Book 9
5
Which party’s business is it to decide the amount of the return due? Should it be assessed by the one who proffers the initial service? Or rather by the one who receivesLit. the one who receives first, and now has to give a service in return. it, since the other by proffering it seems to leave the matter to him? This we are told was the practice of ProtagorasCf. Plat. Prot. 328b.; when he gave lessons in any subject, he used to tell his pupil to estimate the value he set upon his knowledge, and accepted a fee of that amount.
6
In such matters however some people prefer the principle of the wage stated.Hes. WD 370, μισθὸς δ’ ἀνδρὶ φίλῳ εἰρημένος ἄκριος ἔστω, let the wage stated to a friend stand good. But people who take the money in advance, and then, having made extravagant professions, fail to perform what they undertook, naturally meet with complaints because they have not fulfilled their bargain.
7
Perhaps however the sophists are bound to demand their fees in advance, since nobody would pay money for the knowledge which they possess.i.e., after he has found out in the course of the lessons what the knowledge amounts to. Persons paid in advance then naturally meet with complaints if they do not perform the service for which they have taken the pay.
