii., "Amor." 45.

Well, we will lend you our ears, when your turn comes (exclaimed the
others).

Soc. And do you now tell us, Charmides, on what you pride yourself.

Oh, I, for my part, pride myself on poverty (he answered).

Upon my word, a charming business! (exclaimed Socrates). Poverty! of
all things the least liable to envy; seldom, if ever, an object of
contention; (20) never guarded, yet always safe; the more you starve it,
the stronger it grows.

(20) Cf. Plat. "Rep." 521 A; "Laws," 678 C.

And you, Socrates, yourself (their host demanded), what is it you pride
yourself upon?

Then he, with knitted brows, quite solemnly: On pandering. (21) And
when they laughed to hear him say this, (22) he continued: Laugh to your
hearts content, my friends; but I am certain I could make a fortune, if
I chose to practise this same art.

(21) Or, more politely, "on playing the go-between." See Grote, "H.
G." viii. 457, on the "extremely Aristophanic" character of the
"Symposium" of Xenophon.

(22) "Him, the master, thus declare himself."

At this point Lycon, turning to Philippus: We need not ask you what you
take the chiefest pride in. What can it be, you laughter-making man,
except to set folk laughing?

Yes (he answered), and with better right, I fancy, than Callippides,
(23) the actor, who struts and gives himself such pompous airs, to think
that he alone can set the crowds a-weeping in the theatre. (24)

(23) For illustrative tales about him see Plut. "Ages." xxi.; "Alcib."
xxxii.; Polyaen. vi. 10. Cf. "Hell." IV. viii. 16.

(24) Or, "set for their sins a-weeping."

And now you, Lycon, tell us, won't you (asked Antisthenes), what it is
you take the g