Skip to content

Order by Dec 10 for Christmas: 27 days left. Shop gifts

Spartan Surfers

c. 490-420 BC

Protagoras

The first and most famous of the Sophists, the paid teachers of argument. He said man is the measure of all things and every question has two sides.

2 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. Man is the measure of all things.

    The opening of Protagoras' book, as reported by Diogenes Laertius and Plato: of all things the measure is man. We see everything through human eyes. That is a warning about bias as much as a statement of pride.

    Diogenes Laertius 9.51, our translation from the Greek

  2. Every question has two sides.

    Protagoras was the first, says Diogenes Laertius, to claim there are two opposing arguments on every matter. Before you dig in, argue the other side. You will either strengthen your view or change it.

    Diogenes Laertius 9.51, our translation from the Greek