Who were the Sophists?

Sophistēsis is a Greek word rooted in the noun sophia (which loosely translates to "wisdom") and means "one who is wise or learned." Although the term probably existed before and was used to refer to sages or clever individuals, "Sophist" often refers to a class of Greek intellectuals in the 5th and 4th century BCE who toured the Greek world offering lessons in arete ("virtue"/"excellence," a way of living up to one's full potential) for a fee. This practice earned them both fame and ire.


Sophists emerged as a response to the changing conditions of Greek life. The philosophical debates surrounding religion, politics, and life created a desire for education beyond just literary training and traditional craftsmanship. The increasingly democratic nature of society meant that this desire was spread across social classes, and, as such, the Sophists frequented larger city dwellings, like Athens. Here, a number of young men were interested in learning the new forms of "excellence," including rhetoric and persuasive speech.


Although they contributed to the development of Greek philosophy, later philosophers (like Plato and Aristotle) would be quick to distance themselves and their teachers (like Socrates) from the Sophists. This was primarily because of the Sophists' practice of charging a fee for their teachings and thereby restricting education to those who could afford to pay for it.


Some notable Sophists include: Protagoras, Gorgias, Antiphon, Prodicus and Thrasymachus.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sophists/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sophist-philosophy