Plato

Plato was bornin fifth century BC into a wealthy and aristocratic family from Athens. Some scholars believe that he was named Aristocles after his grandfather and was later called Plato because of his broad physical built. However, there is no indisputable evidence in this regard.

There is also a controversy about the year as well as the place of his birth. Initially, the year of his birth wasidentified as 428 BC but after analyzing the events of his life, modern historiansbelieve it was around 424/423 BC.

While some scholars have identified the place of his birth as Athens, others believe that he was born in Aegina, located at a distance of 27 km from the city. However, it isuniversally acceptedthat he was mostly brought up in Athens in the house of his stepfather Pyrilampes.

Plato’s father, Ariston of Collytus, was a descendent of Codrus, the ancient king of Athens while his mother, Perictione, was a descendant of Solon, the Athenian lawgiver and poet. Plato had two brothers, Glaucon and Adeimantus and a sister named Potone.

Ariston died when Plato was a still a child. Thereafter, his mother married the Athenian statesman Pyrilampes, who was also her uncle. Platohad a stepbrother named Antiphon from this union.

After leaving Athens, Plato travelled for twelve years, visiting places around the Mediterranean coast such as Syracuse (Sicily), Italy, Egypt and Cyrene (Libya). For some time, he studied mathematics under the Pythagoreans in Italy. What he learned there later helped him to form his own ideas.

In Egypt,he studied geometry, geology, astronomy and religion. It was here that he learned to make water clock, which he later introduced in Athens. This was also the time he started writing extensively.

It is believed ‘The Apology of Socrates’, his first major work, was written shortly after the death of Socrates. Some other works of this period are ‘Protagoras’, ‘Euthyphro’, ‘Hippias Major and Minor’ and ‘Ion’. All these were written in dialogue form through which Plato attempted to convey the philosophy and teachings of Socrates.

Around this time Plato also visited Syracuse, which was under the rule of tyrant king Dionysius I, whose brother-in-law Dion had become Plato’s disciple. It angered Dionysius and Plato was sold into slavery. Fortunately, Anniceris, another of his disciples, was able to buy his freedom for twenty minas and send him home.

Plato returned to Athens in 387 BC. In the same year, he founded his ‘Academy’ on a plot of land in the Grove of Academus, outside the city wall of Athens. It is said to be the first organized school in the western world. Plato’s famous book, ‘The Republic’ was written sometime during this period.

The school that Plato opened after returning to Athens is one of his major contributions to the development of western civilization. It was probably know as ‘Akademia’ because it was located at the Grove of Academus. It is believed that the word ‘academy’ has been derived from it.

Led by great scholars like Speusippus, Xenocrates, Polemon, Crates, and Arcesilaus, the academy continued to function tillits destruction in 84 BC. After that, it was revived many times. Today we can safely say that it was the forerunner of the modern educational system.

Plato is also remembered for the body of works that he left behind. ‘The Republic’, a Socratic dialogue written in around 380 BC, is one of his most famous works. In this book, Plato has defined his concept of justice and also the characteristics of a just city-state and the just man.

‘Theory of Forms’, written during his later period,is another of his well-known works. In it, Plato had suggested that the material world as we see it is not the real world. This changeable world is actually an ‘image’ or ‘copy’ of the actual world.