FANCY FOOTWORK:
Introducing the Sophists
The Sophists
Sophists

The term related to
the Greek words
sophos and sophia,
commonly translated
as “wise” and
“wisdom”
Sophists


The term related to
the Greek words
sophos and sophia,
commonly translated
as “wise” and
“wisdom”
A “sophist”, then, is
simply a “wise man”
Periclean Democracy

Pericles, an Athenian
general, politician and
renowned orator
ushered in what is
generally considered
the golden age of
Athens—he fostered
the arts and executed
a large number of
public works
Periclean Democracy

The constitutional
reforms he instigated
in Athens in 462/461
B.C. was based upon
two principles:
Periclean Democracy

1) That power should
be with the people as
a whole and not a
small section of the
citizen body;
Periclean Democracy


1) That power should
be with the people as
a whole and not a
small section of the
citizen body;
2) That high offices
should be entrusted to
those best fitted and
most able to carry out
civic functions
Periclean Democracy
“What the sophists were
able to offer was in no
sense a contribution to
the education of the
masses. They offered an
expensive product
invaluable to those
seeking a career in
politics and public life
generally. . .”(Kerferd
17)
The Major Players
The Major Players

Protagoras
The Major Players


Protagoras
Born about 490 B.C. in
Thrace
The Major Players


Protagoras
Born about 490 B.C. in
Thrace
The Major Players



Protagoras
Born about 490 B.C. in
Thrace
Met Pericles; later
appointed by him to
write laws for the
Athenian colony of
Thurii in 444 B.C.
The Major Players


Protagoras
A successful and
respected teacher who
demanded a large fee
The Major Players



Protagoras
A successful and
respected teacher who
demanded a large fee
Range of interests
included ethics, politics,
theology, education,
cultural history, literary
criticism, linguistic
studies and rhetoric
The Major Players


Protagoras
Most famous for his
statement: “Man is the
measure of all things.”
The Major Players

Gorgias
The Major Players


Gorgias
Born in Leontini, Sicily
around 480 B.C.
The Major Players



Gorgias
Born in Leontini, Sicily
around 480 B.C.
In 427, sent as an
ambassador by
Leontini to Athens,
which he visited
repeatedly or even
settled there
The Major Players


Gorgias
His oratorical virtuosity
amazed Athenians
The Major Players



Gorgias
His oratorical virtuosity
amazed Athenians
Famous for his
extemporaneous
oratory—he would ask
an audience to suggest
a subject that he
would then speak
about knowledgeably
The Major Players

Isocrates
The Major Players


Isocrates
Born to a wealthy
family in Athens in 436
B.C.
The Major Players



Isocrates
Born to a wealthy
family in Athens in 436
B.C.
Student of Gorgias;
also an acquaintance
of Socrates
The Major Players


Isocrates
Set up his own school
of rhetoric around 392
B.C. emphasizing
sophist principles of
rhetoric, especially
kairos
The Major Players


Isocrates
Believed that for his
students to succeed,
they required three
things: a natural
ability; knowledge
gained by imitation
and practice, and a
means to apply that
practice
Bodily Pedagogies:
Rhetoric, Athletics, and the Sophists’ Three R’s
Bodily Pedagogies
“I want to instead explore a
connection that inhered in
ancient practices. . .that between
rhetorical training and athletic
training” (142)
Bodily Pedagogies
In this article, Hawhee explores the
connections between the ancient Athenian
gymnasium and the teaching of rhetoric. In
particular, she emphasizes how the rhythmic
music of the gymnasium was used for both
athletic training and the learning of
oratory.
Bodily Pedagogies
“From this spatial intermingling of practices,
there emerged a curious syncretism
between athletics and rhetoric, a particular
crossover in pedagogical practices and
learning styles, a crossover that contributed
to the development of rhetoric as a bodily
art. . .”(144)
Bodily Pedagogies
In particular, Hawhee notes how
crucial the body is for the
development of an Athenian citizen
ethos for both arts, since they both
emphasize what she calls the
“Three R’s”: rhythm, repetition, and
response.
Bodily Pedagogies
Ethos:
A Greek word originally meaning
“accustomed place”, the term points
to customs and habits
Ethos also forms the root of
“ethikos” meaning moral or showing
a moral character
Bodily Pedagogies
Ethos:
Aristotle emphasizes ethos as tool
for persuasion through the
presentation of an orator’s moral
character
The Sounds of Ancient Greece

Ancient Greek’s distinct
sound and rhythm:
here’s an excerpt from
The Odyssey
The Sounds of Ancient Greece


Here’s the sound of the
aulos
A second example, this
time with a more
distinct rhythm
Bodily Pedagogies
Since, as Hawhee
emphasizes, music and
rhythm represent key
elements in the education
of a young Athenian
wishing to cultivate a
citizen ethos, let’s attempt
to use these techniques to
review her article.
Bodily Pedagogies
I will put you into groups
and each group will be
assigned a section from
Hawhee’s article.
Bodily Pedagogies
Your task will be to
review this section and
write a summary of it that
emphasizes the key
arguments and ideas that
you find there; you will
also emphasize any terms
you think are important
as well.
Bodily Pedagogies
Next, listening to the
music, you will revise your
text in a way that echoes
the rhythm of the aulos.
You will practice the text
aloud with the music; you
will also be encouraged
to design gestures or
physical movements to aid
in the memory of ideas
and/or key terms.
Bodily Pedagogies
Each group will then
present their section to
the class, in sync with the
aulos. Each group can
speak together or
individuals could
represent different terms,
repeating a particular
movement emphasizing it.
Bodily Pedagogies
Audience participation is
encouraged. Gaining the
participation of the
audience is a way to
build ethos in the
classroom, and help make
your material more
memorable and
persuasive.
Bodily Pedagogies
I’ll give each group about
fifteen-twenty minutes to
put your presentations
together and then I’ll ask
each group to share with
the class.
I’ll keep playing the aulos
clip to help you prepare.
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis

Dissoi Logoi is an
anonymous sophistic
treatise written some
time around the end of
the Peloponnesian
War (so around 404
B.C.)
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis

The anonymous author
discusses opposing
arguments and the
points of view each
position entails
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis

This text is considered
“sophistic” due to its
emphasis on the role
of language in making
meaning.
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis

First, let’s get more
familiar with the text.
There are nine sections
in this treatise. I will
break you up into
groups. Each group
will summarize their
assigned section,
emphasizing:
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis

First, let’s get more
familiar with the text.
There are nine sections
in this treatise. I will
break you up into
groups. Each group
will summarize their
assigned section,
emphasizing:

The position of the
writer;
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis

First, let’s get more
familiar with the text.
There are nine sections
in this treatise. I will
break you up into
groups. Each group
will summarize their
assigned section,
emphasizing:


The position of the
writer;
The opposing
position(s)
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis

First, let’s get more
familiar with the text.
There are nine sections
in this treatise. I will
break you up into
groups. Each group
will summarize their
assigned section,
emphasizing:



The position of the
writer;
The opposing
position(s)
I’ll give you about ten
minutes to do this, then
each group will share
their findings
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#1 How does this
theorist/thinker define
rhetoric?
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#2: What are the
consequences of this
definition for:
 a) Creators of Texts
(rhetors)
 b) “Readers” of Texts
(audiences)
 c) Locations of Texts
(situations)
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#3: What is the
relationship between
language and
knowledge
(epistemology) in this
definition?
Dissoi Logoi or Dialexeis
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#4: How might this
definition be applied (or
not) to contemporary
texts?
FANCY FOOTWORK:
Introducing the Sophists