Whoever this lyric poet was, his real meaning is somewhat twisted by Sokrates in order to furnish a basis for ethical criticism, as the song of Simonides is in the Protagoras. A person having power, and taking delight in honourable or beautiful things--is a very intelligible Hellenic idéal, as an object of envy and admiration. Compare Protagoras, p. 351 C: [Greek: ei)/per toi=s kaloi=s zô/|ê ê(do/menos.] A poor man may be [Greek: philo/kalos] as well as a rich man: [Greek: philokalou=men met' eu)telei/as], is the boast of Periklês in the name of the Athenians, Thucyd. ii. 40. Plato, Menon, p. 78 C. _Sokr._ [Greek: A)gatha\ de\ kalei=s ou)chi oi(=on u(gi/eia/n te kai\ plou=ton? kai\ chrusi/on le/gô kai\ a)rgu/rion kta=sthai kai\ tima\s e)n po/lei kai\ a)rcha/s? mê\ a)/ll' a)/tta le/geis ta)gatha\ ê)\ ta\ toiau=ta?] _Menon._ [Greek: Ou)k; a)lla\ pa/nta le/gô ta\ toiau=ta.]] [Footnote 15: Plato, Menon, p. 79.] [Side-note: Menon complains that the conversation of Sokrates confounds him like an electric shock--Sokrates replies that he is himself in the same state of confusion and ignorance. He urges continuance of search by both.] _Menon._--Your conversation, Sokrates, produces the effect of the shock of the torpedo: you stun and confound me: you throw me into inextricable perplexity, so that I can make no answer. I have often discoursed copiously--and, as I thought, effectively--upon virtue; but now you have shown that I do not even know what virtue is. _Sokr._--If I throw you into perplexity, it is only because I am myself in the like perplexity and ignorance. I do not know what virtue is, any more than you: and I shall be glad to continue the search for finding it, if you will assist me. [Side-note: But how is the process of search available to any purpose? No man searches for what he already knows: and for what he does not know, it is useless to search, for he cannot tell when he has found it.] _Menon._--But how are you to search for that of which you are altogether ignorant? Even if you do find it, how can you ever know that you have found it? _Sokr._--You are now introducing a troublesome doctrine, laid down by those who are averse to the labour of thought. They tell us that a man cannot search either for what he knows, or for what he does not know. For the former, research is superfluous: for the latter it is unprofitable and purposeless, since the searcher does not know what he is looking for. [Side-note: Theory of reminiscence propounded by Sokrates--anterior immortality of the soul--what is called teaching is the revival and recognition of knowledge acquired in a former life, but forgotten.]