5–1
ALEXANDER
Wise Aristotle! Why, he’s the arch-knave of all flatterers. Let me be the sole authority on him, with all his requests for gifts and his instructions, and the way he took advantage of my zeal for education by flattering and praising me, sometimes for my beauty (as though even that were part of the “Good”), or again for my achievements and my wealth. For that was yet another thing he counted as good, so that he need have no shame in accepting some for himself too. The fellow’s an impostor, Diogenes, and a master at the game. But I did at least get one thing from his wisdom—grief for those things you’ve just enumerated, for I think them the greatest of goods.
DIOGENES
Well, here’s what to do. I’ll prescribe a cure for your grief. As there’s no hellebore Cf. note on p. 39. growing here, you’d better take a stiff drink of the water of Lethe, and repeat the dose frequently, and then you’ll stop sorrowing for Aristotle’s “goods”. Do so, for I see Clitus over there and Callisthenes Cf. note on p. 63. and many others bearing down on you, to tear you to pieces and get even with you for the things you did to them. So you’d better take this other path here, and take frequent doses as I’ve just said.
HERMES
If you don’t mind, ferryman, let’s work out how much you owe me at the moment, so that we won’t quarrel about it later.
CHARON
Let’s do that, Hermes. It’s better to have this settled, and it’ll save trouble.
HERMES
I brought you an anchor as you ordered; five drachmae.
