It is not every pleasure, but only pleasure in the beautiful, to which Protagoras, in the dialogue which bears his name (p. 351, h), allows moral worth ; and he refers virtue to a certain sense of shame (aiSwc) im- planted in man by nature, and a certain conscious feel- ing of justice (Siicri), which are to serve the purpose of securing the bonds of connection in private and political life (ibid. p. 322, c, etc.) ; and, accordingly, explains how they are developed by means of education, instruc- tion, and laws (p. 325, c, etc.; comp. 340, c). He is not able, however, to define more exactly the difference between the beautiful and the pleasant, and at last again contents himself with affirming that pleasure or enjoyment is the proper aim of the good (p. 354. etc.). In just as confused a manner does he express himself
PROTAIS AND GERVAIS
GG3
PROTERIUS
with respect to the virtues, of which he admits five (holiness, boiorqc—ana four others), and with regard to which be maintain.- thai they arc distinguished from each cither in the same way as the parts of the counte- nance (ibid. p. 349, b; 329, c, etc.). As in these ethical opinions ol Protagoras we see a want of scientific per- ception, so do we perceive in his conception of the Ile- raclitean doctrine of the eternal flow of all things, and the way in which lie carries it out, a sophistical en- deavor to establish, freed from the fetters of science. his subjective notions, setting aside the Heraclitean as- sumption of a higher cognition and a community of ra- tional activity (i\vvbc \6yog) by means of rhetorical art. Thai he was master of this in a high degree, the testimonies of the ancients leave indubitable. I lis en- deavors, moreover, were mainly directed in the com- munication of this art by means of instruction (Plato, Protag. p. 312, c), to render men capable of acting and speaking with readiness in domestic and political affairs [ibid. p. 318, e). lie would teach how to make the weaker cause the Btronger (rbv >j-toj \6yov Kptiirw 7rouiv, Aristot ffAe*. ii, 24; A. Gellius, JV. A . v, 3 ; Eu- doxus, in Steph. Byz. a.v."A(idnpa: comp. Aristoph. Nub. 1 13, etc., 245, etc, 873, 87 1. 879, etc. I. By way of practice in the art he was accustomed to make his pupils discuss theses (communes /'"/') on opposite sides
(and ideally i (Diog. Laert. i\. 52, etc; comp. Suid.
s. v.; Dionys. of Italic, [socr., Tin in I>ioU. Laert.
ix,52; S< xt. Km p. Adv. Math. ix. .'i7; Cicero, Brut. 12); an exercise which is also recommended by Cicero (Ad At/, ix, 4), and Quintilian (x, ■>. § 10). The method of doing so was probably unfolded in his AH of DispuU (rixvi] tpioriKwv; seeabove). I Jut he also directed his attention to language, endeavored to explain difficult ■ issagi - in the | lets, though nol always with the best success (Plato, Protag. p. 388, c, etc.; comp. respecting his and the opposed Platonic exposition of the well- known lines of Simonides, Frei, p. 122, etc.). See Plato, Tlipp. Maj. p. 282, c; Memo, p. 91, d; Theatt. p. 161, a: 179, a: Quintilian, iii. 1, i 10; Diogenes Laert i us, l, etc.; Zeller, Philos. der Griechen, i. 244 sq.; Fi-h.r. /. '■nin.;i'i,t/.i ../' Christianity, p. 117; Butler, Hist. of Ancient Philos. (see index in vol. ii); Smith. Diet, of Gr. <ni't Rom. Biog. and Mythol. s. v., which we have principally used; Qeberweg, Hist, of Philos. i. 73 sq.; < ieist, 1 1' Protagora Sophista i < liessen, 1 827 1 ; Sprengel, in his Evvaywyij rt\fii>r (Stuttg. 1828), p. 152 sip: Herbst, Protagoras in " Philos.-hist. Studien" (Hamb. 1832), p. 88 sq.; Krische, Forschungen, i. 130 sq.; Frei, Quatstiones Protagoreas (Bonn, 1845) ; Weber, Qucest. Prot. i. Marl.. 1850); Beruays, in Rhein. Mus.f. Phil. I850(vii), p. 164 sq.; Vitringa, Dt Prot. Vita et Phil.
((iron. 1853); Grote, Plato (L I. 1865,3 vols.); and
his Hist.of Greece, ch. lxvii; Mallet. Etudes Pkiloso- phiques, vol. ii; and the literature under Sophists, es- pecially Schanz, Vorsokratische Philosophy (Gotting. 1st;;,.
Protais and Geivais, Sis., flourished in the first century of the ( lni-iian .era, and were mart\ redal .Milan towards the year 68. These two brothers were Bons ol St. Vital and St, Valeria, and their martyrdom appears to have taken place in the lasl years of the reign of Nero. Their memory was forgotten, until a vision re- vealed the place of their sepulture to St. Ambrose, when about to dedicate the Cathedral of Milan. The two
martyrs were buried in the Church ofSt.Nabor and St Felix, and upon the representations of St, Ambrose their coffins were discovered. Their names were plainly in- scribed upon them, a- St. Ambrose announced only what he had learned by revelation. The bone- were trans- ferred to ii,, Basilica, and legends report many miracles done by them during their transfer, which from the 6th century was celebrated at Milan ami in tie African I bun li. The worship of these two saints spread rapid- ly, and in the 6th century a church was buill and dedi- cated to them at Paris. This church has been several times restored, and exists ret in thai city. The feasl
of St Gervais and of St. Protais is celebrated on the l'Jtli of June. — Uoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generate, s. v. See Bollandus, .1 ctu Sanctorum, .Inn. ; Tillemont, .l/< moires Ecclesiastiques ; Baillet, Vies des Saints, 19 Juin. See Ger> ajse.