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Text-only
SOCRATES AND HIS FRIENDS
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ARISTOPHANES
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XENOPHON
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PLATO
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Was Socrates a teacher? |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Did Socrates do
natural sciences? |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Did Socrates
accept money? |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Was Socrates a
Sophist? |
YES |
YES ? |
NO |
Did Socrates believe
in the gods? |
NO |
YES |
YES |
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Was Socrates a ‘martyr'’ |
NO, a fraud. |
NO (?) a voluntary
suicide. |
YES, a Hero for Truth |
There are only three contemporary written sources for Socrates' career:
- (1) ARISTOPHANES, the comic poet, who produced a play about Socrates, called the Clouds, in ca. 425 B.C.
- (2) XENOPHON, born ca. 430 B. C., a conservative pro-Spartan and pro-aristocratic pupil of Socrates. He later became a military commander and an historian and essayist. He wrote Memorabilia in three books about Socrates.
- (3) PLATO, born ca. 427, a descendant of Solon's father, and thus a member of the Athenian ex-royal family. A professional philosopher, who wrote a quartet of tracts on Socrates' last days: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo.
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