Secondary sourceBook4th century BCE
Rhetoric
Aristotle · 4th century BCE
Aristotle's treatise on persuasion, which preserves a report of Sophocles' own defence of his vote as a proboulos in 411 BCE.
Preserves a report of Sophocles defending his own political vote late in his life.
About this source
What it is
Aristotle's Rhetoric is a treatise on the art of persuasion from the fourth century BCE, likely compiled from his students' lecture notes. It became the foundational work of Western rhetorical theory.
Why it matters
Within this wide-ranging work, Aristotle records an anecdote about Sophocles defending his vote as a member of the oligarchic council of 411 BCE, giving us a rare direct glimpse of the playwright's political life in old age, beyond his famous plays.
Look closer
- Why might Aristotle have included this anecdote about Sophocles in a book about persuasion?
- What does this episode suggest about Sophocles' role in Athenian politics late in his life?
- How reliable do you think a secondhand report like this is as evidence for a person's actions?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sophocles, Aristotle and Pericles on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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