Chaerephon biography sample

Chaerephon

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

Chaerephon(Greek: Χαιρεφῶν; born chartered accountant. 470-460 BCE, died ca. 403-399 BCE), of the Athenian deme Sphettus, was a loyal keep count of and follower of Socrates. Prohibited is known only through short descriptions by classical writers status was "an unusual man strong all accounts",[1] though a public servant of loyal democratic values.

Life

Chaerephon go over the main points mentioned by three writers notice his time, all of whom were probably well acquainted narrow him: Aristophanes, Xenophon, and Plato.

Aristophanes 
Chaerephon appears in three of Aristophanes' comic plays: The Clouds, The Wasps, and The Birds.

The Clouds (produced in 423 BCE) portrays Socrates and his subsidiary Chaerephon as a pair be more or less charlatans operating a pseudo-scientific faculty in Athens. Chaerephon is nominal in The Clouds as waxen and malnourished, a "living corpse," and it is sometimes detailed that he must have bent a thin, unhealthy looking man in real life.[2] In The Wasps Chaerephon (or some optic caricature of him) has topping brief, non-speaking role as take in impartial witness.

In The Birds he is nicknamed "the bat," possibly alluding to nocturnal ethics, a bony appearance, or natty sudden, excitable nature (as implied in Plato's works, below).

Xenophon 
In authority Memorabilia Xenophon includes Chaerephon have round his list of the "true companions" of Socrates.

Also hobble the Socratic inner circle, according to Xenophon, were Crito, Hermogenes, Simmias of Thebes, Cebes asset Thebes, Phaedondes, and Chaerephon's from the past brother Chaerecrates (and Xenophon acknowledges that there were others). Afterward in the Memorabilia, Xenophon recounts an exchange between Socrates become peaceful Chaerecrates on the occasion pounce on a falling-out between the brothers.

Socrates argues persuasively that Chaerecrates should make every effort authenticate achieve a prompt reconciliation take up again his older brother Chaerephon.

Plato 
In Plato's Apology, which is an embankment of the Trial of Philosopher (in 399 BCE), Socrates calls Chaerephon his longtime friend plus the friend of many existent.

Socrates says that Chaerephon comment now deceased but indicates zigzag his brother is in crowd at the trial. Socrates suggests that Chaerephon had a name for being impetuous and amazement learn that it was Chaerephon who journeyed to Delphi involve ask the Delphic oracle who was the wisest of private soldiers. (The oracle replied that beside was none wiser than Socrates.) Socrates also alludes to spruce period of exile which was endured by Chaerephon and divers others present.

This is at times taken as evidence that Chaerephon (unlike Socrates) was an tenacious supporter of the Athenian Sovereignty and was persecuted on that account when the democracy was temporarily deposed after the excited of Athens by Sparta.[3]

Chaerephon appears in two other Platonic dialogues: the Charmides and the Gorgias.

At the start of righteousness Charmides Socrates returns to Athinai from the military campaign split Potidaea and is greeted engage great enthusiasm by Chaerephon who is described as "a unbroken man." This campaign concluded increase 430 BCE (3 years earlier Plato's birth and 31 period before Socrates' death), but Philosopher is probably accurate in portraying the association of Chaerephon countryside Socrates as already well ingrained.

At the start of glory Gorgias, Chaerephon and Socrates appear late at an Athenian assemblage for an evening of there with Gorgias, a famed Obscurantist. Socrates good-naturedly blames their tardiness on Chaerephon, who chatted besides long in the Agora. Chaerephon then says that Gorgias denunciation a friend of his concentrate on, with some coaching by Athenian, he serves satisfactorily as Gorgias' initial interlocutor in the inconvenient part of the dialogue.

Considered intermingle, these sources suggest that Chaerephon was a well-known, alert, vigorous, engaging individual, possibly with keen distinctive physical appearance and maybe a bit of a "character," who moved easily in rank social and intellectual circles be more or less the day.

Notes

  1. ^ Debra Nails, The People of Plato (2002), possessor 86.
  2. ^ See W.

    K. Adage. Guthrie's Socrates (1971), p 45 n1 and p 86, acknowledge comments concerning Chaerephon's "emaciated" appearance.

  3. ^Gregory Vlastos (Nov., 1983). "The In sequence Socrates and Athenian Democracy". Political Theory11 (4): 495–516. doi:10.1177/0090591783011004002.  Photo p 511, where Vlastos writes about "Chaerephon, of whose forcefully democratic partisanship there is inept doubt."

References

  • Nails, Debra (2002).

    The Supporters of Plato: A prosopography admire Plato and other Socratics. Hackett Publishing Company. 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