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The Greek Sophists (Penguin Classics) Paperback – October 28, 2003

by John Dillon (Translator, Introduction), Tania Gergel (Translator, Introduction)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
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By mid-5th century BC, Athens was governed by democratic rule and power turned upon the ability of the citizen to command the attention of the people, and to sway the crowds of the assembly. It was the Sophists who understood the art of rhetoric and the importance of transforming effective reasoning into persuasive public speaking. Their enquiries - into the status of women, slavery, the distinction between Greeks and barbarians, the existence of the gods, the origins of religion, and whether virtue can be taught - laid the groundwork for the insights of the next generation of thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    419 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    October 28, 2003
  5. Grade level
    12 and up
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    7.85 x 5.13 x 1.09 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0140436898
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0140436891
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JOHN DILLON is now Regius Professor of Greek at Trinity College, Dublin.

TANIA GERGEL is a lecturer in Ancient Greek Philosophy in the Department of Classics at King's College, London.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics; First Edition (October 28, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 419 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140436898
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140436891
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.85 x 5.13 x 1.09 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
39 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Tuncer
5.0 out of 5 stars good work
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2019
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thanks
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Ryan Mease
4.0 out of 5 stars Review of the Penguin Classics "The Greek Sophists"
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2009
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To start off, it's important to note that I alight this work closely with a comparable Penguin Classics work: "The Presocratic Philosophers." Like that work (by another author), this work gathers fragmentary testimony from a variety of ancient sources to piece together the lives and doctrines of various sophistic figures.

From my perspective, this work suceeds as well as the Presocratic work: it is readable, thorough in its coverage of characters, and features many extant Sophist fragments in full (Gorgia's Economium of Helen was a personal favorite). Although this work is by two editors, the work is seamless and unified.

This book is lacking one Sophist: Isocrates. Despite attempts to justify this action, I feel that editors have created an incomplete volume by excluding this thinker.
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Luc REYNAERT
5.0 out of 5 stars Speech is a powerful lord
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2008
Rhetoric, morality, fees
As J. Dillon explains in his excellent introduction, sophist teaching was `all about rhetoric, the all-conquering power of persuasion speech'.
Why was (and is) rhetoric so important? Because Athens became a democracy and the ambitious and the prominent citizens had to sway the crowds in the assembly (now on TV).
Rhetoric has nothing to do with morality (`it is not the teachers who are bad, but rather those who use it incorrectly'). Of course, sophists expressed their own views on mankind, religion, social issues or politics. Some were political ambassadors of their home country. Others played crucial roles in political upheavals and deadly conflicts.
Another constant in their lives were the truly enormous fees they asked for their teachings.

Individual assessments
Protagoras of Abdera was a relativist: `Man is the measure of all things.' or, `The soul is nothing apart from the senses.' and, `Concerning the gods, I am not in a position to know that they exist or not.'

Gorgias of Leontini was a pure rhetorician, searching verbal power through metaphors, figurative language, repetitions and apostrophes. His `Encomium of Helen' and `Defense of Palamedes' are superb texts.

Prodicus of Ceos was a proto-Wittgenstein, emphasizing the correct use of language and words. He could be the inventor of the theory `that men deified all things that are of benefit for our life.'

Hippias of Elis was a proto-Freud, stressing the antinomy between nature (individualism) and convention (culture, laws).

Antiphon was another proto-Freud: `the advantages prescribed by laws are shackles upon nature.' He was also a staunch anti-democrat who masterminded the oligarchy of the 'Four Hundred'.

Thrasymachus of Chalcedon was a proto-Nietzsche, for whom `might is right': `the just is nothing else than the advantage of the stronger.'

Critias of Athens, Plato's cousin, was a real (not a proto-) mass-murderer. As the leader of the puppet regime of `The Thirty Tyrants' set up by Sparta, `he was outstanding in savagery and bloodthirstiness.' He supported Sparta's plan `to give Attica the appearance of a mere pasture for sheep by emptying her of her human herd.'

Euthydemus and Dionysius of Chios were proto-Wittgensteins, stressing the ambiguities of language.

Alcidamus of Elaea defended orality and improvisation. He was a true democrat: `God left all men free; Nature has made no man a slave.'

The Anonymous Jamblichi defend convention against nature: `convention holds men and cities together.'

General picture, actuality
Part of the sophists' teaching is still very topical: `War, the worst evil to men, leads people to ruin and slavery.' And, `the common use of money is a result of trust; without mutual trust even a great deal of money would not be sufficient.'
This book throws also a shrill light on the by some so much admired Spartan society. In fact, its citizens lived continuously in fear of their helots.

This book gives an exceptionally clear picture of an important part of Greek history. It provides a deeper understanding of Plato's Dialogues and the works of the major playwrights.
It is a must read for all lovers of Greek history and classical texts.
31 people found this helpful
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C. Anderson
3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, organized, largely trivial
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2017
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We remember them today mostly as the amoral opponents of Socrates and Plato, but they have enjoyed something of a resurgence recently as philosophers in their own right. Sadly, most of what we know about them come from their critics, as few of their own works survive. This book collects every single passing reference from antiquity, with very little consideration given to how trivial it is, and organizes them by sophist and general category. This makes it feel like we're reading a card catalogue of notes, rather than a finished book at times. The few complete essays that survived are reproduced in their entirety and are quite wonderful.
4 people found this helpful
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Danielle Bless
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but confusing af lol
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018
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Good book, but confusing af lol. Couldn't understand until my Professor explained it to me. That made all the difference
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Samuel Anderson
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but bloated
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2020
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The commentary is pointless at times (Comments like "This is a shrewed and perceptive remark, but its relevance to the overall theme is thoroughly obscure" are obvious and do nothing but fill space) and, frankly, it feels like this book could have been at least 100 pages shorter and still demonstrate the ideas and personalities of the sophists just as well. I'd recommend getting this book, then skimming through the annoying comments and unnecessary additions
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Wilbur F. Pierce
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2018
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Nicely organized and commented. Great edition!
One person found this helpful
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N. Coppedge
3.0 out of 5 stars Worth owning if you're about to create a pitiful revolution
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2013
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This is really a two star book with sterling qualities.

You expect different. But the arguments aren't frankly as brilliant as the sophists must have been.

Why not try to create your own arguments instead?

This book focuses on historical realism, and does 'feel like a book' sort of.

What it's missing is brilliance. If that's what you really need, there are better options. Like the Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (or many others). Some businessmen are worse, for no good reason.
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Top reviews from other countries

J.W.
4.0 out of 5 stars seems legit
Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2022
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Looking forward to reading it.
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J.W.
4.0 out of 5 stars seems legit
Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2022
Looking forward to reading it.
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Mr B
5.0 out of 5 stars The Greek Sophists. John Dillon
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2015
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Why are the Sophists – the sellers of Sophia (wisdom) important? Not just because they evoked the contempt of Socrates because the bottom line was that they were more concerned with persuasion than the truth, but also because of their influence on what John Dillon called the Middle Platonists – between the death of Plato and Plotinus, where there seemed to be some mutual poaching of ideas – and it could be difficult as to whether the origin was a Stoic line of thought, or the walking-talking Platonists and the sit down symposia school of Platonists.

The introduction is excellent, very clear, placing comments like ‘I have only had the 1 drachma course’ by Socrates, very much in context. The Sophists chosen begin with Protagorus of Abdera, and the approach becomes a model for all the other Sophists discussed: biopic; what they said; what others – apart from the references in the Dialogues of Plato, said – including some of the Dramatists, and later Platonists like Plutarch and people like Clement of Alexandria. This is authorative, scholarly – a veritable mine of information, and very accessible. Rightly in the Penguin classics series: for any budding Platonist, very welcome and easily available additional material.
5 people found this helpful
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James Hutchinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2018
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Great collection of material relevant for a fascinating period of Greek History. Helps explain Socrates and Plato.
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