ABSTRACT
It is no secret that our view of early (that is, before the influence of Plato, during the period c. 450-390) Greek rhetoric has been strongly influenced by the hostile attacks levelled at it and at the sophists in general by the philosopher Plato, but recognition of this fact has not eliminated the influence and Plato’s criticisms continue to shape our understanding of the formative period of Greek rhetoric in ways that are not fully appreciated. My intention in this chapter is to consider the force of Plato’s criticisms, to examine closely one issue on which modern scholars still follow Plato’s lead, even though he is demonstrably wrong, and then to suggest some features found in the rhetorical and sophistic works themselves that should form the starting point for a more accurate picture.
