Gorgias’ Lehrmethode

At the end of the Sophistici Elenchi, Aristotle claims that Gorgias gave his pupils ready-made speeches to learn by heart rather than teaching them a τέχνη. Gorgias’ Helen is often considered to have been a speech used by pupils as a model for the composition of their own speeches. However, there is little extant research into the question as to whether there are speeches still preserved that were composed with the aid of such models. In this paper I will argue that the Helen served as a model for the author of De flatibus. The stylistic similarities between both writings are well known. In addition, De flatibus imitates the composition and argumentation of the Helen. At multiple points, the mechanisms of λόγος as they are described by Gorgias are applied to medical problems. These and other connections between the two texts offer a unique perspective on the ways in which Gorgias’ method of instruction could function and be successful. It is likely that physicians were among Gorgias’ regular students.