A.master of one's craft, adept, expert, of diviners, Hdt.2.49; of poets, “μελέταν σοφισταῖς πρόσβαλον” Pi.I.5(4).28, cf. Cratin.2; of musicians, “σοφιστὴς . . παραπαίων χέλυν” A.Fr.314, cf. Eup.447, Pl.Com. 140; σοφιστῇ Θρῃκί (sc. Thamyris) E.Rh.924, cf. Ath.14.632c: with modal words added, “οἱ ς. τῶν ἱερῶν μελῶν” Ael.NA11.1; of the Creator of the universe (ὁ δημιουργός）, πάνυ θαυμαστὸν λέγεις ς. Pl.R.596d; of cooks, “εἰς τοὺς ς. τὸν μάγειρον ἐγγράφω” Alex.149.14, cf. Euphro 1.11; οἱ τὴν ἱππείαν ς. skilled in . . , Ael.NA13.9: metaph., ς. πημάτων deviser, contriver of pains, E.Heracl.993:—then,
2. wise, prudent or statesmanlike man, in which sense the seven Sages are called σοφισταί, Hdt.1.29, cf. Isoc.15.235, Arist.Fr.5, D.61.50; of Pythagoras, Hdt.4.95; of natural philosophers, Hp.VM20; of Isocrates and Plato, D.H.Comp.25; of the Βραχμᾶνες, Arr.An.6.16.5, cf. γυμνοσοφισταί; freq. with a slightly iron. sense, “ἵνα μάθῃ ς. ὢν Διὸς νωθέστερος” A.Pr.62, cf. 944; “ψυχή . . κρείσσων σοφιστοῦ παντὸς εὑρέτις” S.Fr. 101, cf. E.Hipp.921: prov., “μισῶ σοφιστὴν ὅτις οὐχ αὑτῷ σοφός” Id.Fr. 905: of the philosophic sage, Aristid.2.311 J.
II. from late v B.C., a Sophist, i.e. one who gave lessons in grammar, rhetoric, politics, mathematics, for money, such as Prodicus, Gorgias, Protagoras, “τὴν σοφίαν τοὺς ἀργυρίου τῷ βουλομένῳ πωλοῦντας σοφιστὰς ἀποκαλοῦσιν” X.Mem.1.6.13, cf. Cyn.13.8, Th.3.38, Pl.Prt.31 3c, Euthd.271c, La. 186c, Men.85b, Isoc.15.148, Arist.SE165a22; “ς. ἄχρηστοι καὶ βίου δεόμενοι” Lys.33.3; but sts. even of Socrates (though he did not teach for money), Aeschin.1.173; so of Christ, Luc.Peregr.13: hence (from the ill repute of the professed sophists at Athens),
2. sophist (in bad sense), quibbler, cheat, Ar.Nu.331,1111, al., Pl.Sph. 268d; “γόητα καὶ σοφιστὴν ὀνομάζων” D.18.276.
3. later of the ῥήτορες, Professors of Rhetoric, and prose writers of the Empire, such as Philostratus and Libanius, Suid.; “Ἀπολλωνίδῃ σοφιστῇ” PLips. 97 X 18 (iv A.D.); freq. as a title in epitaphs, IG3.625,637,680,775, 14.935.
