Hippias' Synagogé: An Historiographical Misunderstanding?

Abstract:In this paper we challenge a staple of modern scholarship, which considers Hippias' Synagogé as the first instance of Greek doxographical work. In this article, I offer a fresh analysis of the relevant ancient texts and of the state of scholarship. The result of this investigation casts doubt on the real nature and scope of Hippias' Synagogé as a mere collection of passages. I argue that this usually taken for granted interpretation does not capture what the Synagogé may have been. By contrast, I suggest restoring the entertaining nature and rhetorical strategy that lie at the heart of Hippias' literary effort.