59
Furthermore, it is no disgrace to him to be the rich man’s parasite, as you imply, evidently assuming that he is the inferior and the other a superior; since surely it is profitable for the rich man to support the parasite, seeing that, besides having him as an ornament, he derives great security from his service as bodyguard. In battle nobody would readily attack the rich man while he saw the other standing by, and in fact no one could die by poison who had a_ parasite; for who would dare to make an attempt on a man when a parasite tastes his meat and drink first? So the rich man not only is ornamented but is actually saved from the greatest: perils by the parasite, who faces every danger on account of his affection, and will not suffer the rich man to eat alone, but chooses even to die from eating with him.
60
TYCHIADES It seems to me, Simon, that you have treated of everything without being in any degree inadequate to your art. You are not deficient in preparation, as you said you were; on the contrary, you are as thoroughly trained as one could be by the greatest masters. And now I want to know whether the very name of Parasitic is not discreditable.
60
SIMON Note my answer and see if you think it is satisfactory, and try on your part to answer my question as you think best. Come, now, what about the noun from which it is derived? To what did the ancients apply it?
60
TYCHIADES To food.
60
SIMON And what about the simple verb, does it not mean “to eat”?
60
TYCHIADES Yes.
60
SIMON Then we have admitted, have we not, that to be a parasite is nothing but to eat with someone else?
60
TYCHIADES Why, Simon, that is the very thing which seems discreditable!
61
SIMON Come, then, answer me another question. Which seems to you to be the better, and which should you choose if both were open to you, to voyage or to voyage with someone else?
61
TYCHIADES To voyage with someone else, for my part. SIMON To run, or to run with someone else?
61
TYCHIADES To run with someone else.
