With an assurance characteristic of the later sophists, he claimed to be regarded as an authority on all subjects, and lectured on poetry, grammar, history, politics, mathematics, and much else.
[3] But he was in every respect like the other sophists of the time: he travelled about in various towns and districts of Greece for the purpose of teaching and public speaking.
[1] Hippias was a man of very extensive knowledge, and he occupied himself not only with rhetorical, philosophical, and political studies, but was also well versed in poetry, music, mathematics, painting and sculpture, and he claimed some practical skill in the ordinary arts of life, for he used to boast of wearing on his body nothing that he had not made himself with his own hands, such as his seal-ring, his cloak, and shoes.
[4] He was credited with a lost work known as the Olympionikō̂n Anagraphḗ (Ὀλυμπιονικῶν Ἀναγραφή) which computed Coroebus's victory as occurring in 776 BC and became the basis of all later lists of the Olympiads and their victors.
This arrogance, combined with ignorance, is the main cause which provoked Plato to his severe criticism of Hippias, as the sophist enjoyed a very extensive reputation, and thus had a large influence upon the education of the youths of the higher classes.
Plato claims he wrote epic poetry, tragedies, dithyrambs, and various orations,[8] as well as works on grammar, music, rhythm, harmony, and a variety of other subjects.