born 485, Abdera, Greece
died 0441; 410 BC
Greek philosopher, first and most famous of the sophists .
He spent most of his life at Athens, where he considerably influenced contemporary thought on moral and political questions. Plato named one of his dialogues after him. Protagoras claimed to teach men "virtue" in the conduct of their daily lives. He is best known for his dictum, "Man is the measure of all things" (see relativism ; ethical relativism ). Though he adopted conventional moral ideas, his work Concerning the Gods advocated agnosticism regarding religious belief. He was accused of impiety, his books were publicly burned, and he was exiled from Athens 0441; 415 BC.