Plato (real name Aristocles) was born in May or December, 428 or 427 BC in an aristocratic family, in
Athens or on Egina Island. He was a famous ancient Greek philosopher.
Biography and Career :
Plato's father, Ariston, was a descendent of king Codros and his mother, Perictione, came from a family related to Solon. His real name was Aristocles, Plato was a nickname received because of his large chest. Plato's childhood was marked by the Peloponnesian war and the civil fights between democrats and aristocrats.
When Plato was 20 he became Socrates' disciple and had stayed with him for eight years, until
Socrates had passed away. His poetical s
kills, the talent at theatre were deadened by himself. He focused on philosophy.
In 399 BC Plato couldn't be present at Socrates' death because he was ill. Socrates' unfair sentence determined him to rehabilitate Socrates and his dialogues from his youth were marked by Socrates' philosophy.
During the years he traveled to Egypt where he learned mathematic, to Cirene, where he met the mathematician Teodor, to Sicily in Siracuza where he was invited by Dionysius the Old.
An old story says Dionysius sold Plato as a slave in Egina because he didn't like his presence, but Plato's friends bought and let him free. This may explain why Plato exited the politics and founded a school in Athens, called Plato's Academy.
The organization of the school looked like the Pythagorean society, with a well structured hierarchy and would function 1000 years. After the age of 60 Plato traveled two times to Siracuza to convince Dionysius the Young to reform the philosophy and politics in his way. Unfortunately the project failed.
Plato passed away in 347 BC as Cicero said "with the pen in his hand". Plato's works remained complete and it is the first time when this happened. He wrote 35 writings and 13 letters and he imposed the Dialogues as a way of communication.
Trivia :
- When he took refuge in Megara he met Euclid, another disciple of Socrates.
- Plato's Academy was closed in 529 BC from the Emperor Iustinian's order.
- He was Socrate's student and teacher of
Aristotle.
Quotes :
- "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
- "Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil."
- "No human thing is of serious importance."
- "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
Important Works :
Early dialogues:
"Apology"
"Crito"
"Charmides"
"Laches"
"Lysis"
"Euthyphro"
"Menexenus"
"Lesser Hippias"
"Ion"
"Gorgias"
"Protagoras"
"Meno"
Middle dialogues:
"Euthydemus"
"Cratylus"
"Phaedo"
"Phaedrus"
"Symposium"
"Republic"
"Theaetetus"
"Parmenides"
Late dialogues:
"Sophist"
"Statesman"
"Philebus"
"Timaeus"
"Critias"
"Laws"
Plato Image : mala.bc.ca
irrelevant
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