Then Socrates: By all that's holy, I wish you would, Hermogenes. How
delightful it would be. Just as a song sounds sweeter in concert with
the flute, so would your talk be more mellifluous attuned to its soft
pipings; and particularly if you would use gesticulation like the
flute-girl, to suit the tenor of your speech.

Here Callias demanded: And when our friend (Antisthenes) essays to
cross-examine people[3] at a banquet, what kind of piping[4] should he
have?

[3] Or, "a poor body," in reference to the elentic onslaught made on
himself by Antisthenes above.

[4] {to aulema}, a composition for reed instruments, "music for the
flute." Cf. Aristoph. "Frogs," 1302.

Ant. The person in the witness-box would best be suited with a
serpent-hissing theme.[5]

[5] Or, "motif on a scrannel pipe." See L. & S. s.v. {puthaules}. Cf.
Poll. iv. 81, {puthikon aulema}, an air ({nomos}) played on the
{puthois aulos}, expressing the battle between Apollo and the
Python, the hiss of which was imitated.

Thus the stream of talk flowed on; until the Syracusan, who was
painfully aware that while the company amused themselves, his
"exhibition" was neglected, turned, in a fit of jealous spleen, at
last on Socrates.[6]