The discussion takes place in Callias' house, where Protagoras is staying while in town, and it is about the nature of sophists, unity, and the teachability of virtue. There are a total of twenty-one people listed as being present. The dialogue opens with Socrates' nameless acquaintance wondering how his pursuit of the youthful Alcibiades, who is said to be growing his first beard, is doing. Socrates explains this after being in the company of Alcibiades for a short time. 



Socrates cautions the ecstatic Hippocrates about the dangers of Sophists. He informs him that the Sophists' words reach right to the soul (psyche) and can immediately corrupt a person. Buying wisdom from a Sophist, according to Socrates, is not the same as buying food and drink at the market. You never know what you're going to receive with food and drink, but you can seek guidance from professionals before consuming anything potentially harmful. Prodicus, according to Socrates, is a man of inspired genius. In another discussion, the Theaetetus, he displays the same adoration for Prodicus. Prodicus was assigned to sleep in a storage room that his host had cleaned out for the visit, according to Socrates.