15
Everybody knows, too, that those who ply the rest of the arts drudge all the time except one or two days a month which they celebrate as holidays,The manuscripts add: “and the cities too hold some feasts once a year and others once a month.” and are said to have their good time then. But the parasite celebrates thirty holidays a month, for he thinks that every day belongs to the gods.
16
Furthermore, those who wish to be successful in the other arts eat little and drink little, like invalids, and it is impossible to learn them while one is rejoicing the inner man with plenty of food and plenty of wine.
17
The other arts, moreover, cannot be of use to their possessor without tools, for it is impossible to pipe without a pipe or to strum without a lyre or to ride without a horse; but this one is so genial and presents so little difficulty to the artisan that even one who has no tools can follow it.
18
And we pay, it is likely, for our lessons in the other arts, but get paid in this one.
19
Besides, the other arts have teachers, but Parasitic has none; like the Art of Poetry according to the definition of Socrates, it comes by some divine dispensation.Plato, Ion 534 B-c.
20
Reflect, too, that we cannot exercise the other arts while on a journey or a voyage, but this one can be plied both on the road and at sea.
21
TYCHIADES Quite true.
21
SIMON Moreover, Tychiades, it seems to me that the other arts stand in need of this one, but this one does not stand in need of any other.This point is not dwelt upon here because the author proposes to use it with great effect later at the expense of philosophy (§$ 31 ff.). TYCHIADES But, I say, don’t you think that people who take what belongs to someone else do wrong?
21
SIMON Certainly.
21
TYCHIADES How is it, then, that the parasite is the only one that does not do wrong in taking what belongs to someone else?
