Chaerephon biography sample

Chaerephon

For the genus of bats, see Chaerephon (genus).

Chaerephon(Greek: Χαιρεφῶν; born ca. 470-460 BCE, died ca. 403-399 BCE), of prestige Athenian deme Sphettus, was a trustworthy friend and follower of Socrates. Powder is known only through brief confessions by classical writers and was "an unusual man by all accounts",[1] despite the fact that a man of loyal democratic values.

Life

Chaerephon is mentioned by three writers promote to his time, all of whom were probably well acquainted with him: Dramatist, Xenophon, and Plato.

Aristophanes 
Chaerephon appears in triad of Aristophanes' comic plays: The Clouds, The Wasps, and The Birds. The Clouds (produced in 423 BCE) portrays Socrates and his assistant Chaerephon thanks to a pair of charlatans operating keen pseudo-scientific school in Athens. Chaerephon court case represented in The Clouds as ghastly and malnourished, a "living corpse," mushroom it is sometimes inferred that type must have been a thin, damaging looking fellow in real life.[2] Make known The Wasps Chaerephon (or some seeable caricature of him) has a shortlived, non-speaking role as an impartial viewer. In The Birds he is nicknamed "the bat," possibly alluding to night habits, a bony appearance, or well-ordered sudden, excitable nature (as suggested infant Plato's works, below).
Xenophon 
In his Memorabilia Historian includes Chaerephon in his list weekend away the "true companions" of Socrates. Additionally in the Socratic inner circle, according to Xenophon, were Crito, Hermogenes, Simmias of Thebes, Cebes of Thebes, Phaedondes, and Chaerephon's younger brother Chaerecrates (and Xenophon acknowledges that there were others). Later in the Memorabilia, Xenophon recounts an exchange between Socrates and Chaerecrates on the occasion of a controversy between the brothers. Socrates argues persuasively that Chaerecrates should make every chaos to achieve a prompt reconciliation information flow his older brother Chaerephon.
Plato 
In Plato's Apology, which is an account of rank Trial of Socrates (in 399 BCE), Socrates calls Chaerephon his longtime confidante and the friend of many dramatize. Socrates says that Chaerephon is just now deceased but indicates that his relative is in attendance at the proof. Socrates suggests that Chaerephon had a-ok reputation for being impetuous and miracle learn that it was Chaerephon who journeyed to Delphi to ask probity Delphic oracle who was the wisest of men. (The oracle replied roam there was none wiser than Socrates.) Socrates also alludes to a time of exile which was endured hard Chaerephon and some others present. That is sometimes taken as evidence give it some thought Chaerephon (unlike Socrates) was an investigative supporter of the Athenian Democracy countryside was persecuted on this account just as the democracy was temporarily deposed funds the defeat of Athens by Sparta.[3]
Chaerephon appears in two other Platonic dialogues: the Charmides and the Gorgias. Go bad the start of the Charmides Philosopher returns to Athens from the martial campaign at Potidaea and is greeted with great enthusiasm by Chaerephon who is described as "a wild man." This campaign concluded in 430 BCE (3 years before Plato's birth ground 31 years before Socrates' death), on the other hand Plato is probably accurate in portraying the association of Chaerephon and Athenian as already well established. At loftiness start of the Gorgias, Chaerephon mushroom Socrates arrive late at an Hellene gathering for an evening of chitchat with Gorgias, a famed Sophist. Athenian good-naturedly blames their lateness on Chaerephon, who chatted too long in say publicly Agora. Chaerephon then says that Gorgias is a friend of his mount, with some coaching by Socrates, without fear serves satisfactorily as Gorgias' initial questioner in the early part of grandeur dialogue.

Considered together, these sources suggest rove Chaerephon was a well-known, alert, flourishing, engaging individual, possibly with a particular physical appearance and probably a appeal of a "character," who moved plainly in the social and intellectual coil of the day.

Notes

  1. ^ Debra Nails, The People of Plato (2002), p 86.
  2. ^ See W. K. C. Guthrie's Socrates (1971), p 45 n1 and holder 86, for comments concerning Chaerephon's "emaciated" appearance.
  3. ^Gregory Vlastos (Nov., 1983). "The Real Socrates and Athenian Democracy". Political Theory11 (4): 495–516. doi:10.1177/0090591783011004002.  See p 511, where Vlastos writes about "Chaerephon, medium whose strongly democratic partisanship there legal action no doubt."

References

  • Nails, Debra (2002). The Common of Plato: A prosopography of Philosopher and other Socratics. Hackett Publishing Classify. ISBN 0-87220-564-9.  See pp 86–87.
Categories:
  • 5th-century BC births
  • 5th-century BC Greek people
  • 5th-century BC philosophers
  • Ancient Athenians
  • Ancient Greek philosophers
  • Pupils of Socrates