364 Harry M. Hubhell, Ph.D., 



fr. fl-VII. (Nothing.) 



II, 302, X-, "The Athenians though fond of oratory are offended by peri- 



fr III, ' ^^^> ^"^ those who savor of scholastic rhetoric."^'' There is 

 need of opportunity in diplomacy. 



fr. V. Since every virtue, not that which existed in the time of the 



heroes, but in the time of Pythagoras and men of earlier gen- 

 eration. . . . 



fr. VI. (Nothing.) 



Excursus. 



The rise of teachers of the art of oratory in Greece marks the 

 beginning of a movement in Greek literature which is of the 

 highest importance in determining the course of Greek thought 

 for the succeeding centuries ; in fact through its influence on 

 Rome and those modern literatures which derive largely from 

 Rome it has shaped much of the thought and expression of the 

 modern world. The movement seemed destined from the very 

 first to be unusually significant. The enthusiasm with which the 

 new study was welcomed by the youth of Greece showed that 

 the sophists had accurately judged the needs of their public. 

 The importance of the new teaching is shown no less by the 

 violent opposition which it encountered. It was an unerring 

 instinct which led the enemy of Athenian democracy and Euri- 

 pidean tragedy to direct one of his most vigorous attacks against 

 the teaching of the power of speech which was so intimately con- 

 nected with the other objects of his aversion. Aristophanes is 

 our sole extant example of a feeling which was general in the 

 latter part of the fifth century among conservative classes that 

 the teaching of the sophists was a detriment to the community. 

 Tricky and even lying speech there had always been, and would 

 always be, but it seemed incredibly monstrous that men should 

 undertake to train others in the art of deception. 



At first the attack was couched in general terms, and was 

 aimed at the immorality of the new profession without attempt- 

 ing to analyze its principles or methods. But the growing skill 

 and subtlety in argument, and a more precise limiting of the 

 spheres of the professions by specialization gave to the con- 



^"Cf. II, 21S. 



