The question is one which none of the persons present can answer.[10] None of them can tell who is the special referee, about training of mind; corresponding to the physician or the farmer in the analogous cases. Sokrates then puts a question somewhat different: _Sokr._--Since we have agreed, that the man who prosecutes philosophy ought not to learn many things, still less all things--what is the best conjecture that we can make, respecting the matters which he ought to learn? _Erast._--The finest and most suitable acquirements for him to aim at, are those which will yield to him the greatest reputation as a philosopher. He ought to appear accomplished in every variety of science, or at least in all the more important; and with that view, to learn as much of each as becomes a freeman to know:--that is, what belongs to the intelligent critic, as distinguished from the manual operative: to the planning and superintending architect, as distinguished from the working carpenter.[11] _Sokr._--But you cannot learn even two different arts to this extent--much less several considerable arts. _Erast._--I do not of course mean that the philosopher can be supposed to know each of them accurately, like the artist himself--but only as much as may be expected from the free and cultivated citizen. That is, he shall be able to appreciate, better than other hearers, the observations made by the artist: and farther to deliver a reasonable opinion of his own, so as to be accounted, by all the hearers, more accomplished in the affairs of the art than themselves.[12] [Footnote 10: Plato, Erast. 134 E, 135 A.] [Footnote 11: Plat. Erast. 135 B. [Greek: o(/sa xune/seôs e)/chetai, mê\ o(/sa cheirourgi/as.]] [Footnote 12: Plat. Erast. 135 D.] [Side-note: The philosopher is one who is second-best in several different arts--a Pentathlus--who talks well upon each.] _Sokr._--You mean that the philosopher is to be second-best in several distinct pursuits: like the Pentathlus, who is not expected to equal either the runner or the wrestler in their own separate departments, but only to surpass competitors in the five matches taken together.[13] _Erast._--Yes--I mean what you say. He is one who does not enslave himself to any one matter, nor works out any one with such strictness as to neglect all others: he attends to all of them in reasonable measure.[14] [Footnote 13: Plat. Erast. 135 E, 136 A. [Greek: kai\ ou(/tôs gi/gnesthai peri\ pa/nta u(/pakro/n tina a)/ndra to\n pephilosophêko/ta.] The five matches were leaping, running, throwing the quoit and the javelin, wrestling.] [Footnote 14: Plat. Erast. 136 B. [Greek: a)lla\ pa/ntôn metri/ôs e)phê=phthai.]] [Side-note: On what occasions can such second-best men be useful? There are always regular practitioners at hand, and no one will call in the second-best man when he can have the regular practitioner.]