Jennifer Roman
April 2012
P.3
Plato
Plato was an incredibly influential Greek philosopher. He was born in Athens and he lived from 429-347 B.C.E. Plato was luckily born into a wealthy aristocratic family. His father was allegedly a descent from the early kings of Athens. Unfortunately, Plato's father perished when he was a child, and his mother eventually remarried. Plato's real name was actually Aristocles; he was named after his grandfather. Plato got the name Plato from his wrestling coach. Throughout his entire life, Plato was an intelligent and creative individual. Plato was a pupil of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle He wrote a handful of dialogues and had several theories. Some of his works are the Apology, Republic, Euthyphro, Crito, Phaedo, and many more. He accomplished many things in his lifetime.
A highlight in Plato's life was when he became a disciple of Socrates. Plato was around the age of twenty when he met Socrates and became his pupil.
Still Life with Plato
Plato. Luni marble, copy of the portrait made by S...
English: Plato's Academy Archaeological Site in Ak...Socrates made a tremendous impact on Plato. Socrates was one of some people that greatly influenced Plato. Plato was twenty-nine years old when he witnessed the death of Socrates, who died because he was charged with the crime of impiety. After Socrates' death Plato left Athens for approximately twelve years. Everything Socrates believed in influenced Plato. Socrates was obsessed with the idea of knowledge and human virtue. He believed "virtue is knowledge". He also believed that every thing and every idea had a mysterious inner "essential nature" and that knowledge lay in finding conclusive definitions.
Other than Socrates, Plato was greatly influenced by two other philosophers. Plato was influenced by Pythagoras, a pre-socratic, who was a math fanatic. Pythagoras believed that everything around us is mathematics, meaning all things are numbers and all natural phenomena are mathematical. Pythagoras'...