nging the subject of their discourse, "seeing you
are preparing yourself to enter upon the government of our Republic,
where the people are master, without doubt you have reflected on the
nature of this State, and know what a democracy is?" "You ought to
believe I do." "And do you think it possible," said Socrates, "to know
what a democracy or popular State is without knowing what the people is?"
"I do not think I can." "And what is the people?" said Socrates. "Under
that name," answered Euthydemus, "I mean the poor citizens." "You know,
then, who are the poor?" "I do," said Euthydemus. "Do you know, too,
who are the rich?" "I know that too." "Tell me, then, who are the rich
and who are the poor?" "I take the poor," answered Euthydemus, "to be
those who have not enough to supply their necessary expenses, and the
rich to be they who have more than they have occasion for." "But have
you observed," replied Socrates, "that there are certain persons who,
though they have very little, have nevertheless enough, and even lay up
some small matter out of it; and, on the contrary, there are others who
never have enough how great soever their estates and possessions are?"
"You put me in mind," said Euthydemus, "of something very much to the
purpose, for I have seen even some princes so necessitous that they have
been compelled to take away their subjects' estates, and to commit many
injustices." "We must, then," said Socrates, "place such princes in the
rank of the poor, and those who have but small estates, yet manage them
well, in the number of the rich." "I must give consent to all you say,"
answered Euthydemus, "for I am too ignorant to contradict you; and I
think it will be best for me, from henceforward, to hold my peace, for I
am almost ready to confess that I know nothing at all."

Having said this, he withdrew, full of confusion and self-contempt,
beginning to be conscious to himself that he was indeed a person of
little or no account at all. Nor was he the only person whom Socrates
had thus convinced of their ignorance and insufficiency, several of whom
never came more to see him, and valued him the less for it. But
Euthydemus did not act like them. On the contrary, he believed it
impossible for him to improve his parts but by frequently conversing with
Socrates, insomuch that he never left him, unless some business of moment
called him away, and he even took delight to imitate some of his actions.
Socrates