The Great Sophists in Periclean Athens

The book explores the significant impact of the Sophists' arrival in fifth-century B.C. Athens, highlighting their innovative teaching methods based on rhetoric and their challenge to traditional beliefs. It delves into the reasons behind their initial popularity and the subsequent backlash they faced, set against the backdrop of classical Athenian culture and civilization. Through this investigation, de Romilly provides insights into the intellectual dynamics of the period.