Hippias ofElis (/ˈhɪpiəs/;Greek:Ἱππίας ὁ Ἠλεῖος; late 5th century BC) was aGreeksophist, and a contemporary ofSocrates. With an assurance characteristic of the later sophists, he claimed to be regarded as an authority on all subjects, and lectured onpoetry,grammar,history,politics,mathematics, and much else.[1] Most current knowledge of him is derived fromPlato, who characterizes him as vain and arrogant.
Hippias was born atElis in the mid 5th-century BC (c. 460 BC) and was thus a younger contemporary ofProtagoras andSocrates. He lived at least as late as Socrates (399 BC). He was a disciple of Hegesidamus.[2] Owing to his talent and skill, his fellow-citizens availed themselves of his services in political matters, and in a diplomatic mission toSparta.[3] But he was in every respect like the other sophists of the time: he travelled about in various towns and districts ofGreece for the purpose of teaching and public speaking. The two dialogues ofPlato, theHippias major and theHippias minor characterize him as vain and arrogant. TheHippias major (the authorship of this work by Plato is sometimes doubted) concerns the question about thebeautiful, and purposely puts the knowledge and presumption of Hippias in a ludicrous light. TheHippias minor discusses the deficiency of humanknowledge, and characterizes Hippias as ridiculously vain.[1]
Hippias was a man of very extensive knowledge, and he occupied himself not only withrhetorical,philosophical, andpolitical studies, but was also well versed inpoetry,music,mathematics,painting andsculpture, and he claimed some practical skill in the ordinary arts of life, for he used to boast of wearing on his body nothing that he had not made himself with his own hands, such as hisseal-ring, hiscloak, andshoes.[4] He was credited with a lost work known as theOlympionikō̂n Anagraphḗ (Ὀλυμπιονικῶν Ἀναγραφή) which computedCoroebus's victory as occurring in 776 BC and became the basis of all later lists of theOlympiads and their victors.[5] On the other hand, his knowledge always appears superficial, he does not enter into the details of any particular art or science, and is satisfied with certain generalities, which enabled him to speak on everything without a thorough knowledge of any. This arrogance, combined with ignorance, is the main cause which provoked Plato to his severe criticism of Hippias, as the sophist enjoyed a very extensive reputation, and thus had a large influence upon the education of the youths of the higher classes.Plutarch also criticized Hippias inTheLife of Numa inParallel Lives when writing about the chronology of Numa's relationship withPythagoras, mentioning that the chronology was based on theOlympionikō̂n Anagraphḗ and stating that Hippias had no authoritative basis on his work.[6] A mathematical discovery ascribed to Hippias is sometimes called thequadratrix of Hippias.
His great skill seems to have consisted in delivering grand show speeches; and Plato has him arrogantly declaring that he would travel toOlympia, and there deliver before the assembled Greeks anoration on any subject that might be proposed to him;[7] andPhilostratus in fact speaks of several such orations delivered at Olympia, and which created great sensation. If such speeches were published by Hippias, then no specimen has come down to us. Plato claims he wroteepic poetry,tragedies,dithyrambs, and various orations,[8] as well as works ongrammar,music,rhythm,harmony, and a variety of other subjects.[9] He seems to have been especially fond of choosing antiquarian and mythical subjects for his show speeches.Athenaeus mentions a work of Hippias under the titleSynagoge which is otherwise unknown.[10] An epigram of his is preserved inPausanias.[11]
Hippias is credited with originating the idea of natural law. This ideal began at first during the 5th century BC. According to Hippias, natural law was never to be superseded as it was universal.[12] Hippias saw natural law as a habitual entity that humans take part in without pre-meditation. He regarded the elite in states as indistinguishable from one another and thus they should perceive each other as so. Because of this, he reasons, they should consider and treat each other as a society of a unanimous state. These ideas were passed on through Cynicism and Stoicism, later being the foundation for turning Roman law in legislation.[13] Along with natural law, Hippias also wrote about self-sufficiency as a binding principle. He used this principle in his teachings as he gathered knowledge in numerous subjects, so as to be never outwitted or have his reputation questioned.[14]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Hippias".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. p. 479.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hippias of Elis".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 517.
