V.

THE CLOUDS.

It is difficult to write anything about this play without: going into
matters more serious than would be becoming in such a volume as this.
Something, however, may be said, by way of explanation, of the object
which the poet had in view. He was a strong conservative, as in poli-
tics, so in education. And anew school of teachers, to whom the name
of sophists had been given, had in his time come into vogue at Athens.
These men, of whom Protagoras of Abdera and Gorgias of Leontium
were perhaps the most famous, were not at all to the liking of Aris-
tophanes. He clung to the old faith (though this adherence did not
prevent him from being on occasion exceedingly profane), while the
sophists explained it away. He held with the old notions of right and
wrong, and they, as Mr. Merry expresses it, “ did not profess to believe
in an absolute standard of morality, or in any positive truth.” Their
aim in teaching was to be practically useful, to make their pupils fit for
life, especially public life. But success in public life largely depended
on power in speaking. “ Rhetoricians” was the name for Athenian
politicians. Hence the sophists gave especial attention to the art of
speaking. So far as they believed that there was no absolute right or
wrong, so far they would teach their pupils to use the rhetorical art
which they learnt without regard to these considerations. To judge
from the account given of his teaching by Plato, Socrates did not
approve of the sophists. Again and again he is represented as con-
futing them. Yet it was not unnatural that Aristophanes should
confound him with them, or even pick him out for attack as their
representative. In truth, however, he was nothing of the kind. These
sophists were mainly foreigners; Socrates was an Athenian. They |
lectured in private, receiving only those who were willing and able to
pay the high fees which they demanded; Socrates taught in the public
streets and squares any one who chose to listen to him.

The attack could have had only a remote influence in bringing
about the condemnation of the great philosopher by his countrymen.

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