Table Of ContentProdicus the Sophist
Texts, Translations, and Commentary
ROBERT MAYHEW
OXFORD
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Leonard Peikoff
Το
Contents
Preface
1Χ
Acknowledgments
χ
..
Abbreviations
Xll
Introduction
Xlll
TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS
Ι. Life and Character 2
ΙΙ. Language 16
ΙΙΙ. Natural Philosophy, Cosmology, and Religion 38
IV. Ethics 50
COMMENTARY
Life and Character 68
Ι.
Language 107
ΙΙ.
Natural Philosophy, Cosmology, and Religion 159
ΠΙ.
IV. Ethics 194
Appendices 237
Sources 249
254
Bibliography
Index Locorum 261
269
Index Nominum
Preface
The past fifty years has witnessed the flourishing of scholarship in
virtually every area of ancient Greek philosophy; but the sophists
have, by comparison or for the most part, been neglected. This is
certainly true of Prodicus. Of the four most well-known sophists
Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus, and Antiphon-he has received the
least attention. The time is right for a reassessment of this important
fifth-century thinker-of his views οη language, religion, and
ethics-and one that considers not simply the texts included in Diels
and Κranz' s Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, but all the relevant
ancient evidence. The present volume makes available this material,
and includes a lengthy examination of it.
Prodicus the Sophist consists of ninety texts with facing translation,
and extensive commentary. have relied the best available
Ι οη
editions of the texts (see the list of sources pp. 249-253 ); the
οη
translations are new, and aim to be faithful to the original Greek ( or
Latin). Where possible, key terms are translated consistently. have
Ι
tried to make the commentary serve the needs of a wide range of
people. include basic information about the sources for the texts,
Ι
the context in which they appear, discussion of relevant philological
issues, and of course analysis of the issues and arguments presented
in them. My hope is that both scholars of ancient philosophy and
advanced students curious about this interesting figure who appears
in over a dozen Platonic dialogues will find this volume useful.
Robert Mayhew
Acknowledgments
Ι wish to acknowledge three debts to my home institution, Seton Hall
University. First, in spring 2005, Ι taught a seminar on the Greek
sophists, and it was while preparing for and teaching that course
that Ι first began thinking about a book on Prodicus. Ι' d like to thank
the students in that class for making an interesting subject more
enjoyable, and especially Edward Guetti, for his astute critical com
ments on my presentation of Prodicus' Heracles-speech. Second,
am grateful to the College of Arts and Sciences and especially
Ι
my colleagues in the Department of Philosophy for approving my
2006-7 sabbatical leave, during which period began to work in
Ι
earnest on this project. Ayn Rand Institute Research Grant, for
(Αη
which am very grateful, allowed me to take a full year's sabbatical
Ι
leave.) Third, wish to express my gratitude to Fred Booth, chair of
Ι
the Classics Department, for providing me with translations of the
seven Latin texts included in the present collection ( as well as a
couple of others quoted in the commentary), and for taking the time
to discuss them with me.
It has once again been a pleasure to work with the personnel at
Oxford University Press. Special thanks to Peter Momtchiloff for his
encouragement and support.
Two anonymous referees for the Press produced extensive com
ments on a draft of the work, and Gregory Salmieri provided useful
comments οη an early version of my treatment of the Heracles
speech. Ι was very pleased that-nearly twenty years after directing
my doctoral dissertation-Alfonso Gomez-Lobo was willing to
answer a series of questions aboιιt particularly difficult texts. Ι
cannot say to what extent Alfonso, Greg, or either of the referees
agrees with any of the final product, but I'm extremely grateful for
their feedback. Needless to say, any remaining errors or infelicitie
are entirely my own.
* * *
Ιη the early 1980s, when Ι was an undergradιιat , Ι fi nnd n1y lf in ,1
position not unlike Pr dicus) Heracl , puzzling ν r wl1i h p itl1 ιη
life to follow-th ιιgh th choi e confr nting 111 w,ι η t iι-tιι )f
.
k11owledgrnents
Α Xl
\ Ti bnt raduate cl1ool or Law school. Dιιring tl1at period, Ι
li t d to a eries of lectures the history of Western philosophy,
η οη
fro1n Thales to the twentieth century, by Leonard Peikoff. It was a
tour de force, covering thousands of years in about sixty hours, and
it influenced my decision the following year to pursue the serious
tudy of the history of ideas. don't recall whether Leonard ever
Ι
mentioned Prodicus in that course (though he surely discussed the
sophists); and he is, philosophically, the antipode of a sophist
(t hough if, as argue, Prodicus was more likely an atheist than an
Ι
agnostic, the two of them have at least this much in common).
Nevertheless, for opening my eyes to just how important the history
of philosophy is and how enjoyable it can be, and for his encourage
ment and support over the past two decades, dedicate this book to
Ι
him.
