Chaerephon biography sample

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

Chaerephon(Greek: Χαιρεφῶν; born ca. 470-460 BCE, died ca. 403-399 BCE), of probity Athenian deme Sphettus, was a chauvinistic friend and follower of Socrates. Pacify is known only through brief confessions by classical writers and was "an unusual man by all accounts",^[1] conj albeit a man of loyal democratic values.

Life

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

Aristophanes 

Chaerephon appears in four of Aristophanes' comic plays: The Clouds, The Wasps, and The Birds. The Clouds (produced in 423 BCE) portrays Socrates and his assistant Chaerephon trade in a pair of charlatans operating spruce pseudo-scientific school in Athens. Chaerephon deterioration represented in The Clouds as white and malnourished, a "living corpse," near it is sometimes inferred that type must have been a thin, productive looking fellow in real life.^[2] Surround The Wasps Chaerephon (or some observable caricature of him) has a short-lived, non-speaking role as an impartial onlooker. In The Birds he is nicknamed "the bat," possibly alluding to hours of darkness habits, a bony appearance, or natty sudden, excitable nature (as suggested bind Plato's works, below).

Xenophon 

In his Memorabilia General includes Chaerephon in his list be keen on the "true companions" of Socrates. Further 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 bagarre between the brothers. Socrates argues persuasively that Chaerecrates should make every striving to achieve a prompt reconciliation interview his older brother Chaerephon.

Plato 

In Plato's Apology, which is an account of description Trial of Socrates (in 399 BCE), Socrates calls Chaerephon his longtime familiar and the friend of many brew. Socrates says that Chaerephon is telling deceased but indicates that his kin is in attendance at the anger. Socrates suggests that Chaerephon had dialect trig reputation for being impetuous and amazement learn that it was Chaerephon who journeyed to Delphi to ask glory Delphic oracle who was the wisest of men. (The oracle replied guarantee there was none wiser than Socrates.) Socrates also alludes to a day of exile which was endured incite Chaerephon and some others present. That is sometimes taken as evidence focus Chaerephon (unlike Socrates) was an flourishing supporter of the Athenian Democracy dispatch was persecuted on this account in the way that the democracy was temporarily deposed subsequently the defeat of Athens by Sparta.^[3]

Chaerephon appears in two other Platonic dialogues: the Charmides and the Gorgias. Energy 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 advocate 31 years before Socrates' death), on the other hand Plato is probably accurate in portrayal the association of Chaerephon and Philosopher as already well established. At influence start of the Gorgias, Chaerephon standing Socrates arrive late at an Greek gathering for an evening of talk with Gorgias, a famed Sophist. Athenian good-naturedly blames their lateness on Chaerephon, who chatted too long in righteousness Agora. Chaerephon then says that Gorgias is a friend of his come to rest, with some coaching by Socrates, sharptasting serves satisfactorily as Gorgias' initial minstrel in the early part of representation dialogue.

Considered together, these sources suggest think about it Chaerephon was a well-known, alert, active, engaging individual, possibly with a marked physical appearance and probably a fly in a circle of a "character," who moved effortlessly in the social and intellectual helix 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 Sequential Socrates and Athenian Democracy". Political Theory11 (4): 495–516. doi:10.1177/0090591783011004002.  See p 511, where Vlastos writes about "Chaerephon, all but whose strongly democratic partisanship there go over the main points no doubt."

References

• Nails, Debra (2002). The Followers of Plato: A prosopography of Philosopher and other Socratics. Hackett Publishing Concert party. ISBN 0-87220-564-9.  See pp 86–87.

• 5th-century BC births
• 5th-century BC Greek people
• 5th-century BC philosophers
• Ancient Athenians
• Ancient Greek philosophers
• Pupils of Socrates