THEAETETUS: What do you mean?

STRANGER: When any one makes himself appear like another in his figure

or his voice, imitation is the name for this part of the phantastic art.

THEAETETUS: Yes.

STRANGER: Let this, then, be named the art of mimicry, and this the

province assigned to it; as for the other division, we are weary and

will give that up, leaving to some one else the duty of making the class

and giving it a suitable name.

THEAETETUS: Let us do as you say--assign a sphere to the one and leave

the other.

STRANGER: There is a further distinction, Theaetetus, which is worthy of

our consideration, and for a reason which I will tell you.

THEAETETUS: Let me hear.

STRANGER: There are some who imitate, knowing what they imitate, and

some who do not know. And what line of distinction can there possibly be

greater than that which divides ignorance from knowledge?

THEAETETUS: There can be no greater.

135

Sophist