Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/18

 xu COJSTKNTS. CHAPTER LXVII. THE DRAMA. RHETORIC AND DIALECTICS. THE SOPHISTS. Athens immediately after Eukleides political history little known. Extraordinary development of dramatic genius. Gradual enlargement of tragedy. Abundance of new tragedy at Athens. Accessibility of the theatre to the poorest citizens. Theorikon, or festival-pay. Effect of the tragedies on the public mind of Athens. JEschylus, Sophokles, and Euripides modifications of tragedy. Popularity arising from expenditure of money on the festivals. Growth and development of comedy at Athens. Comic poets before Aristophanes Kratinus, etc. Exposure of citizens by name in comedy forbidden for a time then renewed Krates and the milder comedy. Aristophanes. Comedy in its effect on the Athenian mind. Mistaken estimate of the comic writers, as good witnesses or just critics Aversion of Solon to the drama when nascent. Dramatic poetry as compared with the former kinds of poetry. Ethical sentiment, interest, and debate, infused into the drama. The drama formed the stage of transition to rhetoric, dialectics, and ethical philosophy. Practical value and necessity of rhetorical accomplishments. Rhetoric and dialectics. Empedokles of Agrigentum first name in the rhetorical movement. Zeno of Elea first name in the dialectical movement. Eleatic school Par- menides. Zeno and Melissus their dialectic attacks upon the oppo- nents of Parmenides. Zeno at Athens his conversation both with Perikles and with Sokrates. Early manifestation, and powerful efficacy, of the negative arm in Grecian philosophy. Rhetoric and dialectics men of active life and men of speculation two separate lines of intel- lectual activity. Standing antithesis between these two intellectual classes vein of ignorance at Athens, hostile to both. Gradual enlargement of the field of education at Athens increased knowledge and capacity of the musical teachers. The sophists true Greek mean- ing of that word invidious sentiment implied in it. The name sophist applied by Plato in a peculiar sense, in his polemics against the eminent paid teachers. Misconceptions arising from Plato's peculiar use of the word sophist. Paid teachers or sophists of ifhe Sokratic age Protagoras, Gorgias, etc. Plato and the sophists two different points of view the reformer and theorist against the practical teacher. The sophists were professional teachers for active life, like Isokrates and Quintilian. Misinterpretations of the dialogues of Plato as carry- ing evidence against the sophists. The sophists as paid teachers no proof that they were greedy or exorbitant proceeding of Protagoras. The sophists as rhetorical teachers groundless accusations against them in that capacity, made also against Sokrates, Isokrates, and others. Thrasymachus his rhetorical precepts Prodikus his discrimina- tion of words analogous in meaning. Protagoras his treatise on Truth his opinions about the pagan gods. His view of the cognitive process and its relative nature. Gorgias his treatise on physical subjects misrepresentations of the scope of it. Unfounded accusations against the sophists. They were not a sect or school, with common doctrines or method ; they were a profession, with strong ind vidual peculiarities. -The Athenian character was not really corrupted.