The sophist is Hippias of Elis (c.481-411) orator and polymath who amassed great wealth as a professional teacher. The quotation is from Plato 's dialogue The Greater Hippias (288d) (The authorship of this work is now disputed). In discussing the nature of beauty with Hippias, Socrates has mentioned the concept with relation to a maiden, a mare, a lyre, and just before the retort which follows, a pot: Hippias - 'Who is this fellow? What a boor to dare to introduce such vulgar examples into a grave discussion!'. Socrates - 'He is that sort of person, Hippias, - not at all refined, a common fellow caring for nothing but the truth'. Ruskin likens himself to Socrates in discussion with Hippias; Socrates amusingly identifies himself with the imaginary fellow he has allowed to introduce the sort of example which Hippias would regard as lowering the tone of their argument. In this way Ruskin counters the idea of his critics that the 'irreverent and scurrile expression' he is accused of applying 'towards the works which I have depreciated' negates the truth of his opinions, no less than it did in the case of Socrates.