Hippias

Hippias

:"Hippias can also refer to the tyrant of Athens, son of Peisistratus. See Hippias (tyrant)."

Hippias of Elis ( _el. Ἱππίας) Greek Sophist, was born about the middle of the 5th century BC (ca. 460 BC) and was thus a younger contemporary of Protagoras and Socrates. He lived at least as late as Socrates (399 B.C.).

He was a man of great versatility and won the respect of his fellow-citizens to such an extent that he was sent to various towns on important embassies. He was born in Athens. At Athens he made the acquaintance of Socrates leading thinkers. With an assurance characteristic of the later sophists, he claimed to be regarded as an authority on all subjects, and lectured, at all events with financial success, on poetry, grammar, history, politics, archaeology, mathematics and astronomy.

He boasted that he was more popular than Protagoras, and was prepared at any moment to deliver an extempore address on any subject to the assembly at Olympia. His aim was not to give knowledge, but to provide his pupils with the weapons of argument, to make them fertile in discussion on all subjects alike. It is said that he boasted of wearing nothing that he had not made with his own hands.

Plato's two dialogues, the "Hippias Major" and "Minor", contain an exposé of his methods, exaggerated no doubt for purposes of argument but written with full knowledge of the man and the class which he represented.
Friedrich Ast denies their authenticity, but they must have been written by a contemporary writer (as they are mentioned in the literature of the 4th century), and undoubtedly represent the attitude of serious thinkers to the growing influence of the professional Sophists.

There is, however, no question that Hippias did a real service to Greek literature by insisting on the meaning of words, the value of rhythm and literary style. He is credited with an excellent work on Homer, collections of Greek and foreign literature, and archaeological treatises, but nothing remains except the barest notes. He forms the connecting link between the first great sophists, Protagoras and Prodicus, and the innumerable eristics who brought their name into disrepute. Fact|date=March 2008

External links

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* [http://mathdl.maa.org/convergence/1/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=1207&bodyId=1352 Hippias' Attempt to Trisect an Angle] at [http://mathdl.maa.org/convergence/1/ Convergence]


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  • Hippias — bezeichnet folgende Persönlichkeiten: Hippias (Tyrann von Athen); Hippias von Elis, Philosoph; Hippias von Thasos; folgende Werke: des nach Hippias von Elis benannten Platon Dialogs Hippias Minor: des nach Hippias von Elis benannten Platon… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hippĭas — Hippĭas, 1) Sohn des Tyrannen Pisistratos von Athen, folgte 528 v. Chr. mit seinem Bruder Hipparchos (s.d.) seinem Vater in der Tyrannis, u. während Hipparchos mehr für die Förderung der geistigen Interessen sorgte, führte er die politische… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Hippĭas — Hippĭas, 1) Sohn des Tyrannen Peisistratos von Athen, folgte diesem 527 v. Chr. mit seinem Bruder Hipparchos in der Tyrannis. Obwohl stolz und hochfahrend, regierte er doch mit Einsicht und Wohlwollen und wurde erst nach des Hipparchos Ermordung… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Hippias — Hippĭas, Tyrann von Athen, herrschte nach dem Tode seines Vaters Pisistratus (527 v. Chr.) mit seinem Bruder Hipparchus (s.d.) gemeinschaftlich. Als er nach der Ermordung des letztern ein härteres Regiment begann, ward er 510 mit Hilfe der… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Hippias [1] — Hippias, des Pisistratus Sohn, Beherrscher Athens, 510 v. Chr. vertrieben, blieb 490 v. Chr. auf pers. Seite bei Marathon; s. Athen Bd. I. S. 307 und Harmodius, Hipparchus …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Hippias [2] — Hippias, Sophist aus Elis, Zeitgenosse des Sokrates; von ihm sind 2 platon. Dialogen bekannt, von denen der eine als unecht gilt …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Hippias — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Hippias (en grec ancien Ἱππίας) est un prénom grec. Il a été porté entre autres par : Hippias d Élis, contemporain de Socrate et sophiste un tyran d… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hippias — I Hịppias,   griechisch Hippịas, Tyrann von Athen (seit 528/527 v. Chr.), ✝ um 490 v. Chr.; Sohn und zusammen mit seinem Bruder Hipparch Nachfolger des Peisistratos. Nach der Ermordung des Hipparch (514), auf die Hippias mit harten… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Hippias — /hip ee euhs/, n. fl. 6th century B.C., tyrant of Athens (brother of Hipparchus, son of Pisistratus). * * * died 490 BC Tyrant of Athens (528/527–510). He succeeded his father, Peisistratus, as tyrant. Hippias was a patron of poets and craftsmen …   Universalium

  • HIPPIAS — I. HIPPIAS Eleus Philosophus, discip. Hegesidemi, ita se comparavit, ne cuiusquam ope egeret. Summum Bonum Α᾿υτάρκειαν posuit, h. e. eo contentum esse, quod simplici victui sat esset. Is Olympiam cum venisset, maximâ illâ quinquennali celebritate …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

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