Ἐρωτώμενος διὰ τί ὀλίγους ἔχει μαθητάς, ἔφη ὅτι ἀργυρέᾳ αὐτοὺς ἐκβάλλω ῥάβδῳ -> When asked why he had so few pupils, he replied ‘I chase them away with a silver stick (Diogenes Laertius 6.4.5, on the philosopher Antisthenes)

[sesyneimi]

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ἐρωτώμενος διὰ τί ὀλίγους ἔχει μαθητάς, ἔφη 'ὅτι ἀργυρέα αὐτοὺς ἐκβάλλω ῥάβδω.'

Can it be translated as "Being asked why he has few pupils, he replied 'because I throw at them silver canes.'"?

Thank you!

[oberonsghost]

Take another look. 

Τhe school-master is being more active in kicking out his pupils, you need to acknowledge the έκ in έκβάλλω.  This means the accusative αὐτοὺς is a plain-vanilla style object.

ἀργυρέα....ῥάβδω (singular). Don't forget that the dative can be used to designate an agent.  For example, I did this with that.

:)

[sesyneimi]

Thanks oberonsghost!

My 2nd attempt:

When asked why he has few pupils, he replied ‘for I cast them out with a silver cane.'

[billberg23]

W.K.C. Guthrie, The Fifth-Century Enlightenment, Vol. 4, p. 307, suggests that this meant that Antisthenes, despite having been a student of Socrates, charged high fees for his instruction that few were willing to pay.