My impression of the sophists is that they are the educated “geniuses” of the early Greek life. Particularly in Athens, sophists came to denote a class of mostly itinerant intellectuals who taught courses in various subjects, specifically about the nature of language and culture and applied rhetoric to achieve their purposes, generally to persuade or convince others. They were looked upon as the great professors who had mastered language and different knowledgable subjects. They relate to these people greatly by introducing brand new ideas that are specific to these people. Many specialized in philosophy and rhetoric, also teaching math, athletics, and music. Sophists would focus on argument as a key point of their teachings. Taking the weak argument and turning it into the strongest. Most Sophists taught their skill for a price and due to the relevance to their culture, it was often at a high price.

Sophists would be explained as well paid professors in the 21st century. They would be seen as knowledgable professors at very educated colleges and universities that were very saught after. They also seem to differ from the modern day professor as the way of teachings. Sophists would teach men from when they were young in how to take care of them selves when they were grown from a mental state and also political state. They would differ in the ways of teaching as sophists focus on pilosophy and argument. Modern day professors could also be seen as similar in different practices they introduce to change your typical ways, for example studying habits.

The sophists were so controversial in Acient Greek as they challenged the social norms and traditional practices of the time. They came in with new ideas that were seen as better and changed the way a life for the people.