Final answer:
Sophist can be traced back to a group of itinerant teachers in ancient Greece who specialized in providing instruction in the art of rhetoric. The correct answer is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group of itinerant teachers in ancient Greece who specialized in providing instruction in the art of rhetoric can be traced back to the Sophists. These educated individuals traveled teaching the skills of rhetoric, arguing that truth was relative and placing emphasis on success in public discourse and legal arguments of the time.
Much of their teachings focused on the ability to argue both sides of an issue and to persuade audiences through skilled oration—a necessary talent in a society where written contracts were scarce and oral persuasion held sway in decision-making processes. Hence, the correct option is a.