The aim of this paper is to study the interpretative strategies employed by Olympiodorus in his Commentary on Plato’s Gorgias, and defend the thesis that it is an example of a refined and complex philosophical hermeneutics. Rather than merely reproducing without critique Socrates’ proposal concerning rhetoric or distorting it to serve his own interests, Olympiodorus presents a philosophically sophisticated interpretation of the Socratic premises in light of the distinctions made by Socrates himself in the dialogue. Thus, he shows how Plato’s position is more coherent with his own stance than the theories of the Aristotelians and the Stoics. Although Olympiodorus seeks to show that there exists a form of oratory that can be considered a legitimate practice, his proposal does not amount to a mere biased defense of oratory, but rather constitutes an attempt to philosophically solve th...

The aim of this paper is to study the interpretative strategies employed by Olympiodorus in his Commentary on Plato’s Gorgias, and defend the thesis that it is an example of a refined and complex philosophical hermeneutics. Rather than merely reproducing without critique Socrates’ proposal concerning rhetoric or distorting it to serve his own interests, Olympiodorus presents a philosophically sophisticated interpretation of the Socratic premises in light of the distinctions made by Socrates himself in the dialogue. Thus, he shows how Plato’s position is more coherent with his own stance than the theories of the Aristotelians and the Stoics. Although Olympiodorus seeks to show that there exists a form of oratory that can be considered a legitimate practice, his proposal does not amount to a mere biased defense of oratory, but rather constitutes an attempt to philosophically solve th...

The aim of this paper is to study the interpretative strategies employed by Olympiodorus in his Commentary on Plato’s Gorgias, and defend the thesis that it is an example of a refined and complex philosophical hermeneutics. Rather than merely reproducing without critique Socrates’ proposal concerning rhetoric or distorting it to serve his own interests, Olympiodorus presents a philosophically sophisticated interpretation of the Socratic premises in light of the distinctions made by Socrates himself in the dialogue. Thus, he shows how Plato’s position is more coherent with his own stance than the theories of the Aristotelians and the Stoics. Although Olympiodorus seeks to show that there exists a form of oratory that can be considered a legitimate practice, his proposal does not amount to a mere biased defense of oratory, but rather constitutes an attempt to philosophically solve th...