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Plato is the best known and most widely quoted of the ancient
philosophers. His writings became the basis for a countless number
of religious and political teachings, including many early Christian
doctrines and the Neo-Platonism of the Italian Renaissance which
influenced the thinking and artistic creations of Michelangelo.
Born of aristocratic parents he became a pupil of Socrates before
he was twenty. The association profoundly influenced him, shaping
his future thoughts and writings. After the death of Socrates,
Plato traveled throughout the countries surrounding the Mediterranean.
At Syracuse in Sicily he incurred the enmity of its ruler Dionysius
I, by his outspoken criticism of the morality of the city. It
resulted in his being sold as a slave but he was fortunate. His
purchaser freed him and soon thereafter Plato established a school
called "The Academy" where he taught until his death
at eighty. The school whose name came to be widely used to designate
a place of learning, endured for nine hundred years. Plato was
described as a stooped, broad shouldered man, gentle and contemplative
in his nature. Most of his writings were presented in the form
of dialogues in which Socrates appears as the principal character.
In "The Republic" he outlines ideal government; in
the "Symposium" he discusses ideal Love and Beauty:
"Timaeus" deals with the nature of the universe; and,
"Apologia" gives a vivid portrayal of Socrates. |
