elements for the theory of value in ancient philosophy

Although axiology is a new philosophical discipline (the second half of the 19th century), we can talk about both a prehistory and a protohistory of axiology. The most important aspect of axiology belongs to its prehistory. Examining the doctrines of ancient philosophers one can conclude that, although no Greek thinker had the distinct conscience of a specific realm of values, yet each generation had intuitions proper to the axiological perspective. Their intuitions regarded the human act of founding the world of values (the Sophists), or the argumentation in favour of the general character of values (Plato and Aristotle) or a hierarchy of values as a model of human education and formation.