Plato

Family: Greece · Role: philosopher · First appears: Lycurgus

Plato was a Greek philosopher who took Lycurgus as a model in political thought, as did other writers on politics. As a young man, he admired Antimachus for his poetry and consoled him after a defeat; he also compared Coriolanus’s pride and self-will with the qualities that made his achievements unacceptable to those they benefited.

Plato was a mentor to Phocion, Demosthenes, Dion, Dionysius, Marcus Brutus, and Helicon. Dion was among his scholars and was described as especially quick and apt to learn, while Dionysius strongly desired to study under him; Plato’s connection with Archytas also began through Dion. Dion was Plato’s friend, and Aristides the Locrian was one of his companions. Philosophers’ company had been among Dionysius’s pleasures while he was a monarch, and he was said to have been deprived of Plato’s kindness.

Plato also appeared in judgments about Orpheus, whose promised reward he treated scornfully, and about Dion, whom he criticized for choosing traitorous friends. In comparing Demosthenes with Cicero, he was cited for the prediction that states’ miseries would end when supreme power, wisdom, and justice were united in one person.

Relationship record

Lycurgus

with Lycurgus (interaction) “all those who have written well on politics, as Plato, Diogenes, and Zeno, have taken Lycurgus for their model”
mentor: Lycurgus “all those who have written well on politics, as Plato, Diogenes, and Zeno, have taken Lycurgus for their model”

Comparison of Alcibiades with Coriolanus

with Coriolanus (Plato is cited in characterizing the disposition associated with Coriolanus.) “the absence of this in the character of Marcius made all his great actions and noble qualities unacceptable to those whom they benefited: pride, and self-will, the consort, as Plato calls it, of solitude, made him insufferable.”

Timoleon

with Dionysius (interaction) “and that by means of such he had been deprived of Plato's kindness.”
friends with Dionysius “philosophers, whose company had been one of his pleasures while yet a monarch”
friends with Aristides the Locrian “Aristides the Locrian, one of Plato's companions”

Aristides

patron: Dion “Dion, the Syracusan, supplying the expenses of the latter”

Lysander

with Antimachus (interaction) “Plato, being then a young man, and admiring Antimachus for his poetry, consoled him for his defeat”

Comparison of Lucullus with Cimon

with Orpheus (Plato criticizes Orpheus.) “as Plato says scornfully of Orpheus, that he makes an eternal debauch hereafter, the reward of those who lived well here.”

Nicias

friends with Dion “So his friend Dion, when the moon, at the time he was to embark from Zacynthus to go against Dionysius, was eclipsed”
rivals with Timaeus “This sort of contention and rivalry with others in matter of style”

Phocion

pupil: Phocion “as to be first Plato's, and afterwards Xenocrates's scholar in the Academy”
mentor: Phocion “as to be first Plato's, and afterwards Xenocrates's scholar in the Academy”

Demosthenes

pupil: Demosthenes “Demosthenes was a scholar to Plato, and learnt much of his eloquence from him”

Comparison of Demosthenes and Cicero

with Cicero (Cicero's conduct was presented as fulfilling Plato's prediction.) “he attested the truth of Plato's prediction, that then the miseries of states would be at an end, when by a happy fortune supreme power, wisdom, and justice should be united in one.”

Dion

pupil: Dion “Dion was, indeed, at this time extremely young in years, but of all the scholars that attended Plato he was the quickest and aptest to learn”
pupil: Dionysius “He was beyond measure desirous to be Plato's scholar, and to proceed in the study of philosophy”
pupil: Marcus Brutus “Brutus, who was brought up in his philosophy”
friends with Archytas “his acquaintance and friendly relations with whom owed their origin to Plato”
pupil: Helicon “Helicon the Cyzicenian, one of Plato's followers”

Comparison of Dion and Brutus

with Dion (Plato criticized Dion's choice of friends.) “Plato also is severe upon him, for choosing such for friends as betrayed him.”

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Extracted from the original text of Plutarch's Lives. Made with Rho MD.