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Dialogues · Character

Protagoras

The celebrated sophist whose fee buys instruction in virtue itself, forcing Socrates to ask what exactly a soul pays for when it hires a teacher.

supporting

Also known as the old Protagoras, O Protagoras

First appearance: Protagoras

As a supporting figure in Dialogues, Protagoras is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The renowned sophist who defends his profession and engages in a dialectical exchange with Socrates.
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Protagoras is the visiting celebrity of the dialogue that bears his name, a famous teacher from Abdera whose reputation draws Hippocrates to wake Socrates before dawn. He sells wisdom, and the tension is whether virtue…

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See Protagoras in Protagoras

Character Web

7 connections

A slice of how Protagoras sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

THTheaetetusCLCleiniasPLPlatoLYLysisADAdeimantusPRProtagoras

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Extended Cast of Dialogues
  • Philosophers and Interlocutors

+2 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point

In this excerpt, the dramatic climax occurs when Erasistratus’s boastful praise of the Syracusan envoy’s immen…

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In the story

Protagoras appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Protagoras unlock in the free preview.

See Protagoras in Protagoras