Editing Hippias (section)

==Work==
Hippias was a man of very extensive knowledge, and he occupied himself not only with [[rhetoric]]al, [[philosophy|philosophical]], and [[politics|political]] studies, but was also well versed in [[poetry]], [[music]], [[mathematics]], [[painting]] and [[sculpture]], 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 his [[Seal (emblem)|seal-ring]], his [[cloak]], and [[shoes]].<ref>Plato, ''Hippias major'', 285c, ''Hippias minor'', 368b, ''Protagoras'', 315c; Philostratus, ''Vit. Soph.'' i. 11.; Themistius, ''Orat.'' xxix. p. 345. d.</ref> He was credited with a lost work known as the ''Olympionikō̂n Anagraphḗ'' ({{lang|grc|Ὀλυμπιονικῶν Ἀναγραφή}}) which computed [[Coroebus of Elis|Coroebus]]'s victory as occurring in 776&nbsp;{{sc|bc}} and became the basis of all later lists of the [[Olympiad]]s and their victors.<ref name=olyoly>{{citation |last=Christesen |first=Paul |contribution-url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110931419.319/pdf |contribution=Imagining Olympia: Hippias of Elis and the First Olympic Victor List |title=A Tall Order: Writing the Social History of the Ancient World |date=2012 |publisher=B.G. Teubner |doi=10.1515/9783110931419.319 |editor-last=Auber |editor-first=Jean-Jacques |editor2-last=Várhelyi |location=Berlin |editor2-first=Zsuzsanna |pages=319&ndash;356 |display-editors=0 }}.</ref> 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 in ''The'' ''Life of Numa'' in ''[[Parallel Lives]]'' when writing about the chronology of Numa's relationship with [[Pythagoras]], mentioning that the chronology was based on the ''Olympionikō̂n Anagraphḗ'' and stating that Hippias had no authoritative basis on his work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plutarch • Life of Numa |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Numa*.html |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=penelope.uchicago.edu}}</ref> A mathematical discovery ascribed to Hippias is sometimes called the [[quadratrix]] of Hippias.

His great skill seems to have consisted in delivering grand show speeches; and Plato has him arrogantly declaring that he would travel to [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]], and there deliver before the assembled Greeks an [[oration]] on any subject that might be proposed to him;<ref>Plat. ''Hippias minor'', 363</ref> and [[Philostratus]] 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 wrote [[epic poetry]], [[tragedies]], [[dithyramb]]s, and various orations,<ref>Plato ''Hippias minor'', 368</ref> as well as works on [[grammar]], [[music]], [[rhythm]], [[harmony]], and a variety of other subjects.<ref>Plato, ''Hippias major'', 285ff; comp. Philostratus, ''Vit. Soph.'' i. 11.; Plutarch, ''Num.'' 1, 23; Dio Chrysostom, ''Orat.'' lxxi.</ref> 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 title ''Synagoge'' which is otherwise unknown.<ref>Athenaeus, xiii. 609</ref> An epigram of his is preserved in [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]].<ref>Pausanias, v. 25</ref>