Athens, in the middle of the fifth century BC, was one of the most intellectually lively societies the world has ever seen. Having been instrumental in the spectacular and quite unanticipated triumph over a (numerically) vastly superior invading Persian expeditionary force in 48o/79, the city-state of Athens, over the next half-century, built itself up into the political, economic and cultural powerhouse of Greece. It employed fairly ruthless tactics to transform, by easy stages, an original anti-Persian defensive alliance (the so-called Delian League) into a straight-forward maritime empire, largely by the device of commuting contributions of men and ships to the 'allied' forces into a system of money payments, which became an imperial tribute....

By the middle of the fifth century BC, Athens was governed by democratic rule, and power turned upon the ability of the individual to command the attention of other citizens and to sway the crowds of the assembly. It was the sophists who understood the art of rhetoric and the importance of being able to transform effective reasoning into persuasive public speaking. Their inquiries - into the gods, the origins of religion, and whether virtue can be taught - laid the groundwork for the next generation of thinkers including Plato and Aristotle.

Each chapter of The Greek Sophists is based around the work .of one character - Gorgias, Prodicus, Protagoras and Antiphon among others - and a linking commentary, a chronological table and a bibliography are provided for each one. In his introduction,John Dillon discusses the historical background and the sources of the text.

Chronology

Introduction

Further Reading

A Note on the Text

PROTAGORAS OF ABDERA

GORGIAS OF LEONTINI

PRODICUS OF CEOS

HIPPIAS OF ELIS

ANTIPHON

THRASYMACHUS OF CHALCEDON

CRITIAS OF ATHENS

EUTHYDEMUS AND DIONYSODORUS

OF CHIOS

ALCIDAMAS OF ELAEA

THE ANONYMUS IAMBLICHI AND THE

DOUBLE ARGUMENTS

Appendix: A Conspectus of Sources

Notes

Index of Rhetorical Terms

Index