Zeuxippus
（
*Zeu/cippos), artists.
1. A painter, of Heracleia, who is mentioned by Socrates in the
Protagoras of Plato (p. 318b. c.) as " this young man, who has recently come to the city" (
τούτου τοῦ νεανίσκου τοῦ νῦν νεωστὶ ἐπιδημοῦντος). Now since the celebrated Zeuxis was a native of Heracleia, since his age would just suit the date of this allusion [ZEUXIS], and since he is expressly mentioned by Socrates elsewhere (
Xen. Mem. 1.4.6,
Oecon. 10.1), it is difficult to believe that this Zeuxippus was a different person.
There is no occasion, however, to suspect the reading in the passage of the
Protagoras. The true explanation is perhaps to be found in the common tendency of Greek names to assume abbreviated forms; and thus perhaps
Zeuxippus is no other than the old genuine form of the name
Zeuxis. There is another passage in which Socrates is made to refer to " the Heracleian stranger," without mentioning his name (Xen.
Sympos. 4.63).
