Moreover, gold cannot be borrowed from the sun. Therefore
what Protagoras says is mere babble, and deserves no answer. On the
other hand, will Phidias answer this question? 'When you have made
Athene up there on the Parthenon, have you made Athene?'"
"I have made her image," answered Phidias.
"Right! You have made her image. But after what pattern?"
"After the pattern in my mind."
"Not after an external one, then? Have you seen the goddess with
your eyes?"
"Not with my outward eyes."
"Does she then exist outside you, or inside you?"
"If no one were listening to us, I would answer 'She is not outside
of me, therefore she is not anywhere at all.'"
Pericles interrupted him: "You are talking of the gods of the State:
friends, take care!"
"Help, Protagoras! Socrates is throttling me!" cried Phidias.
"In my opinion it is not Zeus but Prometheus who has created men,"
answered the Sophist. "But Zeus gave unfinished man two imperishable
gifts--the sense of shame and conscience."
"Then Protagoras was not made by Zeus, for he lacks both." This
thrust came from Alcibiades. But now the taciturn tragedian
Euripides began to speak: "Allow me to say something both about Zeus
and about Prometheus; and don't think me discourteous if I cite my
great teacher Aeschylus when I speak about the gods.
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