Theodorus (Θεόδωρος) was a Greek sophist and orator of the late fifth century BC, born of Byzantium. Sophism was originally a term for the techniques taught by a highly respected group of philosophy and rhetoric teachers in ancient Greece. ... Orator is a Latin word for speaker (from the Latin verb oro, meaning I speak or I pray). In ancient Rome, the art of speaking in public (Ars Oratoria) was a professional competence especially cultivated by politicians and lawyers. ... (6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Demotic becomes the dominant script of ancient Egypt Persians invade Greece twice (Persian Wars) Battle of Marathon (490) Battle of Salamis (480) Athenian empire formed and falls Peloponnesian War... Byzantium, present day Istanbul, was an ancient Greek city-state, which according to legend was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas (Βύζας or Βύζαντας in Greek). ...

Theodorus is noted by Plato in his ironic survey of oratory in the Phaedrus for mentioning "confirmation and further confirmation", and calls Theodorus "that most excellent artist in words." Phaedrus responds in turn by calling Theodorus "worthy."^[1] Quintillian references Plato's usage in his history of Oratory in the third book of the Instiutio Oratoria. The Loeb translation of the passage gives us the perhaps more appropriate reading of "word-artificer" for Plato's witticism.^[2] Diogenes Laertius refers to him in a similarly cursorial manner.^[3] For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... The Phaedrus, written by Plato, is a dialogue between Platos main protagonist, Socrates, and Phaedrus, an interlocutor in several dialogues. ... Quintillian, Marcus Fabius Quintillianus (c. ... // Onomastics about the words, place- & human-names that forms Löb-, Loeb-, etc: Etymology See Onomastics in Judaism, List of Jewish surnames. ... Diogenes Laërtius, the biographer of the Greek philosophers, is supposed by some to have received his surname from the town of Laerte in Cilicia, and by others from the Roman family of the Laërtii. ...

Aristotle places him beside Tisias and Thrasymachus as the key movers in the history of rhetoric. Quoting the W. A. Pickard-Cambridge text: "For it may be that in everything, as the saying is 'the first start is the main part'... This is in fact what has happened in regard to rhetorical speeches and to practically all the other arts: for those who discovered the beginnings of them advanced them in all only a little way, whereas the celebrities of to-day are the heirs (so to speak) of a long succession of men who have advanced them bit by bit, and so have developed them to their present form, Tisias coming next after the first founders, then Thrasymachus after Tisias, and Theodorus next to him, while several people have made their several contributions to it: and therefore it is not to be wondered at that the art has attained considerable dimensions."^[4] The later Peripatetic school seems not to have been so kind. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, writing of the school in his era, 30 BC, states that "It is important that they should not assume that all the principles of rhetoric are covered in Peripatetic philosophy, and that nothing significant has been discovered by Theodorus, Thrasymachus, Antiphon and their associates..."^[5] Some commentators conclude from the passage that Theodorus is linked significantly with Antiphon and Thrasymachus.^[6] Elsewhere, Dionysius speaks of him as antiquated, careless and superficial.^[7] Cicero describes him as excelling rather in the theory than the practice of his art.^[8] Thrasymachus (c 459-400 BCE) was a sophist of Ancient Greece best known as a character in Platos Republic. ... Thrasymachus (c 459-400 BCE) was a sophist of Ancient Greece best known as a character in Platos Republic. ... Peripatetic means wandering. The Peripatetics were a school of philosophy in ancient Greece. ... Dionysius Halicarnassensis (of Halicarnassus), Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, flourished during the reign of Augustus. ... Thrasymachus (c 459-400 BCE) was a sophist of Ancient Greece best known as a character in Platos Republic. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Thrasymachus (c 459-400 BCE) was a sophist of Ancient Greece best known as a character in Platos Republic. ... Cicero at about age 60, from an ancient marble bust Marcus Tullius Cicero (IPA: ; Latin pronunciation:  ; January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator, statesman, political theorist, lawyer and philosopher of Ancient Rome. ...

The Byzantine Suda quotes the Phaedrus again in referencing Theodorus, with the translation giving the curious variation of "Daedalus of words." The Suda provides a brief listing of his works, declaring him the author of Against Thrasybulus, and Against Andocides, as well as undeclared others.^[9] Suda (Σουδα or alternatively Suidas) is a massive 10th century Byzantine Greek historical encyclopædia of the ancient Mediterranean world. ... Thrasybulus (Ancient Greek: , brave-willed, Eng. ... Andocides, or Andokidès , (440–390 BC) one of the ten Attic orators. ...

Citations

Ada Sara Adler (1878-1946) was a Danish classical scholar and librarian. ...

References

Secondary sources and translations

• Dillon, John; Gergel, Tania (2003). The Greek Sophists (in English). Great Britain: Penguin Group. ISBN 0-14-043689-8. 
• Pickard-Cambridge, W. A. [1941] (2001). in Richard McKeon: The Basic Works of Aristotle, De Sophisticis Elenchis (On Sophistical Refutations) (in English). New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-375-75799-6. 
• William Smith, (1873). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: John Murray.