That, Parmenides, is a tremendous business of which you speak, and I
do not quite understand you; will you take some hypothesis and go
through the steps?-then I shall apprehend you better.
That, Socrates, is a serious task to impose on a man of my years.
Then will you, Zeno? said Socrates.
Zeno answered with a smile:-Let us make our petition to Parmenides
himself, who is quite right in saying that you are hardly aware of the
extent of the task which you are imposing on him; and if there were
more of us I should not ask him, for these are not subjects which
any one, especially at his age, can well speak of before a large
audience; most people are not aware that this round-about progress
through all things is the only way in which the mind can attain
truth and wisdom. And therefore, Parmenides, I join in the request
of Socrates, that I may hear the process again which I have not
heard for a long time.
When Zeno had thus spoken, Pythodorus, according to Antiphon's
report of him, said, that he himself and Aristoteles and the whole
company entreated Parmenides to give an example of the process. I
cannot refuse, said Parmenides; and yet I feel rather like Ibycus,
who, when in his old age, against his will, he fell in love,
compared himself to an old racehorse, who was about to run in a
chariot race, shaking with fear at the course he knew so well-this was
his simile of himself. And I also experience a trembling when I
remember through what an ocean of words I have to wade at my time of
life.
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