Peri sōphiston

Peri sōphistōn ("Concerning Sophists") is a work by Alcidamas, a 4th-century BCE Sophist and rhetorician from Athens. In this text, Alcidamas argues for the superiority of extemporaneous, yet prepared, speeches over written ones. The Sophists, as a group, were itinerant teachers who offered instruction in various subjects for a fee. They challenged previous philosophical traditions by focusing on human experience and practical success, rather than abstract speculation about the nature of reality. Alcidamas was a student of Gorgias and a rival of Isocrates. Aristotle, however, criticized Alcidamas's writing style for its excessive use of adjectives and perceived frigidity.1234