A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

542 PRODICUS. PRODICUS.
(Plat. Protag. p. 316, d.; Suid. s. v.), whom he is selves to a single lecture, or entered into an
described as having imitated (Plat. Prot. pp. 339, agreement for a more complete course (Axioch. 6;
c., 340, e., 341, b.), and with whom he was with- Cratyl. p. 384, b.; Arist. Rlet. iii. 14. ~ 9; Suid.
out doubt acquainted, as the poet did not die till s. v.; comp. Welcker, p. 414). Prodicus is said
the 79th, or the beginning of the 80th Olympiad. to have amassed a great amount of money (Hipzp.
Prodicus came frequently to Athens for the pur- Maj. p. 282, d.; Xen. Syrnp. iv. 62, i. 5; on the
pose of transacting business on behalf of his native practice of paying for instruction and lectures,
city, and even attracted admiration in the senate comp. again. Welcker, I. c. p. 412, &c.). The
as an orator (Plat. lsipp. Maj. p. 282, comp. assertion that he hunted after rich young men, is
Philos. Vit. Soph. i. 12), although his voice was only found in Philostratus (p. 496). As Prodicus
deep and apt to fall (Plat. Protag. p. 316,' a.; and others maintained with regard to themselves,
Philost. 1. c.). Plutarch describes him as slender that they stood equally on the confines of philoand weak (Plut. an seni ger. sit Resp. c. 15); and sophy and politics (Eut/hyd. p. 305, c.), so Plato
Plato also alludes to his weakliness, and a degree represents his instructions as chiefly ethical (3Meno,
of effeminacy which resulted therefrom (Prot. p. 96, d.; comp. de Rep. x. p. 600, e.), and gives
p. 315, d.). Philostratus is the first who taxes the preference to his distinction of ideas, as of
him with luxury and avarice (I. c., comp. Welcker, those of courage, rashness, boldness, over similar
Kleine Schritfen, ii. p. 513, &c.). In the Prota- attempts of other sophists (Lach. p. 197, c.).
goras of Plato, which points to the 87th Olympiad What pertained to this point was probably only
(any more exact determination is disputable) as contained in individual show-orations (Diog. La'rt.,
the time at which the dialogue is supposed to take Philost. II. cc.), which he usually declined. (Philost.
place, Prodicus is mentioned as having previously p. 482.) Though known to Callimachus, they do
arrived in Athens. He had been brought forward not appear to have been much longer preserved.
in a play of Eupolis, and in the Clouds and the (Welcker, p. 465, &c.) In contrast with Gorgias
Birds of Aristophanes (1. 360), which belong to and others, who boasted of possessing the art of
01. 89 and O1. 91, and came frequently to Athens making the small appear great, the great small,
on public business. (Plut. Hipp. Maj. p. 282.) and of expatiating in long or short speeches, ProStill later, when Isocrates (born 01. 86. 1) is men- dicus required that the speech should be neither
tioned as his disciple (see WVelcker, Prodikos von long nor short, but of the proper measure (Plat.
Keos, Vorgingyer des Socrates. published first in the Ph/aed. p. 267, a.; comp. Gorg. p. 449, c., Prot.
Rheinisc/hes Museumn der Philologie, von Welcker p. 334, e., 335, b., 338, d.; Arist. Rhet. iii. 17),
and Nike, i. 1-39, 533-545, afterwards in and it is only as associated with other sophists
F. G. Welcker's IKleine Schriflen, ii. p. 392-541), that he is charged with endeavouring to make the
and in the year of the death of Socrates, Prodicus weaker cause strong by means of his rhetoric.
was still living. (Plat. Apol. p. 19. c.) The dates (Cic. Brut. c. 8.) He paid especial attention to
of his birth and death cannot be determined. The the correct use of words (Plat. Euthyd. p. 187, e.,
statement of Suidas (s. v., comp. Schol. on Plat. de Cratyl. p. 384, b., comp. Galen. in Hippocn. de
Rep. x. p. 600. c.), that he was condemned to the Articul. iv. p. 461. 1), and the distinction of exhemlock cup as a corrupter of the youth in Athens, pressions related in sense (Laclh. p. 197, d., Prot.
sounds very suspicious (comp. Welcker, p. 582). p. 340, a., 341, a., Ctaromid. p. 163, d., Meno,
According to the statement of Philostratus (p. 483, p. 75, c., comp. Themist. Orat. iv. p. 1] 3). As
comp. 496, ed. Olearius), on which little more re- disciples of Prodicus in oratory, we find mentioned
liance can be placed, he delivered his lecture on the orators Theramenes (Aeschin. in Ath/en. v.
virtue and vice in Thebes and Sparta also. The p. 220, b.; Schol. ad Aristoph. Nub. p. 360), and
Apology of Plato unites him with Gorgias and Isocrates (Dionys. Hal. Isocr. 1; Phot. cod. 260;
Hippias in the statement, that into whatever city comp. Welcker, p. 463, &c.). Thucydides is said
they might come, they were competent to instruct to have appropriated from him his accuracy in
the youth. Lucian (Vit. Herod. c. 3) mentions the use of words (Marcell. Vit. Tltuc. p. xiii.,
him among those who had held lectures at Olym- Bekk.; comp. Schol. ap. Hemsterhus. Annot. in
pia. In the dialogues of Plato he is mentioned or Lucian., App. 3; Maxim. Tyr. Dissert. vii. p. 72,
introduced, not indeed without irony, though, as Davis.)
compared with the other sophists, with a certain The speech on the choice of Hercules (Philost.
degree of esteem. (Hipp. Maj. p. 282, T/zeaet. p. 496; Xenophon, M1em. ii. 1. ~ 21, only quotes
p. 151, b., P/laedo, 60, Protag. p. 341, a., Char- the t-y/ypra1epa 7repl roi'HpaKAc'ovs) was enttitled
mid. p. 163, d., l/Ieno, p. 96, Cratyl. p. 384. b.,'ripam. (Suid. s. v. ~l2pas and lIpo'8.; Schol. ad
Symtop. p. 177, Eut/tyd. p. 305.) Aristophanes in AristopLh. Nub. 1. 360. Respecting the different
the Clouds (1. 360) deals more indulgently with explanations of this title, see Weicker, p. 466, &c.,
him than with Socrates; and the Xenophontic who refers it to the youthful bloom of Hercules.)
Socrates, for the purpose of combating the volup- To Hercules, as he was on the point, at his entrance
tuousness of Aristippus, borrows from the book of on the age of youth, of deciding for one of the two
the wise Prodicus (IIpo'. od ro)o's) the story of paths of life, that of virtue and that of vice, there
the choice of Hercules (Melmor. ii. 1. ~ 21, &c.). appear two women, the one of dignified beauty,
This separation of Prodicus from the other so- adorned with purity, modesty, and discretion, the
phists has been pointed out by Welcker in the other of a voluptuous form, and meretricious look
above-quoted treatise (p. 400, &c.). Like Prota- and dress. The latter promises to lead him by
goras and others, Prodicus delivered lectures in the shortest road, without any toil, to the enjoyreturn for the payment of contributions (Ei7rbes- ment of every pleasure. The other, while she
YrvuTat - Xen. Mleisz. ii. 1. ~ 21, comp. Philostr. p. reminds him of his progenitors and his noble na482; Diog. Laert. ix. 50; jpavloovYTo-T-' L4, Plat. ture, does not conceal from him that the gods
Prot. 314, b.) of from half a drachma to 50 drach- have not granted what is really beautiful and good
mae, probably according as the hearers limited them- apart from trouble and careful striving. The