[6] "The Syracusan is 'civil as an orange, and of that jealous
complexion.'"

The Syr. They call you Socrates. Are you that person commonly
nicknamed the thinker?[7]

[7] Apparently he has been to see the "Clouds" (exhibited first in 423
B.C.), and has conceived certain ideas concerning Socrates, "a
wise man, who speculated about the heaven above, and searched into
the earth beneath, and made the worse appear the better cause."
Plat. "Apol." 18 B, 19 C. "Clouds," 101, 360, {khair o presbuta
. . . ton nun meteorosophiston . . . ta te meteora phrontistes}.

Soc. Which surely is a better fate than to be called a thoughtless
person?

The Syr. Perhaps, if you were not thought to split your brains on
things above us--transcendental stuff.[8]

[8] Or, "if only you were held to be less 'meteoric,' less head-in-
airy in your speculations."

Soc. And is there anything more transcendental than the gods?

The Syr. By heaven! no, it is not the gods above us whom you care for,
but for matters void of use and valueless.[9]

[9] It is impossible to give the play on words. The Syr.
{anophelestaton}. Soc. {ano . . . ophelousin}. Schenkl after
Madvig emend.: {ton ano en nephelais onton} = "but for things in