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Theagenes to say: 37 do you not see, O Polycrates, how it is not possible for flies to plunder the labors of the Attic bee? And I have marveled at what was said; for the meaning was very hard for us to penetrate. {ANT.} With thyme, Polycrates, it is possible to see Attica abounding, on which Attic bees settle rather densely. From there, you see, and <the honey> has a sharper fragrance. Therefore, a fly does not settle on Attic honey, as if on something sacred. But though they buzz around, they are nevertheless kept away from plundering the labors of the Attic bee. Where is Darius who armed himself against Greece? Let the fly teach the arrogance of Xerxes, how it is not right to set foot on the things of Attica. {POL.} You have feasted me very sumptuously, Antisthenes, by narrating to me for my contemplation a certain Attic beekeeping as dessert. Is your understanding of these things in you by its own accord? {ANT.} Not at all, Polycrates; for already indeed by the ancients many famous discourses and labors have been laid down, upon which, settling with our mind like bees, we have gathered for one most comprehensive theme, working it out more elaborately in our discourse, as was 38 possible. For I will not appropriate the labors of Democritus nor will I attach to myself the fame of Aristotle, nor will I steal anything of Plato's; nor would I leave Iamblichus ungarlanded, not Proclus, not Galen, the elegant in science, not Plotinus, not Sotion, not Alexander, not Theophrastus the sea of knowledge, not Bolus, not Aelian, not Plutarch the wealth of knowledge, not Ambron, not Imbrasius or Damascius or Hierocles son of Timagenes. And why should I add for you the catalogue of the rest, from whom we, having gathered certain lemmas and principles, have published, as it were, a synopsis for you in your inquiry as best we could? For it is not right, Polycrates, to take pride in another's adornment like a certain mythical jackdaw. For there is nothing that has not been accomplished by the ancients. But to come upon them very readily is not at all easy. {POL.} May I have the benefit of your knowledge, Antisthenes, and I will depart rejoicing. For as a welcome windfall for me, I have received the knowledge of difficult subjects.

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Θεαγένην εἰπεῖν· 37 οὐχ ὁρᾷς, ὦ Πολύκρατες, ὡς οὐχ οἷόν τε μυίας ᾿Αττικῆς μελίτ- της κεραΐζεσθαι πόνους; καὶ τεθαύμακα τὸ λεχθέν· λίαν γὰρ ἡμῖν δυσέμβατος ἦν ἡ κατάληψις. {ΑΝΤ.} Θύμοις, Πολύκρατες, τὴν ᾿Αττικὴν κομῶσαν ἔστι θεάσασθαι, οἷς ἐφιζάνουσιν ᾿Αττικαὶ πυκνότερον μέλιτται. ἐντεῦθέν τοι καὶ δριμυτέραν ἔχει <τὸ μέλι> τὴν ὄσφρησιν. διὸ καθάπερ ἱερῷ τινι ᾿Αττικῷ μυῖα οὐκ ἐπικάθηται μέλιτι. περιβομβοῦσαι δ' ὅμως ἀπείργονται ᾿Αττικῆς μελίττης πόνους ληΐζεσθαι. ποῦ 'στι ∆αρεῖος ὁ κατὰ τῆς ῾Ελλάδος ὁπλισάμε-νος; τὴν Ξέρξου παιδευέτω σοβαρότητα μυῖα, ὡς οὐκ ἂν τῶν τῆς ᾿Ατθίδος ἐπιβαίνειν θέμις καθέστηκεν. {ΠΟΛ.} Φιλοτίμως με λίαν εἱστιάσω, ᾿Αντίσθενες, ἐπιδεί-πνιόν τί μοι τῇ θεωρίᾳ μελιττουργίαν ᾿Αττικὴν διηγούμενος. ἆρά γε αὐτόματός σοι ἡ τούτων κατάληψις ἔνεστιν; {ΑΝΤ.} Οὐ δῆτα, Πολύκρατες· ἤδη που καὶ τοῖς πάλαι πολλοί τινες καὶ ἀοίδιμοι καταβέβληνται λόγοι καὶ πόνοι, οἷς τῷ νῷ ἐφιζάνοντες οἷά τινες μέλιτται συνελέξαμεν πρὸς μίαν περιεκτικωτάτην ὑπόθεσιν, ἐπεξεργαστικώτερον ὡς οἷόν 38 τε ἦν ἐπεξελθόντες τῷ λόγῳ. οὐ γὰρ τοὺς ∆ημοκρίτου σφετερί-σομαι πόνους οὐδὲ τὴν ᾿Αριστοτέλους εὔκλειαν ἐμαυτῷ περιά-ψομαι, οὐδέ τι λωποδυτήσω τῶν Πλάτωνος· οὐδὲ τὸν ᾿Ιάμβλι-χον ἀστεφάνωτον καταλίποιμι, οὐ Πρόκλον, οὐ Γαληνόν, τοὺς ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ κομψούς, οὐ Πλωτῖνον, οὐ Σωτίωνα, οὐκ ᾿Αλέξαν-δρον, οὐ Θεόφραστον τὴν τῆς γνώσεως θάλατταν, οὐ Βῶλον, οὐκ Αἰλιανόν, οὐ τὸν τῆς ἐπιστήμης πλοῦτον τὸν Πλούταρχον, οὐκ ῎Αμβρωνα, οὐκ ᾿Ιμβράσιον ἢ ∆αμάσκιον ἢ τὸν Τιμαγένους ῾Ιεροκλέα. καὶ τί δῆτά σοι τὸν τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπιθείην κατάλογον, ἀφ' ὧν λήμματά τινα καὶ ἀρχὰς ἀναλέξαντες, σύνοψιν ὥσπερ τινά σοι φιλοπευθοῦντι ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν ἐκδεδώκαμεν; οὐ γὰρ ἀλλοτρίῳ θέμις, Πολύκρατες, κόσμῳ σεμνύνεσθαι καθάπερ τινὰ μυθικὸν κολοιόν. οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὃ μὴ τοῖς πάλαι κατώρ-θωται. τὸ δὲ περιτυγχάνειν προχειρότατα οὐ πάνυ τι ῥᾴδιον. {ΠΟΛ.} ᾿Εγώ σου τῆς ἐπιστήμης ὀναίμην, ᾿Αντίσθενες, καὶ ἄπειμι χαίρων. ἕρμαιον γάρ τί μοι εὐάντητον τῶν δυσπο- ρίστων λόγων τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἀπείληφα.