Prodicus


pg. 104 This is the time, as Prodicus said, when your hearers are dozing, to throw in something from the fifty-drachma speech. - Aristotle, Rhetoric III 14, 1415b8-17 = A12

pg. 105 Now I myself, Protagoras and Socrates, think that you should agree to debate with each other about your arguments, but not to wrangle - for friends debate with friends, even through good will, whereas its those who disagree with and are hostile to each other who wrangle. And it's in this way that we might have the finest meeting, as you the speakers would gain a very good reputation amongst us the listeners - yet you would not be praised; for gaining a good reputation occurs without deception in the souls of those who listen, but being praised often comes in the words of those who lie, contrary to their true opinion. And again, it's in this way that we the listeners would derive maximum enjoyment. - Plato, Protagoras 337A-C = A13

pg. 108 its necessary to learn about the correct use of words. - Plato, Euthydemus 277E-278A = A16

pg. 109 Prodicus divided pleasure into joy, delight, and merriment; for these are all names for the same thing, namely pleasure. - Aristotle, Topics II 6 112b22-8 = A19

pg. 110 things that provided nourishment or other help to us were the first things to be acknowledged and honored as gods, and later that persons who first found new means of obtaining food or providing shelter, or invented other arts and crafts were called names like Demeter, Dionysus and the like. - Philodemus, On Piety cols 9, 7, pp. 75-6 Gomperz = B5

pg. 110 the ancients accounted as gods the sun and moon and rivers and springs and in general all things that are of benefit for our life, because of the benefit derived from them, even as the Egyptians deify the Nile.' And he says that it was for this reason that bread was worshipped as Demeter, and wine as Dionysus, and water as Poseidon, and fire as Hephaestus, and so on with each of the things that are good for use. - Sextus Empiricus, Against the Mathematicians IX 18 = B5

Put the Choice of Heracles from Xenophon

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