Gorgias

Gorgiasis aSocratic dialogue which depicts a conversation between Socrates and a small group ofsophistsat a dinner gathering. Socrates debates with the sophist seeking the true definition ofrhetoric, attempting to pinpoint the essence of rhetoric and unveil the flaws of the sophisticoratorypopular in Athens at the time. The art of persuasion was widely considered necessary for political and legal advantage in classicalAthens, and rhetoricians promoted themselves as teachers of this fundamental skill. Some, likeGorgias, were foreigners attracted to Athens because of its reputation for intellectual and cultural sophistication. Socrates suggests that he is one of the few Athenians to practice true politics.